How long did your covid last?

I tested negative today on my eighth day. Only felt really poorly for one day. I am 73 and triple jabbed. Feeling tired but the heat is partly to blame for that.

Ashcombe

I felt unwell for a few days before testing positive, after which I was tired and suffered the symptoms of a heavy cold. It took eight days to get a negative result and I continued to feel tired for more than a week and I have an unusual cough. I’m also 71.

BlueBalou: I found Sudafed nasal spray helped with the bunged up nose.

Get well soon, Thoro. ?

Beware if Sudofed if you suffer from High Blood Pressure. Can seriously effect this. If you are on prescribed medication do not take any over-the-counter medication without checking with pharmacist first.

DH went to the podiatrist this afternoon and he has just returned to work after having Covid for 7 weeks and being really poorly most of the time. It just shows how it varies from person to person.

I was still testing positive on day ten so rang the Covid helpline. I was told l was no longer considered infectious and that some people could test positive for up to ninety days. I found the exhaustion took a while to recover from.

Forgot to say I tested negative on LFT day 6 and 10.

Lasted about 2 weeks, mainly exhaustion that lingered. I went back to work on 11th day (after 10 days isolation), which I think was too soon because I still didn't feel 100%.

It is approx 6 weeks since I tested positive and, since then, I have has dreadful sinusitis, an infected knee (for no discernable reason) and a uti that hasn't responded to abs.

I'm actually, a fairly healthy person generally.

I have just tested negative after 11 days, though still feel tired.

I felt very ill for 3 days, fever, chills, headache and body aches. I do have Type 2 diabetes and also auto immune conditions. I am due for my fourth vaccine but will have to wait a couple of weeks now.

I will carry on being very careful as I don't want to go through that again.

Six days from the first positive test to the first negative test. I had a cough and sore throat for two days then nothing more than a cold.

Day 9 now and still testing positive with 2 strong lines, even though I feel absolutely fine, just a tickly cough now and then!

First 2 days felt a little achey, but then it was just like a head cold.

I eventually tested negative on Day 12. The most persistent thing was the wersh (sour) taste in my mouth but that's gone now, Day 14. I feel disinclined for much that's energetic but that might just be because I haven't done much or a fortnight.

I think that recovering from covid is dependent on three factors-which strain you get , your age and you previous fitness levels

I have two friends who caught covid in January last year :

One is 55 years old has type two diabetes a thrombosis problem ,a poor diet, but goes to the gym once or twice a week and is still feeling off .
She gets tired very easily .

Her friend is 70 ,very overweight and unfit .She loves sweet things and drives everywhere .
She had trouble walking pre covid .
She nearly died in hospital and now has blood clots in her lungs ,a damaged heart and very swollen legs .
I don't know what her prognosis is .
I don't think that it's good .

I've met other people of all ages and fitness levels ,who didn't know that they have covid ,but tested positive and others who felt as though they had the flu in varying degrees and others who thought that they'd never recover .

Plenty of rest , a super healthy diet and gentle exercise seems to be the key to making a full recovery .
But there no magic formula .

I'm still waiting to regain my sense of taste - everything is bland .

My experience of Covid was very odd. I had a few days of feeling a sort of pre cold feeling : a vague feeling that I might be getting a cold as I woke up each morning but the feeling of vague throat discomfort disappeared as the day went on. I had paracetamol and tissues all set for the worst but it just didn't happen. I tested positive for almost a week then went back to testing negative. It was all most odd. No headache, fever, cough or any of the main symptoms. I'm very glad indeed not to have suffered as so many appear to have and put that down to the vaccine and booster for which I'm very grateful. DH has it now and it's like one of his usual noisy colds!

I got Covid in New York in early March. I felt bad for several weeks. I now have long Covid where the glands in my neck are painful.

Would a nasal spray help. Or a neti pot? I had a terrible post nasal drip years ago and it exhausted me as it really interrupted my sleeping. I think the Vicks Vapor rub on the soles of my feet helped. Although, from memory, I did take antibiotics eventually. I was still working at the time and I don’t know how I managed to do my job.

3 weeks later I have hideous catarrh and get a headache daily, I think it's my sinuses getting clogged. I've been negative for 2 week, just left with mega snot.

Like a cold, three days coming, three days bad, three days to recover. I tested negative on day two, positive on day 5, and my next test which was on day 7 was negative. I am still left with an annoying cough.

I went through the range of ailments as Ailidh listed and it lasted 7 days. Didn’t test a definite Negative for 2 more days after that.
Weary like Jaxjacky says. After doing the smallest chores.
It’s sort of a comfort to know the experience of others is so similar and I’m not just having a bout of laziness !

Finally tested negative after day 9, yesterday, feel ok apart from weary after normal tasks and slept 10 hours last night, retained sense of taste and smell, bit of a ‘productive’ cough.

Ailidh

I'm just on Day One.

A Very strong positive in about a minute.

Just vaguely headachy and tired behind my eyes so far.

Now on Day 7, still positive but the line is getting fainter, if that means anything.

I've started to wake up wondering what today's Symptom du Jour is going to be: I had two days of headache/head cold behind the eyes; a day of constantly runny nose; a day of barbed wire throat; one febrile night; a day of chesty cough; now on my second day of Hideous Catarrh.
I'm not tired but I am sleepy.
I'm disinclined to do much but that might just be because of not doing much.

The most annoying thing is the odd taste in my mouth. I can taste food and drink fine but I have a permanently sour? metallic? odd? taste. Nothing seems to cut it. I don't Think I've got bad breath - I haven't spoken to a human without a mask for a week, and the dogs don't complain.

Fingers crossed it goes off soon, and that I start testing negative soon too. ?

Tested positive again today!
Reading some posts on here, I’m grateful I feel fine and I hope those of you who don’t, soon feel better.
Just seems incredible to have no symptoms and still be positive!

Back to report on Day 19.

Sinuses are loads better but my nose still runs.

And, I have an infected knee! Not saying it was caused by covid but it is hanging on and on and I feel that having covid has depleted my reserves.

I'm on day 6, tested negative this morning. I felt ill for about 24 hours then rapidly improved. Still a bit claggy, but no tiredness or other symptoms. I think I got off lightly compared to some.

I've had flu once in my life, some 30 years ago and it was much worse. I was ill for a month.

I'm 75.

Finally tested negative after 14 days - it made me feel better! Still coughing and get tired easily but a great feeling of relief when I mix with others that I won’t be passing it on or for a while anyway shouldn’t be getting it again ?

I’m on day 5, most symptoms gone except for weariness, I’ll optimistically test tomorrow.