Do you believe you may now this moment be experiencing Covid-19?

Please Mods, place this wherever you see fit, finding it very difficult to concentrate on navigating Boards on my iPhone as I’m quite unwell at moment.

I have just returned from a fortnight trip in a lovely (amazingly clean) but very poor African country, and had to get out a day early because flights were shutting down, getting on second-last international flight out of the place, taking a prolonged circuitous route home. It was a wonderful holiday spent travelling Very closely with a small group of other Irish travellers. I will not comment on wellness of any fellow-travellers Who were each travelling singly, but will speak for myself.

From early enough on in the holiday I was finding myself rejecting the lovely food on offer, and presumed my lack of appetite was simply due to the heat, although I enjoyed a cool beer. My appetite lessened further into the trip until latterly it’s was nearly none-existent. About four days ago I got a few muscle aches and a very very slight cough, but said to self “don’t be imagining things”. About three days ago I started to feel “air but get” but not a wheeze at all, not sense of bronchi being restricted. The air hunger was coming in waves, and I could hardly walk at all without gasping, and talking was difficult. Thinking straight was difficult. I was pouring with sweat, but my thermometer did not show any fever. However the little finger pulse oximeter I had got in Aldi (which normally shows blood oxygen saturation in me of range 95-99%) ranged between 82-93%, but hanging stubbornly around high 80s-this corresponded with the breathing difficulty.

I was advised not to seek medical attention in the Very poor country and to get out of it ASAP. the breathing situation improved, but appetite dis improved and aches worsened on journey home. I tried to curl up and drowse most of time. Yesterday I developed wavering fever and rigours, but really no headache. Very little nasal congestion, slight sticky cough at times, sense of dread, impending doom, and foreboding but I guess this is psychological, more so as I live alone. I also get weird sense of elation at moments when fever spikes up a bit.

Last night I rested in my cool bed as nausea and digestive tract fluid loss set in. I have an ileostomy, so it’s rather symptomatic when this occurs, and mild cramps ensued. I’m on medication to suppress stomach acid, which makes me more prone to viral effects on the digestive system.

I’m actually now feeling like a nice cup of tea this morning To quench the thirst, maybe a bowl of cereal. i am very relieved that the breathing is again good, the pulse oximeter is is showing very satisfactory sats, and I can think straight. However, I am concerned not to have a repeat of that struggle to breathe. I am getting bouts of profuse sweating, in spite of the fever not going very high at all really.

It is a strange one. Have had influenzas in the past but they invariably included a very nasty headache and higher fever. They have never caused me these very peculiar and scary waves of breathing difficulty. I know I could Very well have Covid-19.

Anyone else in similar boat right now?

zapper55

Ring your GP OP. And if you dont have a GP ring the HSE helpline at 1850241850.

zapper55

zapper55 wrote: »

Ring your GP OP. And if you dont have a GP ring the HSE helpline at 1850241850.

No answer from either “line not in operation is what comes up”,l when I dial. I am very provided with medications due to underlying medical conditions, and have enough provisions. I am presently quite comfortable, but don’t have the energy or concentration for a lot of dialling up, and I am not medically fit to drive in my current condition. If I struggle to breathe again the way I did I will call emergency services as that is a life-threatening situation, but for the moment, wye sera.

Have managed to contact a GP service and given advice. The pulse oximeter I have (got in Aldi it Lidl, forget which) is my key to when to decide should an ambulance be needed, and I had entered a point of danger, which hopefully is fully behind me. Will be tested in due course.

Stephen Gawking

OP, you can contact any GP regarding possible Covid-19 infection. The helpline i found less than helpful & its laughable its not manned 24hrs but these are unprecedented times so i know the system is under pressure like never before. Google any & all GP's in your locality & you might get lucky. Dialling 999 won't really help per se because depending on where your based they may or may not be in a position to test you but they may end up giving you a piece of their mind.

Hospitals are admitting only the worst of the 'usual cases' & doc on call cannot test you. Given you were in Africa did you get any vaccinations before you left? Were you feeling ill prior to going on holiday in any way? Unfortunately it looks like you are going to rough out the weekend until monday morning when the GP's are back in their practices, however; should you deteriorate i would recommend you diall 999, they'll ask you questions etc & will bring you to hospital where i imagine one of the first things they'll do after triage is test you. Am awaiting a test myself since monday so i can relate, all the best & hooe you're ok.

shesty

You know there are certain hospitals that are designated 'receiving hospitals", don't you?

Hannibal_Smith

Mod note

Thank you for your post Catmaniac.

The HSE have advice on their website setting out what steps to take, if you have symptoms of COVID 19. I've put the link below. Please follow their advice.

The is also a forum dedicated to the Coronavirus, with some threads there that may help you. I've put a link to a thread where others are awaiting testing kits, which might be of some help to you.

PI isn't the place for this thread, so I'm going to close it here. But if you want me to move it to the Coronavirus forum for you, just drop me a PM.

Good luck and thank you.

https://www2.hse.ie/conditions/coronavirus/testing.html

https://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?t=2058063460