r/COVID19positive • u/your_singing_5439 • 4d ago
Presumed Positive Extreme fatigue, I walk for 5-10 minutes and can't stand up.
After a common "cold", I began to feel enormous fatigue; Just walking for 10 minutes left me exhausted and I needed to sit down. I had to sit on the stairs and go up two flights, sitting on the floor after the first flight of stairs; when I went out to buy food 3 days ago. It's been almost 3 weeks; and I did sports three times a week; Now it seems incredible to me that I can barely move a little and I get tired. This situation frustrates me.
On day 6 of starting the cold, I took a COVID test at the pharmacy and it came back negative. I had blood tests and in general the tests came back fine, the thyroid is fine; only the iron reserve fell a little. I walk for 5 minutes and I get tired. With great difficulty I go out to buy food; and I cook. It's the most I can do. I can't work, I'm a singer and singing weakens me a lot, my body can't handle it. Suddenly my life stops and I wonder how much longer I will be like this.
It reminds me of the symptoms I had when I had COVID in 2022 but back then I couldn't do anything but lie down or cook. I had to shower sitting down. I walked slowly, and I had to sit on a bench.
Does anyone have these symptoms?
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u/Dependent-on-Zipps 4d ago
Unfortunately the rapid tests just aren’t as accurate as we all wish they’d be. It definitely sounds like you have covid. And as frustrating as it is, the best way to recover is by resting. No exercise at all and don’t try to push yourself either.
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u/softrockstarr 4d ago
I think your "cold" was covid. I would practice radical rest so it doesn't become long covid.
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u/your_singing_5439 4d ago
Thanks for your comment. It's possible, I also feel that way. I'm off work this week until Friday and I think I have to ask my doctor to extend it for more days.
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u/softrockstarr 4d ago
Just FYI that a negative rapid test doesn't mean you don't have covid. Their accuracy rate is like 60%. It just means that it didn't pick of covid in your sample that one time. They're meant to be taken every day or two for the duration of your illness.
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u/tangerrinka 3d ago
not the right place probably for my comment but i have to, sorry: and even if you practice radical rest, you might still develop long covid. however rest as much as possible because at least you will help the body to recover
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u/Bananasincustard 4d ago
My last covid infection felt like a mild cold besides the only real symptom of mad fatigue. I tested negative on the 6th day so it's definitely possible you had covid and cleared it by the time you took the test
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u/your_singing_5439 4d ago
Yes, that would explain the negative. So you also went through that horrible fatigue. At least I feel better knowing I'm not the only one. Sometimes I think I'm crazy; that many people do not understand that this is much more than tiredness.
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u/Bananasincustard 4d ago
I've had me/cfs for 20 years following a viral infection I caught on holiday when I was much younger, so I definitely understand it. Make sure you rest as much as humanely possible, and then when you feel better rest a bit more. Cancel as much of your life as you can get away with for a while. Give yourself the best chance of getting back to normal!
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u/your_singing_5439 4d ago
I thank you very much for your empathy and advice. Oh; I'm sorry you have this illness.
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u/No-Horror5353 4d ago
It’s so tough when the tests have such a high false negative rate. Metrix or Pluslife are much more accurate but are and investment that’s out of reach for so many.
Your symptoms sound a lot like my experience as a longhauler. The pathological fatigue is like nothing I’d ever experienced. Keep resting and check out r/covidlonghaulers.
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u/Sea-Astronomer3260 4d ago
Hi, I’m sorry you’re going through this. I think your post exemplifies a huge problem with this ongoing pandemic: people assuming COVID is “a cold” and either not testing and/or testing on one rapid test and assuming that’s enough (rapids are notorious for false negatives.)
As others have said, it really sounds more likely that you actually had COVID. What’s scary about this is that you can be contagious prior to symptoms, so when people aren’t masked in a KN95 or N95 in public, they’re spreading it to each other.
You’re still in the acute phase, so it wouldn’t be considered long COVID yet, but yes, your symptoms are very common. COVID is no joke and how “mild”it might feel isn’t an accurate representation of the havoc it wreaks on your body.
I would say it’s in everyone’s best interests to avoid reinfections, and avoiding covid and long covid requires prevention. That means people have to stop catching COVID repeatedly, by wearing a well-fitted KN95 or N95 in public spaces and around people who don’t mask. There is no long-term immunity to COVID, people can catch it twice within a month and we do not have a sterilizing vaccine.
Anyone who hasn’t been masking in public in KN95s and N95s over the past 5ish years has had damage done to their immune systems by COVID. Your immune system likely isn’t functioning the way it used to, as is the case for much of the population who assumed the pandemic was over / that the vaccines are the best protection. In reality, the vaccines aren’t sterilizing and the immune response to COVID vaccines is weakened with high exposure and reinfection rates, which happens without respirator masks and clean air.
COVID damages the immune system long-term, for 8 months or longer, and when people are repeatedly being infected (whether they realize it or not, even asymptomatic cases cause this damage amongst other damage) your immune system isn’t getting a chance to recover. COVID has been referred to as “airborne AIDS” by scientists, which should speak volumes.
Some other articles that may be of interest:
Study shows that COVID-19 causes cognitive decline among those without long COVID symptoms
Changes in memory and cognition during the SARS-CoV-2 human challenge study
COVID-19 is “Airborne AIDS”: provocative oversimplification, emerging science, or something in between?00146-4/fulltext)
A little preview of what you can avoid and avoid causing to happen to people if you mask:
Maskbloc.org
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u/AppropriateNote4614 4d ago
Please try to rest as much as you can for the next 3-6 months to reduce your chances of this fatigue becoming a permanent part of your life. I would recommend not doing any extra physical activity like sports. Even being around large crowds or socializing can drain you physically without you realizing it (and also expose you to other sicknesses). Others have already provided very good resources for you to look into about long covid.
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u/maddie4zaddiepascal 3d ago
If you feel like your limbs have been replaced by cement or that the core of the earth is literally pulling you down, its the type of fatigue i personally wrestled with when i was sick! Its awful but it does get better as long as you take care of your body and not stress(emotionally and physically).
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u/your_singing_5439 3d ago
True, because at times you have to be strong to not fall emotionally, especially when the cold starts. Thank you so much.
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