Symptoms list needs revising

I remember reading months ago that the NHS advised that certain people should take Vitamin D supplements and that they would be supplied free for some high risk categories. The information’s on the NHS website.

www.nhs.uk/conditions/coronavirus-covid-19/people-at-higher-risk/get-vitamin-d-supplements/

You’re quite right B9. The only positive is that with distancing, mask wearing and hand washing it should cut down on some seasonal illnesses.

Unfortunately essential workers are at risk from everything.

With a third of cases asymptomatic, don't forget that at this time of year colds, flu, sinusitis, migraines, cluster headaches, bronchitis, pneumonia and many other diseases are rife, they haven't gone away. It is perfectly possible to have one or more of those and incidentally test positive for covid-19, so really difficult to tell what causes what.

Antibody tests are pretty useless for determining if you’ve had the virus. My GP relative had Covid and was very poorly - positive tests etc. 2 months later he tested negative for antibodies. They reckoned some people don’t keep the antibodies for long.

I'm also on the Zoe app. A few weeks ago I reported a several day headache and achy limbs after always reporting feeling fine, so they suggested I get a Test which I did. Negative. I find the study very reassuring.

At that point they were saying that a very high percentage of positive tests were from people who'd reported headache and limb aches, and they were focusing on seeing whether those were the Only symptoms for some people. At that stage, those aches were presenting as secondary symptoms.

Back in April/May, my husband had a really bad headache with aching limbs, fatigue and a slightly raised temperature. He self isolated for 7 days.
I developed a very strange skin rash on my forearms and hands. The spots were a mixture of red, raised areas and purple vesicles a bit like chickenpox. The last three vesicles on my hand have only just shrunk and faded this week. I wasn't ill at all.
We both take vitamin D supplements.
Neither of us had a test for covid-19, but we are both convinced that we have had it.
I would be interested to know what an antibody test would show.

I don’t remember him saying that MayBee70 and would be surprised if he had. He has emphasised in fact that symptoms can be varied, and to get a test if unwell.

Was it Tim Spector that said 80% of covid sufferers complained of a bad headache and the chances are if you have cold like symptoms without headache you probably haven’t got covid. And children tend to present with fatigue and one other thing. Anosmia perhaps?

The only MP that has raised the issue of taking VitD to my knowledge has been David Davis! The NHS seems to have a policy of only advising anything if there has been a study into it and they don’t appear to have done a study into VitD. Other countries have and some give people a large dose of VitD when they’re admitted to hospital with covid. Dr Fauci takes it but I’m not sure if he recommends it to his fellow Americans. For some reason news channels from other countries quite often interview Dr John but I’m only aware of one interview with a U.K. channel.

janeainsworth I’m sure I read Scotland were more proactive concerning Vit D. We have been taking it for over a year now. Dr John Campbell certainly believes we should all be taking Vit D as a supplement.

Flaxseed I hope you recover soon.

I’d just endorse the remarks made by Greeneyedgirl about Tim Spector and the Covid Symptom Study app. There is a long list on their website of symptoms associated with Covid.

If you subscribe to the app, you report your symptoms each day & if you report anything which raises concerns they authorise a home test. I did one after reporting I’d had a headache & dizziness one day.

The other area where the NHS has been slow off the mark has been Vitamin D supplementation. According to Dr John Campbell there was evidence early in the pandemic that those with adequate levels of Vitamin D were less likely to suffer severe symptoms, and those who were admitted to hospital, had better outcomes than those whose Vitamin D levels were low.

IMO the NHS should have been strongly advising people to supplement but if there was a campaign, I didn’t notice it.

Concerning.

I have just checked the NHS test & trace app which I have also on my phone and it states that if you do not have any of the 3 main symptoms which they list you are “unlikely to have coronavirus”. This is very worrying because it may stop people seeking a test with other symptoms who could unwittingly spread the virus, as you point out Flaxseed,

Thanks for your good wishes everyone. If I only have to cope with the achiness (?sp ?is this even a word!) I’ll be ok

The symptoms that myself and the colleagues I worked with Boxing Day nightshift (when I suspect I contracted it) are those of a cold with that achy feeling you get with flu. Only one has a bad chest (asthma sufferer).
Some have had headaches and dizziness and a feeling of chest tightness but no coughing.
None of us have had a high temperature nor lost our sense of taste/smell.
I suspect lots of people who have had colds recently have indeed been positive

PollyDolly - I agree. It’s so frustrating isn’t it? I have had to delete some FB friends who think we are being brainwashed and that it’s all a hoax. It’s baffling! The hospital in which I work is struggling badly. My main worry is if I need a bed at any point as I doubt there are any/will be any left

You are right Flaxseed. Hope you make a good recovery.
I am on the Zoe Symptom study app, which has lots of useful updates and on which you log your health every day, even if you are well.

Prof Tim Spector has made this very point that there are numerous symptoms, including headache, fatigue, muscle aches, diarrhoea, loss of appetite and skin rashes, to name a few additional ones to those stated on Gov site. It should be more widely publicised so that more people can get tested if necessary.

My daughter has had a positive test. Her symptoms were a temperature and tiredness with some aching. She also had a slight headache.

My grandson who had it a few months ago had such a severe headache that he was admitted to hospital with suspected meningitis.

There could be a list of symptoms a mile long and it wouldn't stop stupid, selfish "know it alls" from ignoring the advice!!!!!!! HANDS - FACE - SPACE!!!!!!

Best wishes for a good recovery flaxseed it's a bad one.

Do we know what the symptoms are of the new strain of the virus are they any different ?

Flaxseed I hope you recover well.

I don't think the symptom checker is adequate.
My friend said she felt rotten over Christmas but that she thought it was a cold; achey, sneezing, coughing - she had been nowhere and has not been for a test but her DH does go out for shopping etc.

Hope that you feel better soon flaxseed

kjmpde
Not sure who your message was for but apart from work and my partner, I haven’t been near anyone else since before Xmas and will self isolate for 10 days now.

Staff are becoming unwell daily but we are not allowed to self isolate if a colleague tests positive. Managers say that if we have followed the guidelines of wearing masks all the time and distance as much as we can (difficult most of the time due to the sheer nature of our work!) then we are ‘protected’ (obviously not the case!)
But also because we simply could not staff our dept if we all self isolated (we are a 24/7 NHS hospital dept with patient contact)
It’s going to be very difficult to staff our dept if staff keep dropping like flies. Very scary.
I was lucky to get a staff slot for a PCR test this afternoon and have just returned.

is it now just best to self isolate if you feel off colour? if that is not possible then try to get a test but in some areas it is very difficult to get one.

I reckon that a really bad headache is one.
Why isnt the symptom list updated?
Is it just general uselessness like owt else?