Super cold, or the not COVID nasty cold

[vickster]

Don’t have any of those symptoms though ! I did read them ! It’s just a bad cold

You have a cough. You should get tested as the symptoms have evolved especially in the vaccinated (just the NHS hasn't quite caught up https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/the-20-symptoms-of-covid-19-to-watch-out-for). I had a positive LFT, then a positive PCR...I had a scratchy throat, sinus pain, only a slight temperature and the smell and taste didn't go for a few days.
Friend of mine had similar, but no loss of taste/smell, negative LFT, positive PCR.

I'd do PCR for peace of mind, especially if I lived with someone, have to go to a workplace

 

[MrGrumpy]

You have a cough. You should get tested as the symptoms have evolved especially in the vaccinated (just the NHS hasn't quite caught up https://covid.joinzoe.com/post/the-20-symptoms-of-covid-19-to-watch-out-for). I had a positive LFT, then a positive PCR...I had a scratchy throat, sinus pain, only a slight temperature and the smell and taste didn't go for a few days.
Friend of mine had similar, but no loss of taste/smell, negative LFT, positive PCR.

I'd do PCR for peace of mind, especially if I lived with someone, have to go to a workplace

this feels exactly like a cold you would have before covid came along. No temp no loss of taste or smell other than blocked sinuses. Sudafed sorting that out , if LFT are that unreliable then let’s stop wasting money on them. I’ve done about 6 since the weekend they are all negative .

 

[MrGrumpy]

Still convinced it’s a regular cold . Interesting one of the symptoms, dexys midnight runners I had last summer !! Came right out of the blue and I put it down to food poisoning however I was wiped out for quite a few days !

Also the better half , was the same about 3 weeks ago. Chesty , wheezy just wrecked . Went away after a few days all negative LFT. Different cold virus going around I suppose . It’s the future !

 

[Profpointy]

Anyone else had this, started on Friday evening with it and I’m still not right now, it’s ruined a week off work and I’m still getting easily breathless doing the slightest thing, and feel really fatigued, at it’s height my sinuses were blocked to the point it felt my head might explode, I’m really fed up

Just recovering from something very like that. Monday: Sore throat and mildly under the weather albeit coughing a lot, did a home covid test (all clear) so went out for a meal yesterday but coming home I was struggling for breath. Not as bad as "difficulty breathing" but a bit scary as I've never experienced anything like that before. Today close to OK again albeit very tired will likely go to bed early. Did a proper covid test just in case, so results tomorrow. Possibly the illest I've ever felt - luckily I've never been ill proper, but pretty crook for just a cold. Hey ho

 

[cougie uk]

Just recovering from something very like that. Monday: Sore throat and mildly under the weather albeit coughing a lot, did a home covid test (all clear) so went out for a meal yesterday but coming home I was struggling for breath. Not as bad as "difficulty breathing" but a bit scary as I've never experienced anything like that before. Today close to OK again albeit very tired will likely go to bed early. Did a proper covid test just in case, so results tomorrow. Possibly the illest I've ever felt - luckily I've never been ill proper, but pretty crook for just a cold. Hey ho

Please tell me you didn't go out for a meal whilst coughing a lot ? Or had that passed ?

 

[Profpointy]

Please tell me you didn't go out for a meal whilst coughing a lot ? Or had that passed ?

I wasn't coughing much, and had done a home test so assumed it was merely a cold. Only Felt really crook later, and it did then seem foolish.
Anyhow the PCR test I did yesterday says I'm OK

 

[MrGrumpy]

On the mend here ! Sudafed and hot toddy’s helping .
Since heard today that the Christmas gathering with work colleagues at the weekend past of which I didn’t attend has resulted in 24 covid positive results today . Superb !! No wonder health experts want these cancelled asap .

will not be going to other night out next Friday with our dept neither. Nope stuff that not cancelling Christmas this year !

 

[Time Waster]

Started with cold symptoms last week, blew up badly over weekend, took Monday off sick, went back to work Tuesday through to today as I had a few things I couldn't leave to others and have been bad in the mornings such that I'm kind of struggling to breath. Tuesday bad, Wednesday worse and today better.

Symptoms head, sinus, running nose, bad rattle cough, it's in my chest, I've got stomach pains and I'm so tired. LF tests negative.

Should have stayed off to recover. Regret that but I'm one of the few at work who give a hoot about work stuff. I've now as good as straight. What does it look like if I'm off Monday, in work rest of week with Friday off I'll again? It's clear I've not been well.

Not sure what to do, I'm not often sick, what's acceptable behaviour? I'm salary so don't lose money even with weeks off. I just don't like taking advantage. I can struggle through but busy weekend with two family birthdays in our house and busy Saturday/ Sunday. A day off could help me recover. Rest and recuperation is needed I think. Any opinions gratefully received.

 

[vickster]

Take the day off. Don’t keep spreading it around! The business won’t fold without you and they should be telling you that

 

[ColinJ]

Not sure what to do, I'm not often sick, what's acceptable behaviour? I'm salary so don't lose money even with weeks off. I just don't like taking advantage. I can struggle through but busy weekend with two family birthdays in our house and busy Saturday/ Sunday. A day off could help me recover. Rest and recuperation is needed I think. Any opinions gratefully received.

Let me find an earlier post on the subject... Here you are:

'A' had been ill for several days but he'd still come in to work. He had a hacking cough, his nose was running, he alternated between bouts of sweating, and violent shivering. Eventually, he lost his voice. He didn't come in the next day.

'B' and 'C' sat either side of 'A''s desk in an open plan office and were wondering where he was. I popped my head over the partition and told 'B' and 'C' that he'd finally had to call in sick, but he should really have been off work all week. He'd probably infected half the office by then.

'D' suddenly popped his head over another partition. He declared that this thing about germs was a load of old b*ll*cks, people had a duty to work, why should the company pay them for lazing about at home, he would come in unless he was physically incapable of getting to his car etc. etc.

Over the next couple of days, 'B' and 'C' came down with 'A's bug, then 'E' and 'F'.

So what I would like to have said to 'D' was this "Workers struggled for centuries to win the right to take time off work when they are ill. They don't work effectively when they are sick, and they only spread their nasty bugs to everybody else. You are an idiot! If you are ill - stay at home until you are well again!"

Take the day off. Don’t keep spreading it around! The business won’t fold without you

Exactly!

 

[Time Waster]

I tend to agree with the spreading but there's a few things that affect whether that's a big or small risk. Our work put in place several covid practices in place when people first started thing back to work. Automotive sector Wych got back quite early. Whilst things like mask use was relaxed the standard b operations in place even before covid meant people almost universally worked more than 2m away from nearest colleague.

This week I've been on n the shopfloor working almost exclusively in a high roofed, open plan factory with bloody drafts and large open doors in three walls socially distancing. There's been no case of covid transmission at work, colds generally rare too. Covid cases by colleagues happened after social events, super spreader events kind of.

On the other hand staying at home means family all get it, then it goes round the lad's class.

Work this week has not been wise because of potential of spreading (limited by work practices, staying out of the office, and solo working), but mostly because it stopped me fighting it effectively. At work dust is well below control levels it's higher than domestic levels. As a result it made my cold worse and more chesty. Stupidly I went in I know. But unfortunately an old school workplace still has this "it's only a cold" and "if you can get in you're well enough" conditioning in worker attitudes. Then there's the waged employee situation of SSP if you're off for more than is it 4 days? The managers almost universally came from waged staff with the SSP situation.

BTW you've all only told me exactly what I already know. It sometimes takes a stranger to tell me I'm an effing idiot! Thanks. I'm off tomorrow. It's a date with lemsip and daytime TV, possibly duvet day too. I think I'm close to being over it but a day or so taking it easy is needed.

 

[Time Waster]

BTW why did they make lemsip capsules thingies so big? When your throat is red raw it feels like you're swallowing two torpedoes! They're mostly empty anyway, make them smaller ffs! Unless I'm taking them the wrong way in which case I'll be going back to sachets!

Oh and sachets of powder? Paracetamol is not something to mess with re dosage. Yet how much of the dose gets taken in by sachet drinks? You always get that gritty last sip with clearly particles left in the mug. Very ineffective!

 

[vickster]

BTW why did they make lemsip capsules thingies so big? When your throat is red raw it feels like you're swallowing two torpedoes! They're mostly empty anyway, make them smaller ffs! Unless I'm taking them the wrong way in which case I'll be going back to sachets!

Oh and sachets of powder? Paracetamol is not something to mess with re dosage. Yet how much of the dose gets taken in by sachet drinks? You always get that gritty last sip with clearly particles left in the mug. Very ineffective!

I’ve never had an issue with them, you’re not going to overdose.
nor are the capsules very big
Assuming no allergy, gargling soluble aspirin works well for inflamed sore throat and you can take with paracetamol if needed

 

[Time Waster]

Well I've had a problem swallowing the lemsip capsules this week. After swallowing and flushing with glass of water it still feels like they're stuck in my throat. They're a lot bigger than plain paracetamol tablets and they are mostly empty. I take other medication in capsules that contain similar amount of the drug powder but are less than half the volume. They go down really easily without noticing them going down.

I thought ibuprofen and paracetamol but I thought aspirin can't be taken with one or both of these drugs.

 

[ColinJ]

I thought ibuprofen and paracetamol but I thought aspirin can't be taken with one or both of these drugs.

I think that ibuprofen and aspirin can both potentially attack the lining of your stomach, so maybe not a good idea to combine them?!

I can't take either because I am on anticoagulants. I can take paracetamol in moderation.