Could your December cough actually have been COVID-19?

www.usatoday.com...

I copied a link from USA Today with an article on speculation that some people who had a cough in December 2019 actually may have had COVID-19. I found this kind of interesting. I know both I and my husband had bad coughs, a temperature, and sore throats. We figured we had colds, bought some cold medicine, and waited it out. It took 2-3 weeks to go away, and the cough was pretty bad. I’m skeptical though too, because I really don’t think there were any COVID-19 cases in the United States until January. So I don’t know. The article is pretty interesting though.

What do you all think of this? It certainly is more plausible than some of the crap I’m seeing on here.

a reply to: ChiefD

We think we may have.

Husband works for an international company with a production facility in China among other places. It's not uncommon to have visitors in his production facility from China. There was a group that came through in late December and he came home with an illness not long after that.

It had all the symptoms everyone now describes, and we all three had it through early January. It hit our kiddo least hard which also fits the pattern. Everything makes him cough, and he didn't cough at all! Husband and I did though.

But without testing, there is no way to know.

a reply to: ChiefD

I've been wondering about this myself - but still taking serious protective measures anyway - because I had a nasty - nasty cold the beginning of February - with all the symptoms described for COVIC-19.

But until there is a serum antibody test readily available to the public, there is no way to be sure.

Take precautions - don't assume anything.

Stay Well.

a reply to: ChiefD

I think it's more than probable that it was here by December. In fact, I know of eight confirmed Coronavirus patients who had traveled to Wuhan and returned in December. And there's no reason to think someone hadn't brought it sooner.

Another ATS poster has spoken of visitors from China in December (if I remember correctly).

And many of us have noted that we had a cold that matches the symptoms and progression of Coronavirus. For myself and my husband, it was the reports of red eyes being a symptom, which my husband had and I commented upon at the time.

So all this to say "yes."

originally posted by: ketsuko
without testing, there is no way to know.

And ain't nobody gonna pony-up for an anti-body test. $$$$

Same here in Michigan , international company with people coming and going all the time. Cold in November but not too bad,

We currently have many Chinese stuck here till this passes; As in many I would say over 100

a reply to: ChiefD

Same thing here. I was working with a company that receives product from all around the world. With alot of it from China. For about a month most of the people that worked there including myself, had weird "flu" symptoms. One guy even said he waited around the hospital for several hours only for the doctors to tell him they didn't even know what he had. Strange.

I'm on week 3 of a small cough light phlegm no sore throat no temperature, possibly mild chest infection still ongoing. Brother had it 4 weeks small cough no phlegm aching like crazy and was in bed for 3 days his cleared up end of last week.
Always possible!

a reply to: ChiefD

a reply to: ChiefD

Same here. I even mentioned it at the beginning of all of this. I believe I caught whatever bug it was during New Years Eve in downtown Austin. I was mildly sick. I could feel the symptoms coming on and as soon as they came, they went away. One of my friends who accompanied me that night also had symptoms a couple days later that also went away quickly. I thought it odd that flu symptoms would come on and then vanish right away even before the symptoms were even remotely burdensome. A day of mild cough, a tickle in the throat, joints starting to ache then nothing.

When this virus because a thing, I have wondered if it was just that since it actually started in November and what a place to catch such a thing but via a gathering of thousands of people on the same street, drinking and reveling. Though.. About a week after that, I caught a stomach bug that was so bad that I didn't eat hardly anything I didn't force myself to eat. Almost 3 weeks later, I started getting my appetite back. I also had an upper respiratory infection with it which made me think I actually had the flu but I got tested and the flu didn't show up. However, it was one of those quick swab up the nose, make you wanna punch someone, tests. Every day since, I still wake up and go through the first part of the day with this hollow stomach feeling but I can still have an appetite.

One thing that has me concerned... I don't have any symptoms really at all, save the hollow stomach which could just be the good gut bacteria dying (Oddly - I eat greek yogurt and everything is fine for a couple days then back to the hollow stomach). But.. What is happening, every day since about 4 days now, I wake up with cold sweats for no reason. I have to wake up and toss the covers so I stop soaking my bed. Today I took a short nap on the couch and I soaked the blanket. It's 73 degrees in my home and has been and I'm fine but as soon as I go to sleep... it's like bathing in my bed.

The only other thing with that is... I'm sooooooooooooooo tired every morning that I wake up, I feel like I could sleep for a year.


Maybe I'm just having 'labor pains' or sympathy sickness. Who knows. Doc says I'm ok.

a reply to: Snarl

There is a company working on a fingerstick version you can do at home for about $10. I'd pay that.

I had a severe fever for 5 days in January. Sore throat and cough. It lasted 5 weeks, and was my worst illness in 20 years. I actually was worried that I might need to go to the hospital, or even die. I took only 24 hours sick leave, and continued working 12 hour shifts in the cold with fans blowing on me constantly. I wouldn't be surprised if that was Covid-19, and now am hoping that it was, and already got it over with

We do have a large Asian community here, and some large international airports nearby

originally posted by: ketsuko
a reply to: Snarl

There is a company working on a fingerstick version you can do at home for about $10. I'd pay that.

I would pay that too. They definitely need to test more people. From anecdotal evidence, most people who have those symptoms are not tested at all, just told to stay quarantined at home for a couple of weeks.

originally posted by: FyreByrd
a reply to: ChiefD

I've been wondering about this myself - but still taking serious protective measures anyway - because I had a nasty - nasty cold the beginning of February - with all the symptoms described for COVIC-19.

But until there is a serum antibody test readily available to the public, there is no way to be sure.

Take precautions - don't assume anything.

Stay Well.

Yeah I hear you there. The only place I stop is grocery shopping once a week. I wear a scarf over my mouth and nose and wear latex gloves. Otherwise, I go on walks, not near any people, and drives where I just drive around and don’t stop anywhere. This virus scares the hell out of me.

a reply to: ketsuko

But without testing, there is no way to know.

They have a blood test to determine if you've ever had the virus.

Actually, their anxious to soon start finding out who had the virus so they can get that blood from those people to act as a
antibody to the virus.

originally posted by: visitedbythem
I had a severe fever for 5 days in January. Sore throat and cough. It lasted 5 weeks, and was my worst illness in 20 years. I actually was worried that I might need to go to the hospital, or even die. I took only 24 hours sick leave, and continued working 12 hour shifts in the cold with fans blowing on me constantly. I wouldn't be surprised if that was Covid-19, and now am hoping that it was, and already got it over with

OMG, I can’t imagine how you felt! So awful and terrifying. It’s amazing that you only took a little sick leave. Wouldn’t that be something if some of us already had COVID-19 before it was official and a pandemic? Truly frightening.

a reply to: ChiefD

My youngest had a bad cough at the end of December, with fever. I developed a fever that lasted several days, went away for a day, then came back for two more days. But I didn't have a cough.

My husband and 13 year old didn't seem to come down with anything.

So...the above fits with all of us possibly having it.

I do think I had Covid during the first week of February. My symptoms matched the symptoms we all read about. It lasted about 5 days then faded. I didn't miss a day of work.

If Covid is as hyper contagious as they say it is, then nearly everyone in NYC has been exposed to it at some point. In a packed subway car you're literally inches away from a stranger's mouth. Which is why the MSM is boasting about case counts. Bc of course that number will be through the roof. That doesnt mean these folks are dying, should be hospitalized, or even showing symptoms necessarily.

I was sick with an unknown respiratory sickness I was coughing so hard at times I almost crapped my pants and sometimes so hard after coughing almost had to throw up. I am a non vaccination guy and rarely get the flu or a cold, this particular time I developed a cold sore which I never had before or came back since and haven’t been sick since. This was the first time in many years I’ve had something like this that made me feel limited. With all the bull# I also thought this virus prolly been here awhile before people lost their minds over it .

a reply to: Willtell

That's the main reason we would like to be tested. If donating plasma would end this quicker, even *I* would do it.