I think I/we might have Coronavirus thread (release your isolation-frustration here)

Thanks russmeyer it just crossed my mind maybe I didn't explain it well

Thanks! :)

There is some speculative research that a cold helps keeping out the flu, as both fight for the same receptor. It is not a 100% guarantee. So, em, silver linings I guess... who knows, maybe a common cold also keeps out the covid? [research needed...I am speculating. Again, the receptors are the same]

https://www.webmd.com/cold-and-flu/news/20191217/why-colds-and-flu-rarely-strike-at-same-time

There are also colds that are caused by a lot more harmless coronaviruses.

Spector said himself on the Today programme this morning that anecdotally loss of smell and taste is often a precursor to other symptoms.

But to answer your question directly, yes, I think so. We're trying to avoid spreading it round and we only know what we know. Yes it would be great to have more evidence, better quality evidence, but we don't have that yet.

Also, practically, it's pretty unusual to lose your sense of smell/taste and have no other symptoms.

No fever at all though...that is the weird thing.

18.6% of people with non-severe COVID-19 don't get a fever:
https://www.cebm.net/covid-19/covid-19-signs-and-symptoms-tracker/

In reality given that most people with it haven't been anywhere near a hospital or tested that's probably higher in reality.

That matches up with my experience - started with a cough followed by loss of taste and smell, then after a few days of that all other symptoms ramped up massively. Its now 10 days since my cough first started and its the only symptom I still have.

The cough is more from the throat atm, maybe just a throat infection with a bonus.

At least no fever in the exes house, they have quarantined as well as our son could have dragged whatever my partner had there. So hopefully that's the end of it.

EDIT: No dyspnea for me, just for my asthmatic partner. No fever, no dyspnea, hmmm. Nasty cold then, which means we have to stay ultra careful. Really don't want my partner to get covid.

None of those images show for me.

Can't see them either

I guess we'll just have to do disagree. If the various bodies (WHO, King's, PHE, ENT UK) are saying it's not worth self-isolating on the grounds of anosmia/hyposmia symptoms alone (i.e. no other key symptoms) then who am I to argue.

I can only guess that the possible gains of getting people with only anosmia/hyposmia symptoms to self-isolate (i.e. decreased likelihood of spreading) are outweighed by the negatives (e.g. greater burden for those individuals/families, and it generating a false sense of security once someone has self-isolated once if they think they are now 'safe'.)

This is why I think the current guidance for self-isolating is specifically about three major symptoms: the new continuous/dry cough, pyrexia, and breathing difficulties. As these are going to be much stronger indicators that it is this specific disease and not some other random viral infection.

Also, practically, it's pretty unusual to lose your sense of smell/taste and have no other symptoms.

Not really, it can easily happen as an after effect of a mild instance of a common cold. It was a well documented phenomenon long before Covid-19 appeared on the scene.

My anosmia has passed and none of us have had any symptoms that would have triggered self-isolation. Between us in the flat we've had over the last 3 or 4 weeks: runny noses, chesty/productive coughs but no fatigue, no unexplained aches, no temperatures, no new dry/continuous coughs, and no breathing difficulties. The only aches have been from restarting the 100 pushup programme.

For us the difference between general "stay at home" and "self-isolation" is relatively minor anyway. We haven't been self isolating but that's because none of us have had any of the key indicative symptoms. In the last 8 days we've only been out to do our daily allocation of exercise (whilst maintaining proper social distancing) and my wife has been out twice to go to the supermarket (good luck trying to maintain proper social distancing there, and no chance of getting an online delivery or click&collect around here otherwise we would). No commuting, no public transport, no visiting friends/family or other social mixing, no plans to change this.

Google Photos has the worst fucking sharing interface. Massive pile of shit that's only slightly less shit than trying to upload images to lfgss directly.

I can see them using Tor so I assume they're visible now?

Yup, that works. Ta very much.

Reminded me about the point of the immunocompromised (and there are plenty in every country) being a store for the virus leading to further waves/outbreaks.

I’m very happy to report that beer tastes like beer again

Same here! Having my second one right now.

Not happy to still be positive though, had a follow up throat swab today. 16 days since symptoms started ffs.

Really?! Blimey. If you weren’t more clued up, would you have considered yourself symptom free?

Well, there is the occasional cough still. So not completely. But I feel fine and any other time in history I wouldn't have thought anything of it. Also, detecting virus RNA isn't the same as me having viable viruses in my nose, it's impossible to know.

Virus RNA? Viable viruses?

Edit: virus rna = actual viruses?

Yes, they're there.

Sorry. Virus RNA (its structural molecules) are detected by a method called PCR. But the fact that the virus building blocks are present doesn't automatically mean that there are actual viruses capable of infecting another person there. When they went through the diamond princess cruise ship they found virus RNA on surfaces in the ship's cabins almost a month after all the passengers had left, for instance.

Aha. So traces of virus but not necessarily something that’ll infect you?

And this is what you have in your nose?