How has COVID-19 affected you personally?

I made a ‘stupid’ choice to attend the BBL game at SCG on Saturday.

Monday started with a bit of brain fog which developed into lethargy later in the day and I even took a nap in the afternoon which is very unusual for me. I did a RAT which came out negative. On Tuesday, I had a bit of runny nose on waking up but still a negative RAT. By the afternoon, I started having a headache and decided to do another RAT and this time it came positive with a faint line which is still a positive. I did it twice to be sure.

I registered the resultonline and was deemed low risk by automated risk assessment tool. Wife and kids have tested negative and we are all isolating for 7 days. I tested again today and result has come negative this time despite headache most of the day. My faith in rapid tests is a bit shaken at the moment and will be isolating for 7 days regardless.

So far what I have learnt:

- Symptoms are much more reliable way to know you have Covid than antigen tests. I have tested negative, positive, positive, negative in a span of 36 hours. Fortunately we were able to find and afford enough tests but I feel for an average family having to burn $200 worth of tests and still not getting reliable results. Apparently rapid tests are only useful when you are 3-4 days into the infection and have sufficient amount of virus in your system to trigger a positive result. This makes their usefulness very limited.

- Stock up on essentials - when the whole family has to isolate for 7 days, you need a full fridge and well stocked pantry to get through.

- I was able to procure antiseptic lozenges (not just strepsils), vitamin c, iodine gargles, codral (sleeping pill version) and lot of Panadol which are absolutely essential to have around with covid. Just using antiseptic lozenges regularly has possibly cut my symptoms by a long way.

And last but not the least, make sure your Netflix, prime, foxtel subscription are all in good order if you were to get covid at some stage (kind of becoming inevitable).

Good luck to everyone dealing with covid!

 

Hubby and I got it during Christmas break despite being quite careful - it started with very very mild sore throat. Our initial RAT was his positive and mine negative. We went for PCR which confirm the same.

As he recovered, my sore throat got worse and RAT went positive a few days later - didn't bother to get PCR hubby was positive, so I most likely have it too.

His symptoms was cold-like - sore throat, stuffy nose, dizzyness, muscle ache and fatigue. My symptoms is mainly sore throat, cough and worse than usual back pain. Even after I recovered, dry throat leading to coughing and excess phlegm linger for many days which apparently common post-Covid.

Some of my friends hit much harder with fever etc, so I count myself lucky.

My tips to them is similar to @standtall :
- Stock up on lozenges, like a lot of them. My sore throat was pretty painful that I probably ate 1-2 packs of lozenges a day.
- Get the sore throat spray to help at night + water
- Have Panadol and cold tablets handy
Bonus:
- always have emergency toilet paper in stock because there are limited stock, not because of symptoms (although apparently diarrhea is also common for Omicron)

 

You would mentally feel better, though probably do nothing much physically

 

Day 6 of my covid - PCR came out negative while a RAT was positive in the morning. Called NSW health and they think either my virus level is too low (true negative phase) or simply a wrong PCR. They asked me to do another PCR to be sure.

In my experience, Right Sign test is the most sensitive and possibly PCRs now have reduced sensitivity given widespread Covid. Earlier ones used to give positives for months after Covid and same sensitivity now would result in extremely high positive rates.

 

RAT says no - body says "maybe"

Dull headache, feeling lethargic, stuffy nose, dry cough ... or it could simply be change of season, to much red wine, poor sleep ...

 

You’re vaxed so if you do have it I hope these mild symptoms are as bad as it gets. Good luck!

 

Triple vaxxed - went to Bunnings for some more vege seeds and flower plants - feel much better.

Yes, I did mask and distance

 

Has everyone stopped wearing masks now they're not mandatory? I started a poll to see who's still wearing or stopped wearing masks, but wasn't allowed to publish it

Looks like most people are over Covid now and have moved on to other news including Russia. I don't see anyone wearing masks in my area. Even at the GP it's not required anymore

 

I have stopped wearing masks. I'd only wear them on public transport.

 

I still carry mine around- only wear it if in a crowded space, otherwise it’s usually off.
For work, I wear it all the time (I frequent hospitals, gp surgeries and other healthcare settings). I’m surprised you don’t require it at the GPs. In my experience, half of the healthcare professionals are still very covid conscious and still prefer telehealth.

 

I still wear them in shops and transport, and on the street sometimes. In Spain though, hard habit to drop after two years, only ended 5 days ago. If staff aren't wearing them i might not, but they usually are.

Not many countries as mask compliant as Spain. Tourists are back, they behave differently.

 

Still a few wearing masks when I go too the shops -but most are unmasked ..
I still wear one just in case as there seems to be so many people coughing when we go out..

 

I still wear a mask at the supermarket, hairdressers, and wore one to the optometrist the other day too. I’m triple vaxxed.

 

Yes @geoffw. From 17 April to 24 April a total of 244 deaths and 212 in the seven days before that. 456 people died in two weeks but it now seems to be of no consequence to many - apart from their families of course.

 

Unless everybody is an anti-masker, it would appear that most people were wearing them purely for social conformity. Now that they're no longer required in Australia, I'm sensing most people have also stopped wearing them even though the science still says they can save millions of lives.

 

They are still required in WA. Though there are rumours that it might be for not much longer - not sure who is pushing that rumours- seems to be news/clickbait as a magic solution to get people back in the office/city. I am hoping the mask mandate will continue for quite a bit longer.
I'll be travelling to QLD in a couple of weeks and probably will continue mask wearing there especially at the stadium sport events we will be attending.

 

We're not currently wearing them when we go out, however we don't usually go anywhere there is a large congregation of people. We had a day out yesterday with friends to a restaurant in Balmain. Small restaurant & we were the only ones there. It was pretty pointless making up.