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MrLurcher
17-09-20, 08:34
Hi all, on Friday last week my youngest daughter came down with a bad cold - runny nose, sneezing and fever. The school advised to get her tested, which we did, and received a negative result on Monday. (The test is horrible for little children btw)

However over the weekend my partner started developing the same symptoms, but much more severe, and she was laid out on the sofa for Sunday and Monday.

She also developed a bad tickly cough which kept her awake a few nights, and since Monday has very poor sense of smell and taste, which is really stressing her out. She's worried now that it won't ever return as she's read online that in some people senses don't.

Now we're not sure what to do in regards to getting a test, we've been trying for the past two days to book one online, but it's hopeless atm, and they say you should book within 5 days of exhibiting symptoms.

There is a possibility it could be coronavirus, but seeing as my daughter tested negative, we're hoping it's not.

Regarding the loss of taste and smell, is this possible with a normal cold, and to last this long? She's better in herself, but still very bunged up.

Thanks for your help.

BlueIris
17-09-20, 09:26
It can easily last this long, so don't panic.

MrLurcher
17-09-20, 10:40
It can easily last this long, so don't panic.

Even with a normal cold?? She woke me up at 2am this morning saying she couldn't sleep because she was panicking if this was coronavirus, and read up that sometimes senses never return. Think my HA has rubbed off on her...................

WiredIncorrectly
17-09-20, 11:24
Even with a normal cold?? She woke me up at 2am this morning saying she couldn't sleep because she was panicking if this was coronavirus, and read up that sometimes senses never return. Think my HA has rubbed off on her...................

Yes. This is what happened to me and my son. I still have symptoms 10 days later. Still got a headache, stuffed up nose, bit of sore throat and coughing. It's all getting better slowly.

I've had no test. My partner spent the night in A&E with my son who fell over. She said she seen a little boy in the isolation unit who had COVID and his cough was so bad she said "Your cough was nothing like this, I don't think you had COVID".

She's probably right. This cold/flu/whatever-it-may-be is rough.

Gary A
17-09-20, 11:25
Even with a normal cold?? She woke me up at 2am this morning saying she couldn't sleep because she was panicking if this was coronavirus, and read up that sometimes senses never return. Think my HA has rubbed off on her...................

The chances are she’s caught the bad cold your daughter had. Yes, taste and smell can be affected for quite some time when there’s an infection present in the nose. It also won’t help that she’s suffering from nasal congestion.

Colds are ridiculously common right now, I myself had to be tested last week because I developed a cough, became badly congested and lost my sense of taste and smell. The test was negative and after about a week my symptoms have improved but I’m still not 100%.

Remember the golden rule. Just because Covid-19 exists it doesn’t instantly mean that every other bug or virus just stopped existing. If this were any other year you would barely blink at these symptoms. Book a test if you can, but don’t panic, the odds of this actually being Covid-19 are tens of thousands to one.

MrLurcher
17-09-20, 11:55
Yes. This is what happened to me and my son. I still have symptoms 10 days later. Still got a headache, stuffed up nose, bit of sore throat and coughing. It's all getting better slowly.

I've had no test. My partner spent the night in A&E with my son who fell over. She said she seen a little boy in the isolation unit who had COVID and his cough was so bad she said "Your cough was nothing like this, I don't think you had COVID".

She's probably right. This cold/flu/whatever-it-may-be is rough.

Thanks for the reply, sounds like a similar situation to us at the moment. Reassuring to know that there's other bad colds doing the rounds as well as the covid.

The negative result for my daughter should be a sign that it's not Covid as well.

She's just stressed out now because of the whole taste/smell thing.

MrLurcher
17-09-20, 11:58
The chances are she’s caught the bad cold your daughter had. Yes, taste and smell can be affected for quite some time when there’s an infection present in the nose. It also won’t help that she’s suffering from nasal congestion.

Colds are ridiculously common right now, I myself had to be tested last week because I developed a cough, became badly congested and lost my sense of taste and smell. The test was negative and after about a week my symptoms have improved but I’m still not 100%.

Remember the golden rule. Just because Covid-19 exists it doesn’t instantly mean that every other bug or virus just stopped existing. If this were any other year you would barely blink at these symptoms. Book a test if you can, but don’t panic, the odds of this actually being Covid-19 are tens of thousands to one.

Thanks Gary, yeah I know there are other things doing the rounds, just this matches the Covid brief!

Like I said above, she's mostly stressed about the taste/smell thing, as most would be I suppose. Not a pleasant thing.

We've decided not to get another test for now. How soon after symptoms started did you get the test?

WiredIncorrectly
17-09-20, 12:19
Thanks for the reply, sounds like a similar situation to us at the moment. Reassuring to know that there's other bad colds doing the rounds as well as the covid.

The negative result for my daughter should be a sign that it's not Covid as well.

She's just stressed out now because of the whole taste/smell thing.

I lost my taste and smell. It's came back now though, not 100% but it's getting there. I can now smell the yankee candles at least.

Gary A
17-09-20, 14:47
Thanks Gary, yeah I know there are other things doing the rounds, just this matches the Covid brief!

Like I said above, she's mostly stressed about the taste/smell thing, as most would be I suppose. Not a pleasant thing.

We've decided not to get another test for now. How soon after symptoms started did you get the test?

The same day, a Sunday as well. There’s a testing site 5 minutes drive from my house.

Pamplemousse
17-09-20, 17:39
The chances are she’s caught the bad cold your daughter had. Yes, taste and smell can be affected for quite some time when there’s an infection present in the nose. It also won’t help that she’s suffering from nasal congestion.
Site for kids, but it explains how a cold can affect your sense of taste:

https://kidshealth.org/en/kids/taste-buds.html

TRIGGER WARNING






A loss of taste and smell can also be a first sign of Parkinson's Disease, as my sister-in-law was later to discover. She thought it was just the after-effects of a very heavy cold.

pulisa
17-09-20, 17:54
Please don't absorb that one, Mr L..That won't be the case with your partner.

I'm very sorry that your sister-in-law has developed Parkinson's though, PM.

WiredIncorrectly
17-09-20, 19:06
... first sign of Parkinson's Disease, as my sister-in-law was later to discover. She thought it was just the after-effects of a very heavy cold.

Sorry to hear that Pamplemousse. That's an interesting factoid re: loss of smell.

WiredIncorrectly
17-09-20, 19:08
Please don't absorb that one, Mr L..That won't be the case with your partner.

:roflmao:

If somebody in the family has flu, it's going to be the flu. This one's a closed case comrade :nicked:

Pamplemousse
17-09-20, 19:25
Sorry to hear that Pamplemousse. That's an interesting factoid re: loss of smell.

It came as one hell of a surprise to her, I can tell you. The initial diagnosis of Parkinson's was through fatigue and loss of strength in an arm; if that wasn't devastating enough they brought up the loss of sense/smell. She was in her late 40s when diagnosed but she's putting up a fight with it - she organises the local branch of the Parkinson's Society!

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Symptoms/Movement-Symptoms/Loss-of-Smell#:~:text=Not%20all%20people%20with%20reduced, an%20early%20sign%20of%20Parkinson%27s.

pulisa
17-09-20, 19:42
It came as one hell of a surprise to her, I can tell you. The initial diagnosis of Parkinson's was through fatigue and loss of strength in an arm; if that wasn't devastating enough they brought up the loss of sense/smell. She was in her late 40s when diagnosed but she's putting up a fight with it - she organises the local branch of the Parkinson's Society!

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Symptoms/Movement-Symptoms/Loss-of-Smell#:~:text=Not%20all%20people%20with%20reduced, an%20early%20sign%20of%20Parkinson%27s.


Good for her..It can't be at all easy adjusting to PD both mentally and physically. CV must have severely affected her work with the Society though..

WiredIncorrectly
17-09-20, 21:23
It came as one hell of a surprise to her, I can tell you. The initial diagnosis of Parkinson's was through fatigue and loss of strength in an arm; if that wasn't devastating enough they brought up the loss of sense/smell. She was in her late 40s when diagnosed but she's putting up a fight with it - she organises the local branch of the Parkinson's Society!

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Symptoms/Movement-Symptoms/Loss-of-Smell#:~:text=Not%20all%20people%20with%20reduced, an%20early%20sign%20of%20Parkinson%27s.

Damn, fair play to your aunt that's impressive mousse. It makes my anxiety problems seem so insignificant when people have other issues going on and they're conquering it. I'll raise my glass (of water) to your aunt.

fishman65
17-09-20, 21:41
It came as one hell of a surprise to her, I can tell you. The initial diagnosis of Parkinson's was through fatigue and loss of strength in an arm; if that wasn't devastating enough they brought up the loss of sense/smell. She was in her late 40s when diagnosed but she's putting up a fight with it - she organises the local branch of the Parkinson's Society!

https://www.parkinson.org/Understanding-Parkinsons/Symptoms/Movement-Symptoms/Loss-of-Smell#:~:text=Not%20all%20people%20with%20reduced, an%20early%20sign%20of%20Parkinson%27s.I'm very sorry to hear that too PM but yes she's reacted positively, I take my hat off to her. I've had anosmia (on and off) for a good few years now though have been told by the GP its down to nasal polyps. Strong smells like coffee or mint I can pick up but not so with subtler aromas.

pulisa
18-09-20, 08:08
It's a side effect of some chemo treatment too.