Stay At Home Order?

[UserName20]

Thank you. I was thinking the same about not having a fever. Today I decided to stop checking my oxygen and heart rate. I will admit I felt a bit better. However, the feeling in my throat of having to cough constantly is not going away. It’s not like i can’t breathe, it just feels weird. But I have used my thermometer countless times today. Usually my body temperature reads about 97. Something. But as I’ve been taking I recently it’s been anywhere from 98.0 to 99.1! So now I am really worrying :( I hate this so much. This thermometer can’t be accurate because every single time I use it I am getting different readings.

[UserName20]

My family has really been freaking out. It’s crazy to think about with how bad my anxiety is but at many points I have been the one trying to calm my mom down. She thinks we’re all going to die from this virus

[glassgirlw]

You have to remember too that our body temperatures do fluctuate throughout the day. I think the “magic” number for fever is 100.4. So you’re still well under that.

I don’t know whereabouts in the US you live, I’m in KS and we have 36 cases in my county. Now my county has 600,000 people in it. That’s like a .00006 chance of having it. In fact we have 82 cases in the whole state, and over 2000 tests have been done. So that’s a lot of negative tests coming back too. Try to look for the positives. We should absolutely be diligent with hygiene and social distancing and following the govt orders but it’s not a 100% guarantee that everyone is going to have this at the same time. Try to keep it in perspective. That’s what I’m trying to do anyway and I’m also an “essential” worker so I do understand the fear! My county is also in lockdown for non-essentials.

[UserName20]

That is a very good point. I don’t feel like I have a fever or anything, I am simply just checking it to try and calm myself down. Which I think is having the opposite effect. It now says it’s back down to 98.0. And then I took it a minute later and it says I’m at 97.9, now back to 98.2 So I’m not sure what to believe. Think I’m gonna limit my use to in the morning and evening, especially since I don’t have chills or anything.

I agree with you, putting the numbers in perspective does seem to help. I live in Illinois. Chicago is getting hit pretty hard right now and I am about 60 miles south of Chicago in a smaller county or about 50,000 people. As of right now there are 2 confirmed cases in my county. Only One of them is a resident in my city but they were both tested at our city’s hospital which I live pretty close to. My city only has about 15,000 in it. I believe our total cases in our state is at 1,500 and about 16 have died so far. Each day it seems like my state is adding over 200 more cases and 3-4 deaths. My boyfriend seems to think we are invincible since we are both only 20 but I don’t like thinning like that. I know cases can still be serious in the young and knowing that I could pass it to my pregnant sister with severe asthma or my parents scares me. I’m more worried about others

[glassgirlw]

I think we can expect to see numbers grow quicker because more tests are becoming available too. Honestly I’m trying to limit my news intake to a couple times a day, usually over morning coffee and then after dinner. Not reading any sensational news sites, I’m sticking to CDC stuff. Try to stop with the temp taking if possible. I’m taking mine once per day (if I remember to do it at all lol) and only because I know if I have a fever I’m supposed to stay home from work and isolate. 2 cases in a city of 15.000 isn’t that many at all. Just try to focus on the positives although I know that’s super hard right now - and hopefully within the next week or two we’ll be able to see if these lockdowns are helping stem the number of cases.

[ckelley116]

Oh, you poor thing. Your family should be a source of support in difficult times. Not a source of shame or guilt. I’m so sorry they’re putting you through that.

If it helps, your symptoms are clearly anxiety. Chest tightness/heaviness and an urge to cough are two of my most common symptoms (I last had them for two months; mid November through mid January) and they’re harmless. It’s all muscle related.

I wish you had a more sympathetic support system. Hang in there 😊

[UserName20]

Thank you guys. I haven’t had a fever and this coughing feeling has been happening for 5 days now, but honestly if I am not thinking about it it isn’t there as much. Since I still don’t have a fever I feel a bit better like I might not have it. There are now 3 cases in my city. My coworker that I last saw on Saturday is now at home with a fever which scares me.

My work has me on a leave right now as my parents absolutely did not want me at work and reminded me how guilty I will be if I passed anything to my sister. And I can’t handle that. I worry enough.

My parents have still been going to their jobs. They are essential but not dealing with the public. However, today my mom’s work sent her home as the company is not having much work come in. My mom is clearly very upset, and we are so worried about money. I have some money set aside which was meant for my college classes coming up, but I feel better knowing I will still be able to help a bit. At least for food. This is all so difficult.. it’s just a nightmare. And I know all of us are in the same boat in some way.

[UserName20]

It has been 6 days now since I have been in the public. I feel fine for the most part.. I am just so concentrated on taking my temperature. It’s like I can’t stop making myself take it.

After I showered I took it and it said 98.8. And then I took it again and it said 98.3 or 98.0. I know normal body temp is 98.6 so that scared me. I gave myself like half an hour after my shower and my temp is still telling me I’m at 98.7. I don’t really feel like I have a fever but even .1 Or .2 over what’s normal is worrying me. It just told me 98.7 and now it’s back at 98.2. I don’t know what numbers to believe

And again, there is a part of me that is reading that paragraph thinking I must have lost my marbles for worrying like this.

[glassgirlw]

You haven’t lost your marbles. There are many worrying just like you right now. I read something interesting today that said you shouldn’t check your temp multiple times a day because our bodies can fluctuate by almost a full degree throughout the day. They actually said check it once, in the evening. Makes sense because I know when I have been ill, my fever always spiked up in the evening. So they said that would be your highest point of the day. I’ve been taking mine in the evenings and I normally run anywhere from 97.9 to 98.6.

[dorabella]

You are screwing yourself up with pure anxiety and it can cause all sorts of weird symptoms - not the least of which is the anxiety cough ... I've had some of this myself during the past week ... intermittent burning sensation in chest (which is acid stomach from stress) then the cough which is partly a wet cough caused by anxiety stimulating the chest. throat and the vagus nerve into a tickling sensation at the back of the throat and the urge to expel from the lungs.

If you haven't got the fever and the constant dry cough - which is totally different to what you are experiencing - then just try to calm yourself a bit. Once you relax your chest, diaphragm etc you will be able to breath deeper and will start to relax and the coughing urge will gradually subside. And stop taking your temperature . as others have said it fluctuates during the day depending on what activity you are undertaking, and signifies little. If you had a fever you would know about it.