#SocialMarginalisation

[thecpdiary]

The Covid Timetable

I write about Covid-19 because it’s not gone. With autism it’s not easy to navigate the pandemic. It is still a relatively new virus, which we're being told we're going to have to live with and which we're constantly learning more about it.

Very little explanations

In the early days of the pandemic, there wasn't much explanation from the UK government about the virus or what it exactly meant, or what the repercussions would be, just a lot of scaremongery and being told to roll up our sleeves. I remember running scared with little explanation and us being coerced into taking the vaccine, whether it was right for us or not.

I needed to know more, to understand

I needed to know more about the vaccine, to understand, it was overwhelming. The UK governments Pandemic 'Press Conferences' did little to help me understand, to make decisions, to feel comfortable in the pandemic, let alone in my own skin and with a disability. I also wanted to know what taking the vaccine meant for those with a disability, how I might fare.

Instead, I was left with more anxiety

Instead, I was left with more anxiety and didn't feel comfortable going out, particularly in the weeks and months that followed. Its handling was appalling. Three years in and my anxiety is still sky high. Having written a book about my experiences, called Survival: The Covid Years, I feel much better about everything, but I am still learning.

I thought I’d outline the timeline of a typical Covid-19 infection when people are most contagious, and how long people can expect symptoms to typically last.

Covid Symptoms

The most common symptoms are a high temperature, a new continuous cough and a loss or change to your sense of smell or taste. Public Health England say about 8 in 10 people with Covid-19 will have at least one of these three symptoms. Other common symptoms include breathlessness, tiredness and aches and pains.

We have also learnt that many people have no symptoms at all. It is estimated that up to 1 in 5 of us with the virus have no symptoms.

How long before Covid symptoms start?

The time between getting infected with a disease and starting symptoms can vary between 2 and 14 days but the average time before showing symptoms is thought to be 5 days.

How soon after exposure to Covid can I be tested?

Even though testing is finished, if you’ve been in contact with someone who’s tested positive or who symptoms, you might want to take a test see if you have Covid-19 too. A negative test proves that you do not have Covid-19 on the day of the test but it doesn’t mean you can’t develop it later. As incubation periods vary, it is possible to get tested too early after exposure.

How long do Covid symptoms last?

Several studies suggest that the majority of people recover from Covid-19 within 2 weeks, but that 1 in 10 people will still have symptoms after three weeks. I still had symptoms after 6 weeks.

People with severe Covid-19 symptoms typically follow a pattern which begins with a high temperature and cough in the first couple of days. This cough then develops into severe respiratory symptoms around a week after their symptoms have started.

How long are you contagious with Covid?

A recent study has found that people are most likely to pass on Covid-19 during the 5 days of symptoms starting. The study found that the amount of active virus in people’s throats peaked in the first 5 days from symptoms starting. No active virus was found after 9 days of symptoms starting, so it’s likely that the majority of these people would not be very infectious beyond those 9 days.

Post Covid symptoms

For some people, Covid-19 can cause symptoms which last weeks or months after the infection has gone. This is known as long Covid. There seems to be no link between how poorly people are and their chances of experiencing Long-Covid.

Common symptoms of long COVID include:

• Fatigue; • Shortness of breath; • Tight chest; • Problems with memory and/or concentration; • Insomnia; • Heart palpitations; • Dizziness; • Aches and pains; • Anxiety; • Depression.

Some people also experience some of the symptoms associated with the Covid-19 infection, such as, a high temperature, cough, headaches, sore throat, and changes to sense of smell or taste. (Source: https://onlinedoctor.lloydspharmacy.com)

My personal experience

I mentally continue to struggle in the pandemic. The virus isn’t gone, and the world is living as if the virus doesn’t exist. If the UK government were taking the virus seriously, they would continue to insist masks be worn in public place, which means the vulnerable could get back into their lives.

In December 2022, I caught Covid for the first time and it took me 6 weeks to come through the virus, but still had some of its symptoms. I then went into a cough and flu virus which was making the rounds at the time.

The more we accept Covid is here to stay, which is what scientists have said, the more we may routinely wear masks. Where the virus has been compared to a cold, scientists have said it’s nothing like a cold, therefore we should continue with the necessary precautionary measures.

For more inspirational, lifestyle blogs, please check out my site https://www.thecpdiary.com