What are the symptoms of coronavirus? Five people who tested positively how it feels.

Shortness of breath, chest pain, fatigue, pain, cough, fever—all of these are common symptoms reported by people who test positive for Covid-19.

While Center for Disease Control and Prevention Lists fever, cough, and shortness of breath as the three main indicators of Covid-19, but some leading physicians, including the U.S. Otolaryngologist, say that a wide range of symptoms is a sign of Covid-19 infection Suggests a possibility. Disease intensity varies greatly from case to case. Some patients report For example, taste and smell are lost, some report only a mild cough, while others say they have difficulty breathing. Although CDC is not always a diagnosis of Covid-19, it specifies other experiences, such as dyspnea, chest pain and pressure, and bluish lips, as follows: Emergency warning sign When immediate medical attention is required.

Understand how people who test positive for Covid-19 are experiencing this disease, especially in light of overcrowded hospitals and their testing systems , I spoke with several Covid-19 patients from all over the United States. Some have had mild symptoms such as coughing and chills. Others had to cancel a scheduled telephone interview with me. Some have reported multiple cases where they could not breathe. But all had the same message. The disease is serious and you need to stay at home as much as possible so that it does not infect more people.

These interviews have been summarized and edited for clarity.

“Despair when I couldn’t breathe was terrifying.”

Louis Mancheno, 33, Brooklyn Immigration Lawyer

I was home two weeks ago on a Friday morning because of my fatigue and physical pain. In the morning, I began to feel chills and my pain became worse. When I measured my body temperature, I had a fever of about 101 degrees. I couldn’t do anything for two days. At last the fever came out and my body hurt.

Like a clockwork, a dry cough began. After reading about Covid-19, I sent a message to my doctor telling me that I had Covid-19 symptoms. The doctor said I couldn’t do much, the tests were very limited, and positive tests didn’t make a difference anyway, so I just needed to be at home.

By Monday morning [March 16]I woke up because I couldn’t breathe well. I was spending all my energy breathing and couldn’t think or talk. There was also really strong pressure on my chest that never disappeared. That night I went to the ER because my breathing became worse. The hospital staff immediately accepted me and connected to the oxygen machine.

The ER doctor examined me and tested Covid-19. She also tested me for regular flu and other viruses. They all returned negatively. I was hospitalized for about four hours, after which the doctor told me I could go home. She told her she couldn’t keep me there because she needed more room for an emergency patient. However, if she had difficulty breathing again, she warned that I needed to return to the ER.

On Wednesday night, right before going to bed, I felt like I couldn’t breathe anymore. This time it was even worse. It was not clear. I became dizzy and had difficulty walking. It was not until my symptoms started that I was scared of my life. The husband prepared me, stuffed me a bag and took me to the ER. It took about 40 minutes, but fortunately, my breathing improved before I got there. I met an ER doctor. The doctor confirmed that it was likely Covid-19 and was told to go home because he could do nothing else.

On Saturday morning, I finally felt a little better, and I got a call from the hospital telling me that Covid-19 was positive.

It has been two weeks since my first symptoms appeared. At last I feel better. I have almost no dyspnea and my body is fine. Covid-19 luckily caused only temporary injuries, but it really gave me great fear. Despair when I could not breathe was a terrible feeling that I did not want anyone.

“As a health care provider, I felt this strange moral failure of” what I did wrong to get infected. ” “

Courtesy of Laura

Laura, 26, a nurse in Philadelphia

I first noticed a headache that seemed to occur behind my eyes and through the temples [on March 16]He had a dry cough and dyspnea, and noticed only when he moved, such as when climbing stairs, playing with a dog, or trying to exercise from home. I felt pain and had chills. This really only happened the morning of the first day and was fine in the late afternoon. When I woke up the next day, I decided to take an examination.

I was a nurse and was ready to work in an outpatient clinic a week later, so I needed to know if my boss had to be off schedule. I have sent an email to a friend who is a paramedic. As a healthcare provider, I felt this strange moral failure, “Why did this happen to me?” And “What did I make wrong to get infected?” My emergency medical friend reassured me that it was not my fault, but that the important thing now is that I take proper precautions Was. She posted a pen medicine drive-through Covid test site that opened at 10 am that day. I immediately got into the car with my fiance and he took me there.

I needed a referral from a primary care provider, but I don’t have a doctor right now, so I got a referral from a doctor on site, made an appointment over the phone, and lined up in order. The whole process took about 45 minutes.

I was told that if I was positive I would get a call in 3-5 days and if I was negative I would get the text in up to 10 days. My symptoms gradually worsened. With no gastrointestinal symptoms and general fatigue, there was no noticeable congestion, and taste and smell were lost. These symptoms became wavy, with some afternoons feeling completely good in the afternoon and others feeling completely tired and unable to move. On the fifth day, I received a call saying I had a positive response.

I have been having symptoms for over a week. Not much has changed. We have virtual check-ins twice daily to monitor symptoms via Penn Medicine’s automated text messaging program. I feel guilty about not being able to help as many of my colleagues’ nurses are at the forefront and struggling to care for our loved ones in PPE [personal protective equipment] It’s lacking, but I’m happy to be able to take tests early to prevent spread.

The most frustrating symptom was that it didn’t smell or taste anything in addition to digestive symptoms. It really makes it hard to eat. Other than that, I feel lucky to everyone who does everything that can be done to keep people like me safe and healthy.

“They did x-rays and confirmed that my lungs were filled with liquid.”

Mike, 57, Seattle IT worker

I honestly thought I had the flu, a really bad flu. I felt very weak and painful. I was short of breath. Heat came and went. [On Monday, March 16,] I wore a mask and went to first aid and looked around the corner of the waiting room. I had difficulty breathing. While a flu test was performed and waiting for results, the doctor decided to have a chest x-ray due to cough and breathing problems.

The influenza test returned to negative, so we decided to do a Covid-19 test. This test was not performed on site and had to be sent to the lab. The chest X-ray returned and found that I had pneumonia.

Covid-19 test received positive results on Thursday afternoon [March 19]That day was the worst day ever. I went to the ER, but of course the hospital did not have the facilities to handle Covid-19 positive patients. Basically, they contained me until a bed was found at another hospital. They did x-rays and determined that my lungs were full of liquid. I feel like my lungs explode. 14 hours after hell, the bed was found.

At 2:30 am on Saturday, she was transferred to Good Samaritan Hospital. He was injected with a large dose of antibiotics and immediately vomit. I also wore Hydroxychloroquine And another antibiotic twice a day. I felt better late in the day, but I still had a severe cough attack. By the end of the day, fluid had flowed into my lungs.

On Sunday of the same week, the respirator didn’t seem to be needed and there were many other patients who could use the room, so the doctor could go home and finish the recovery. My oxygen saturation was good.

Since then, coughing attacks have been horrible and very painful. I went home with an emergency inhaler and medicine and did the whole thing. I went all day today [Thursday, March 26] No severe coughing attacks. As I climbed the stairs and got up from the chair, I moved carefully so as not to deteriorate my lungs.

I’ve heard that some people find this really like the flu. But it is not at all. The flu was terrible and took me down for 10 days. There is nothing compared to this.

“Friends and family leave everything I need at the doorstep.”

Courtesy of Tina

Tina, 52, at home in Buckeye, Arizona

A few days after going to Disneyland, I first noticed my symptoms. I woke up with a sore throat and a small cough. It felt like a tickle without bothering. On the second day, the fever began, the cough worsened, the sore throat worsened, and deep breathing began to become uncomfortable. By the time I came back to Arizona at the end of the second day, I knew I had a bad cold and flu.

It got worse. I started feeling very weak and terrible headache. My neck is sore. I was nauseous. I couldn’t take a deep breath. My chest hurt, my ribs hurt, and breathing hurt. A few days later, she called the nurse line to explain her symptoms and was told to go to the emergency room immediately. She called ahead and told me that I would come. When I got there, they took me to a completely different entrance. They were all wearing double gloves, wearing head masks and robes. I did not see other patients while there.

I was in a room and isolated. They ran tests and X-rays and were told I was infected and needed to be quarantined at home for at least 14 days without contacting anyone. Since then, my cough has worsened. Fever could not be suppressed. My body is always weak and tired, it just hurts. My throat hurts and it hurts to swallow. Have not left home. Friends and family leave everything they need at the front door.

I did not return to the hospital simply because they had no cure and could not provide any treatment other than wearing a respirator that was not needed yet. I pray every day that it gets better, breathing doesn’t get worse, and the heat eventually calms down. That is a very scary position. Nobody knows the answer, so no one asks a question. I hope tomorrow will be better.

“I was exhausted in a week”

Courtesy of Jessica Moses

Chuck Armstrong, 38, tech worker and theater producer in Brooklyn

Woke up on tuesday, [March 10,] I feel sick. It was very minor-usually once a year I get a cold or very minor flu. Usually 36 hours. Although there was some pain and chills, I thought that it would not hinder daily life.

Then on Thursday I start to get worse. There was a noticeable fever and I was very tired, so I was trapped. That was when I saw Tombstone (Val Kilmer deserves an Oscar.) The next day I felt sick. My fever reached 102, but there was no terrible cough. My fever was always worse at night and in the morning it was a high fever of 99-102. I took Advil PM to kill the fever, but it did not help. I still had a few days fever.

When I woke up on Sunday 15th, the fever was gone. Cough and pain, chills and fatigue continued the following week. The next day, I talked to the doctor, but his office was ready for a video conference. He said, “You should try to take the test.” Since I live in Brooklyn, I went to the nearest emergency medical facility on Tuesday, but there was no test for emergency medical care. When I went to CityMD, a walk-in clinic, they were in their thirties and had no previous health condition, so they were hesitant to give it to me. I told them how long it was going and they gave me a test. They treat it as if you have a coronavirus and said that you are at home and as socially isolated as possible.

I had no fever anymore, but my cough was terrible and my fatigue was really terrible. I slept 10 or 11 hours a night, no problem. There was no appetite or nausea and I felt tired for a week. Found on friday [the 20th] The test has returned to positive.