How many people have had pneumonia in the past 6 months that you know?

Deagol

Hi all ,just want to test a theory if people can humour me.

Been talking to some family and friends the last couple of weeks and there's a sort of strange pattern I've noted.

Friend's 13 year old daughter was admitted to hospital mid-December with pneumonia. No underlying issues, doctors never did come to any conclusion. Local GP now stating it was "probably Covid19".

My brother in law, admitted to hospital November with severe breathing issues, again, no underlying causes. No diagnosis, was discharged after a week in - still having issues.

I've only known two other relatively fit and young people in my life who've had pneumonia and both had underlying causes (one was under severe stress due to personal issue and the other developed pneumonia from a severe chest infection) Yet there was two in a month? Got me thinking...

I had a strange 'cold' around Xmas time - remarked to myself at the time that it was very odd.

Now I'm asking more people about 'cold's around Xmas and finding many people had something around December and January. Symptoms including loss of smell /taste, dry cough and fever and joint pain. Sound familiar? Of course it could be just a 'regular' cold or flu but the cases of pneumonia are the odd thing.

I'm just wondering if it's possible that in fact we are now in the second phase of the Covid19 pandemic rather than the first?

I originally dismissed the thoughts as I considered that surely we'd have heard about lots of elderly people passing away. But then it occurred to me that most elder deaths are recorded as pneumonia (I understand) if no other obvious cause of death is found. No post mortem generally on elderly people so is it possible many people died without it raising alarm bells because it's a common cause of death anyway?

Before everyone jumps on me, I'm just pondering the question in my own amateur way. And I thought if I asked here I might get some people who also, thinking back, remember an unusual occurance or two of pneumonia or breathing related illness back to the end of last year.

I'm not trying to pedal any paranoid conspiracies or anything - just genuinely wondering if the thing has been around a lot longer and if in fact it's possible many, many more people in fact have already had it without ever realising.

Not disputing the experts either, just sometimes experts can't see the wood for the trees as dogma is an incredibly hard thing to go against - I know it in my own field of expertise I've overlooked the obvious more than once in my career because it shouldn't have been possible according to perceived knowledge.

SO, anyone else, thinking back, now wondering?

NSAman

Deagol wrote: »

Hi all ,just want to test a theory if people can humour me.

Been talking to some family and friends the last couple of weeks and there's a sort of strange pattern I've noted.

Friend's 13 year old daughter was admitted to hospital mid-December with pneumonia. No underlying issues, doctors never did come to any conclusion. Local GP now stating it was "probably Covid19".

My brother in law, admitted to hospital November with severe breathing issues, again, no underlying causes. No diagnosis, was discharged after a week in - still having issues.

I've only known two other relatively fit and young people in my life who've had pneumonia and both had underlying causes (one was under severe stress due to personal issue and the other developed pneumonia from a severe chest infection) Yet there was two in a month? Got me thinking...

I had a strange 'cold' around Xmas time - remarked to myself at the time that it was very odd.

Now I'm asking more people about 'cold's around Xmas and finding many people had something around December and January. Symptoms including loss of smell /taste, dry cough and fever and joint pain. Sound familiar? Of course it could be just a 'regular' cold or flu but the cases of pneumonia are the odd thing.

I'm just wondering if it's possible that in fact we are now in the second phase of the Covid19 pandemic rather than the first?

I originally dismissed the thoughts as I considered that surely we'd have heard about lots of elderly people passing away. But then it occurred to me that most elder deaths are recorded as pneumonia (I understand) if no other obvious cause of death is found. No post mortem generally on elderly people so is it possible many people died without it raising alarm bells because it's a common cause of death anyway?

Before everyone jumps on me, I'm just pondering the question in my own amateur way. And I thought if I asked here I might get some people who also, thinking back, remember an unusual occurance or two of pneumonia or breathing related illness back to the end of last year.

I'm not trying to pedal any paranoid conspiracies or anything - just genuinely wondering if the thing has been around a lot longer and if in fact it's possible many, many more people in fact have already had it without ever realising.

Not disputing the experts either, just sometimes experts can't see the wood for the trees as dogma is an incredibly hard thing to go against - I know it in my own field of expertise I've overlooked the obvious more than once in my career because it shouldn't have been possible according to perceived knowledge.

SO, anyone else, thinking back, now wondering?

there was a thread on this earlier, after we had the thread on the “flu” around December. People wondering the same thing.

it got locked and I am not sure why.

opinionated3

Two lads I work with, both in their twenties, ended up in hospital back around Christmas time. Started off as a flu, steadily got worse, one did four nights, the other a week in hospital. Looking back now, of course the suspicion is covid, but there was no tests done so I think they were diagnosed with pneumonia.
Another fella I work with reckons he had a dose of it left December too. He, his wife and one of his daughters. Says his wife wasnt too bad but both he and daughter were absolutely floored with it. Never felt as sick in his life and most of the problem seemed to be in his chest.
Personally I believe this has been in Ireland since last November, December. I have one friend who ended up in hospital with "pneumonia"last November. Super fit individual in his late thirties. Again he says the same thing...... Absolutely knocked out and never experienced such sickness

antgal23

NSAman wrote: »

there was a thread on this earlier, after we had the thread on the “flu” around December. People wondering the same thing.

it got locked and I am not sure why.

My Dad had pneumonia last March and a work colleague had it last October

They were the first people I be ever known to get it

Away With The Fairies

I'd like to know if people were also getting blood clots back at Christmas time.

Atlantic Dawn

Additionally I've not heard of a single person dying of the flu since Covid came along, has it also killed the flu?

NSAman

All I know is that in January I was sicker than I have been in years after coming back from Ireland.

Seven days later, mother ended up in ICU for three weeks unable to breath and cause heart issues. Luckily she made a recovery.

One of my brothers had the same high fever cough and inability to breath at the same time mother was in hospital and so did he wife. Children not affected.

Back here 7 days after I had it, business partner and other people in the office had the same thing.

while we can all speculate, there were no tests at that time.

Anecdotally, a friend who works in one of the local hospitals claimed that many people were presenting with breathing difficulties and coughs during that period, but not testing positive for Flu....

We may never know.

dsaint1

My two sisters, both are in their late 40's ended up in hospital within 2 weeks of each other in January with pneumonia.

ixoy

OH had breathing difficulties at that time and was diagnosed with a form of pneumonia. However, using an inhaler with a mix of some steroids seemed to calm it down although it lasted ages.

son.of.jimi

Deagol wrote: »

Hi all ,just want to test a theory if people can humour me.

Been talking to some family and friends the last couple of weeks and there's a sort of strange pattern I've noted.

Friend's 13 year old daughter was admitted to hospital mid-December with pneumonia. No underlying issues, doctors never did come to any conclusion. Local GP now stating it was "probably Covid19".

My brother in law, admitted to hospital November with severe breathing issues, again, no underlying causes. No diagnosis, was discharged after a week in - still having issues.

I've only known two other relatively fit and young people in my life who've had pneumonia and both had underlying causes (one was under severe stress due to personal issue and the other developed pneumonia from a severe chest infection) Yet there was two in a month? Got me thinking...

I had a strange 'cold' around Xmas time - remarked to myself at the time that it was very odd.

Now I'm asking more people about 'cold's around Xmas and finding many people had something around December and January. Symptoms including loss of smell /taste, dry cough and fever and joint pain. Sound familiar? Of course it could be just a 'regular' cold or flu but the cases of pneumonia are the odd thing.

I'm just wondering if it's possible that in fact we are now in the second phase of the Covid19 pandemic rather than the first?

I originally dismissed the thoughts as I considered that surely we'd have heard about lots of elderly people passing away. But then it occurred to me that most elder deaths are recorded as pneumonia (I understand) if no other obvious cause of death is found. No post mortem generally on elderly people so is it possible many people died without it raising alarm bells because it's a common cause of death anyway?

Before everyone jumps on me, I'm just pondering the question in my own amateur way. And I thought if I asked here I might get some people who also, thinking back, remember an unusual occurance or two of pneumonia or breathing related illness back to the end of last year.

I'm not trying to pedal any paranoid conspiracies or anything - just genuinely wondering if the thing has been around a lot longer and if in fact it's possible many, many more people in fact have already had it without ever realising.

Not disputing the experts either, just sometimes experts can't see the wood for the trees as dogma is an incredibly hard thing to go against - I know it in my own field of expertise I've overlooked the obvious more than once in my career because it shouldn't have been possible according to perceived knowledge.

SO, anyone else, thinking back, now wondering?

I knew 6. Knew being the operative word. All unfortunately contracted COVID-19

SeaFields

Mother was in hospital in January for a week with suspected pneumonia. She is now convinced it was covid 19...

Silly Gilly

The BBC medical correspondent, Fergus Walsh, has now taken three separate antibody tests and got a positive result for Coronavirus on each one. He claims not to have realised he had the infection then in an article yesterday he casually mentions that he had pneumonia in early January. It may be coincidence but then again it may not.

https://www.bbc.com/news/health-52762939

whatdoicare

My young ones school was decimated by this cough that all the kids got around February. Like I'm talking 16 or 17 kids from each class all out for weeks at a time and some ending up in hospital.

My own child caught it. It was the weirdest scariest cough I have ever seen. She went to bed grand, woke up at 4am and puked her guts up, all phlegm, then this ****ing cough started, like she was drowning in phlegm. Her temperature was bonkers too, nothing brought it down but she was clinging to me for warmth. Straight into the docs next morning, the whole waiting room is full of people coughing their lungs up. Like every single person! Doctor tells me its croup! I remember thinking shes seven, this ain't croup, I dont know what this is. I'd say the doctor hadnt a ****ing clue either. He was just getting patients in all day every day with the same cough and hoping the antibiotics would go the trick.

It took a good three weeks and bags of steroids and inhalers to get her through it. Most of her class had it and were all still choking well into March.

My nieces and nephews all had it too, same thing, puking up phlegm and mad temperature. Niece and nephew in another county had it and the doctor told my sister it was some random thing like scarlet fever!

I would 100% agree this has been doing the rounds since Christmas and we just didnt know it.

Charles Babbage

This theory that loads of people had Covid in December is very suspect. Given that people did not know about it then with parties and the like it would have spread everywhere by January, like in Wuhan.

Polar101

My dad had pneumonia 1-2 months ago. He was tested for Covid-19 (twice), and was negative. So it was "just" pneumonia. He was given antibiotics, which was the cure.

So my answer is 1, and it wasn't Covid-19. I'm just saying the regular diseases have not gone away either.

Arghus

Never doubt in people's willingness to believe something they want to be true.

The idea that covid was with us for ages isn't credible. So it suddenly sprang into life in March - sending case numbers and hospital admissions quickly through the roof.

Awfully coincidental that it all happened just after the same time that we first reported cases of a new novel virus in the country.

US2

opinionated3 wrote: »

Two lads I work with, both in their twenties, ended up in hospital back around Christmas time. Started off as a flu, steadily got worse, one did four nights, the other a week in hospital. Looking back now, of course the suspicion is covid, but there was no tests done so I think they were diagnosed with pneumonia.
Another fella I work with reckons he had a dose of it left December too. He, his wife and one of his daughters. Says his wife wasnt too bad but both he and daughter were absolutely floored with it. Never felt as sick in his life and most of the problem seemed to be in his chest.
Personally I believe this has been in Ireland since last November, December. I have one friend who ended up in hospital with "pneumonia"last November. Super fit individual in his late thirties. Again he says the same thing...... Absolutely knocked out and never experienced such sickness

Lies . Try harder

US2

whatdoicare wrote: »

My young ones school was decimated by this cough that all the kids got around February. Like I'm talking 16 or 17 kids from each class all out for weeks at a time and some ending up in hospital.

My own child caught it. It was the weirdest scariest cough I have ever seen. She went to bed grand, woke up at 4am and puked her guts up, all phlegm, then this ****ing cough started, like she was drowning in phlegm. Her temperature was bonkers too, nothing brought it down but she was clinging to me for warmth. Straight into the docs next morning, the whole waiting room is full of people coughing their lungs up. Like every single person! Doctor tells me its croup! I remember thinking shes seven, this ain't croup, I dont know what this is. I'd say the doctor hadnt a ****ing clue either. He was just getting patients in all day every day with the same cough and hoping the antibiotics would go the trick.

It took a good three weeks and bags of steroids and inhalers to get her through it. Most of her class had it and were all still choking well into March.

My nieces and nephews all had it too, same thing, puking up phlegm and mad temperature. Niece and nephew in another county had it and the doctor told my sister it was some random thing like scarlet fever!

I would 100% agree this has been doing the rounds since Christmas and we just didnt know it.

Lies

US2

Maybe not lies but it wasnt Corona. The hospital and ICU numbers are there for everyone to see. Get a grip

Victor

Atlantic Dawn wrote: »

Additionally I've not heard of a single person dying of the flu since Covid came along, has it also killed the flu?

Flu is very seasonal, with most cases between November and February, depending on the year. and there are unlikely to be many cases in March or later in the year.

Fann Linn

US2 wrote: »

Lies . Try harder

You seem very sure as to be calling people liars. Any links for your assertions?

bee06

Charles Babbage wrote: »

This theory that loads of people had Covid in December is very suspect. Given that people did not know about it then with parties and the like it would have spread everywhere by January, like in Wuhan.

Playing Devils advocate it could be argued that the virus mutated in January/February and became more contagious.

That said, I only know of one person who was very sick over Christmas with what was diagnosed as bronchitis at the time.

The proper flu floors people too OP. That's more likely if it was December time-frame.

Guy:Incognito

If it was here towards the tail end of last year then why did it take 3 months to kick in? .Surely it would have been running rampant through the nursing homes if nothing else and thered have been a very noticable spike in care home deaths?

I work in maintenance and we look after a nursing home with a 120 or so beds. Up until the lockdown , there was no mention of any increase in deaths. I'd have call outs to them every 2nd week or so and would have the maintenance guy in there on the phone to me about various issues in between, we spend a fair bit of time chatting about general stuff and fairly in depth about the running of the place. Hed be in and out of residents rooms all day talking to them, so he would know the numbers coming and going so to speak.

un5byh7sqpd2x0

There’s a lot of absolute bolločks being posted in this thread.

Flickerfusion

Until we get serum / antibody tests it's all just speculation.

We'd a horrendous flu doing the rounds of my own family from just after Christmas and into January and February, but it may well just have been influenza. The symptoms of moderate COVID-19 and flu are often very similar, so really you can't conclude anything other than there was a very nasty flu-like illness around, which wouldn't be that unusual in winter anyway.

Antibody tests will likely be available in the not too distant future, so I guess we can all figure out if we had it or not.

Also pneumonia is just a description of a lung condition impacting the alveoli (small air sacs that do blood-air gas exchange). It does not specify the cause, which could be a virus, bacteria, fungus, autoimmune disorder, reaction to a toxic chemical/drug, inhaled irritating gasses or dust e.g. in an industrial accident/fire.

If you came in with symptoms of pneumonia before COVID-19 was identified and tests were available, you certainly would have been diagnosed with viral pneumonia and that would be an accurate description of what you had.

Unless we've a look back at old swabs, as they did in France, we will simply never know.

All we know is there were cases detected in France in retrospective analysis of swabs taken on 27 December 2019.

An isolated case or two may have been possible, but it would seem a bit unlikely that it could have been widespread without seeing a lot more cases in hospital. It's a highly contagious virus, significantly more so than flu.

Also a lot of people get mild doses of flu, or mistake colds for flu, so when they get a full force dose of influenza they can be quite surprised at how bad it is. The flu is a pretty serious illness for some and can even be fatal and can certainly cause pneumonia or open up risk of secondary lung infections e.g. bacterial pneumonia, bronchitis etc etc . It can leave you bedridden for a week or more and with symptoms trailing on for a long time. We tend to underestimate how nasty it can be.

opinionated3

US2 wrote: »

Lies . Try harder

Appreciate it if you wouldn't call me a liar. Everything I wrote is absolutely true. I was responding to the OP. I haven't stated that I know for sure those instances were in fact covid but I thought their stories were worth sharing in light of the theme of the thread.

Metroid diorteM

Yeah we knew a bunch of people who'd had bad flus over Christmas but we hadn't had it because it was the first Christmas we didn't travel. My daughter has had pneumonia in the past and usually gets everything.

Anyway a few weeks after everyone else had had it she picked it up some time in January (probably from the creche).

She managed to shake it off just as covid was starting in the news so we were glad because we didnt want a combination of whatever she had with the new thing coming in.

But around late February my wife and I are pretty sure we had covid. My kid barely had anything - just some brief nausea. We were both down for weeks and took time off work together over it. We were eventually tested (swabs not bloods) but they didn't detect the virus.

I've heard though that if the body recovers from covid it stops being a carrier and retains immunity for a year or two so I think we should continue with the phased unlocking regardless.

Hard to know what a good solution to these shtty respiratory viruses is. The health of my own upper respiratory system has steadily declined over the years and its leading to hypertension, prediabetes, premature aging and early warning signs of cancer.

Metroid diorteM

One good thing that did come out of this though was learning about vitamin D. I'm pretty sure I was low on this.

Also lost a lot of weight since all the restaurants closed and I had no vending machine at work

Pablo Escobar

I was at the GP on Friday and mentioned this mystery illness that I had 2nd week of February. She said it was most likely Covid. She also said that in hindsight she had probably patients in January.

For me, whatever that illness was, I got over it in 10 days. It was mainly absolutely fine, but about 3 days of breathing difficulties which had me on the verge of calling for help. That part was pretty scary. TBH it only occurred to me a few weeks afterwards what it may have been.

I'm 34 and in very good health.

biko

My mam was sick around Christmas with lung issues.
Her doc just recommended rest and she got better but it took weeks.

We have been talking about whether it was covid but we might never know as she didn't get tested.

Wibbs

I'd say the vast majority of these cases were the flu. Before late February, early March anyway. I'd be interested in taking an antibody test only because I caught the January dose from a mate who had been travelling in Europe over Christmas, however he and his family had already had the flu in early December, or that was what it was diagnosed as. I didn't catch that from him(I've only had symptomatic flu once in my life), but I did get the January dose. Headache, strong fever and hacking unproductive no phlegm cough. I was over the worst of it in about three days, but the cough persisted, no breathing difficulties. My friend was very hard hit by it with him and his wife also getting the breathing difficulties(she was nearly hospitalised) and they were out of action for weeks and were still below par months later. His kids barely had a sniffle, except for his eldest who got it bad enough. Then again if I did take the test and it came back positive it's more likely I was exposed later on and was asymptomatic.

Pablo Escobar

Wibbs wrote: »

I'd say the vast majority of these cases were the flu. Before late February, early March anyway. I'd be interested in taking an antibody test only because I caught the January dose from a mate who had been travelling in Europe over Christmas, however he and his family had already had the flu in early December, or that was what it was diagnosed as. I didn't catch that from him(I've only had symptomatic flu once in my life), but I did get the January dose. Headache, strong fever and hacking unproductive no phlegm cough. I was over the worst of it in about three days, but the cough persisted, no breathing difficulties. My friend was very hard hit by it with him and his wife also getting the breathing difficulties(she was nearly hospitalised) and they were out of action for weeks and were still below par months later. His kids barely had a sniffle, except for his eldest who got it bad enough. Then again if I did take the test and it came back positive it's more likely I was exposed later on and was asymptomatic.

In my own case, in the days preceding, my son was mildly ill. I had been at home in Cork, I was in Dublin and I live in Kilkenny. It's common knowledge that the first case of identified community transmission in Ireland was in Cork, hospitalised around 24/25th February but not identified for nearly 2 weeks. So, the virus had to have been circulating at the very latest the 1st/2nd week of February. It's highly likely that it was here in January, but probably far less likely that many if any December reports of illness were Covid. It's my GP's opinion that I most likely had it. I'd put my infection date (of whatever that was) at around 8th Feb. I didn't start showing symptoms for another 5 days or so.

Flickerfusion

I've one relative who'd a very bad dose of what was described as flu, but without any swab testing. That then turned into what their GP described as pneumonia, largely based on blood oxygen being low, and was treated with antibiotics, antivirals and then steroids. They are still coughing quite heavily a few months later.

Deagol

Wibbs wrote: »

I'd say the vast majority of these cases were the flu. Before late February, early March anyway. I'd be interested in taking an antibody test only because I caught the January dose from a mate who had been travelling in Europe over Christmas, however he and his family had already had the flu in early December, or that was what it was diagnosed as. I didn't catch that from him(I've only had symptomatic flu once in my life), but I did get the January dose. Headache, strong fever and hacking unproductive no phlegm cough. I was over the worst of it in about three days, but the cough persisted, no breathing difficulties. My friend was very hard hit by it with him and his wife also getting the breathing difficulties(she was nearly hospitalised) and they were out of action for weeks and were still below par months later. His kids barely had a sniffle, except for his eldest who got it bad enough. Then again if I did take the test and it came back positive it's more likely I was exposed later on and was asymptomatic.

I considered what you are saying but -

In the case of the two people I quoted - it 100% wasn't flu that landed them in hospital.

13 year old was not ill before the pneumonia, it happened in the space of 36 hours. I, at least don't think that's likely with flu? Usually flu that develops into a more serious illness will take a few days? Plus, how would doctor and hospital not have diagnosed it as such?

For my Brother in law, he had flu like symptoms but again - doctors / hospital did not diagnose it as flu and categorically stated they did not know the cause. I find it strange that medical professionals would not recognize such a common malady.

I do agree though, once antibody testing is out there and widespread the results will be interesting. A side note though, a friend in Scotland was diagnosed over the phone by a GP with Covid19 (I know, i know.. over the phone diagnoses...) around mid-April. He recently had the fingerprick antibody test done and it came back as inconclusive. He's since had some kind of blood test version done but I haven't heard the results yet. But sounds like the antibody test may not answer all questions if it's not a conclusive test in at least a very significant number of cases?

Deagol

US2 wrote: »

Maybe not lies but it wasnt Corona. The hospital and ICU numbers are there for everyone to see. Get a grip

Unless I've time travelled into a parallel universe and this is Germany c.1939 or North Korea, People are allowed to ask questions and state opinions etc.

Just because you don't agree is not a good reason to go around calling people liars. Please do the intelligent people trying to have an interesting conversation
a favour and crawl back under your rock.

ACitizenErased

I’ve a few close contacts high up in the CUH who are absolutely convinced COVID has been around since October. These are well established nurses who have been treating it.

LLMMLL

Everyone thinks they had covid. Vast vast majority of them had flu.

For a while you could only get tested if you had symptoms and vast majority of them went on to test negative.

Symptoms do not equal covid.

Pablo Escobar

LLMMLL wrote: »

Everyone thinks they had covid. Vast vast majority of them had flu.

For a while you could only get tested if you had symptoms and vast majority of them went on to test negative.

Symptoms do not equal covid.

It’s true that many who think they had won’t have had, but it’s likely other who have have not even had the thought. The antigen tests are going to be a key tool in dealing with this going forward.

ACitizenErased

LLMMLL wrote: »

Everyone thinks they had covid. Vast vast majority of them had flu.

For a while you could only get tested if you had symptoms and vast majority of them went on to test negative.

Symptoms do not equal covid.

Many people have said they had symptoms in December and tested negative for the flu. You cant just immediately blame the flu for everything.

LLMMLL

ACitizenErased wrote: »

Many people have said they had symptoms in December and tested negative for the flu. You cant just immediately blame the flu for everything.

Testing negative for flu is not the same as testing positive for covid. And most of the anecdotal "I had a terrible dose in January" people did Not test negative for flu. They should be taken with a massive grain of salt.

owlbethere

ACitizenErased wrote: »

I’ve a few close contacts high up in the CUH who are absolutely convinced COVID has been around since October. These are well established nurses who have been treating it.

Did these nurses become sick with whatever dose that was going around?

owlbethere

Any body posting here get the flu vaccine and still became sick?

Assetbacked

I was knocked off my feet for five days in mid-December and would never be run down for more than a day when I occasionally feel awful. The boss was in bed for a full seven days himself just after me. It was an unusually strong "flu". This anecdotal evidence is leaning me more towards a view that we probably already have herd immunity for covid19 and there won't be a second wave. If I had it, everyone would have had it as I didn't go anywhere abnormal and just pottered about Dublin.

LLMMLL

Assetbacked wrote: »

I was knocked off my feet for five days in mid-December and would never be run down for more than a day when I occasionally feel awful. The boss was in bed for a full seven days himself just after me. It was an unusually strong "flu". This anecdotal evidence is leaning me more towards a view that we probably already have herd immunity for covid19 and there won't be a second wave. If I had it, everyone would have had it as I didn't go anywhere abnormal and just pottered about Dublin.

Except you didn't have it.

SEPT 23 1989

Smoking for 25 years so well used to respiratory infections etc

The dose I got before Christmas was very different to anything I have ever experienced before

Jurgen Klopp

The US did tests on samples of 2 people who died one was February 7th I think and it was positive for c19 and they reckon he had to have contacted early January, the baffling thing was the patient had no history of travel. France had first case December

What I'm wondering is what if the first wave was what originated from China in October and then it mutated early 2020 into a deadlier form we have been experiencing and we in fact have been dealing with the 2nd wave?

bitburger

So I flew dublin to amsterdam the week before christmas coming back a day or 2 before christmas eve.


on both legs of our flight, there was at least 1 asian family sitting close enough to us all wearing surgical masks.



I remember at the time thinking "hah look at these fools in their masks"



Of course ever since then it has kept me thinking has it been around longer than what the data we have suggests.



Quite a few people i know also had that bad christmas flu and suspected it to be covid but of course at this stage it cannot be proven really if it was or not.

CosmicFool

My mam was told she had pneumonia around Christmas. We're wondering was it Covid 19 now. I told her to get checked to see if she actually had it.

Pablo Escobar

CosmicFool wrote: »

My mam was told she had pneumonia around Christmas. We're wondering was it Covid 19 now. I told her to get checked to see if she actually had it.

That can only happen with an antibody/antigen test. They are not publicly available yet. It'll be next month at the earliest before a test is available and I don't even know how it'll actually be done. Obviously, ideally you'd walk in off the street and be tested, but at this stage that's probably unlikely initially.

Flickerfusion

The most accurate one requires a full blood test, but there are versions available that will likely be just test-at-home with a finger tip pin prick like a blood sugar test.

There are a lot of companies working on different approaches to it, so I would assume you'll have a number of tests available both through the HSE and also probably privately and eventually online.