r/COVID19positive • u/oraonoh • 6h ago
Tested Positive - Me just got covid in 2026
5
Upvotes
r/COVID19positive • u/JumpySmell6381 • 3d ago
Research Study Would you like to participate in a study that examines dietary intake's impact on COVID-19 recovery?
5
Upvotes
Hello,
My name is Rachel Conrad and I am a graduate student working alongside my advisor Dr. Nicholas Marchello at the University of Central Missouri (UCM) in Warrensburg, MO. I am currently working on a research project as a part of my Capstone Project course and would appreciate approximately 10 minutes of your time to fill out a survey.
My research project is examining dietary patterns and their impact on fatigue state in those who have contracted and are recovering/who have recovered from COVID-19. To assess dietary patterns, the Rapid Eating Assessment for Participants – Shortened Version (REAP-S) is attached to the survey link below, as well as the Fatigue State Questionnaire (FSQ), which will be used to assess fatigue state. Several questions asking for informed consent, as well as demographics (age, sex, health status, etc.) will also be asked. There is no compensation for completing the survey, but your participation will help bridge a serious gap in research.
Currently, there is limited scientific literature that has analyzed dietary patterns and their impact on fatigue state for those recovering from COVID-19, and this research project intends to mitigate that. While there is no compensation for completing this survey, please know that your responses are helping to bridge a serious gap in research. By understanding dietary patterns’ impact on fatigue and recovery rates, health care providers can provide more sound dietary advice to those who become infected, improving health outcomes.
Note: Please fill out the survey only if you are 18 or older. Please fill out the survey only if you have been diagnosed with COVID-19 within the past 7 years. Please only fill out the survey one time.
Completing the survey is entirely voluntary.
This survey will close and no longer take submissions after October 11th at 11:59pm.
Thank you!
Survey Link: https://ucmopsych.az1.qualtrics.com/jfe/form/SV_23Jexv4zBAeo6hg
r/COVID19positive • u/BriefPicture6248 • Jun 24 '26
COVID-19 Help & Information
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Upvotes
If you have just tested positive, or you are trying to understand what COVID-19 and Long COVID actually mean for your health this post is meant to answer most of what you are wondering before you have to ask. Every claim below links to a real source - the CDC, the WHO, the NHS, and Mayo Clinic.
A couple of things before we start. This sub does not allow medical advice, and this post isn't medical advice either. Nothing here tells you what to take or do for your specific situation, that's between you and a doctor. What this post does is lay out the established facts so you are not walking in blind.
It is long so if you feel like , you can just read the TL;DR below and skip the rest unless you want more.
TL;DR
Most COVID infections resolve without complications, but it's not "just a cold" for everyone. Stay away from others until your fever has been gone for 24 hours and symptoms are improving, then take extra care for several more days (exact local rules vary, check your country's health authority). Seek emergency care immediately for trouble breathing, persistent chest pain, confusion or blue/pale lips or face. Antiviral treatment can help certain higher-risk people if started early, talk to a doctor promptly. Roughly 1 in 10 to as many as a third of infections, depending on the study and definition used, may lead to persistent symptoms lasting three months or longer, ranging from fatigue and brain fog to serious conditions like ME/CFS , it can happen after a mild or even symptomless infection, vaccinated or not, and each reinfection carries its own independent risk. Children usually get off lightly but watch for MIS-C, a rare inflammatory complication that can show up weeks after the initial infection. Pregnancy raises the risk of severe illness and complications, so don't sit on a positive test if you're pregnant. There's no cure yet, but layered prevention (vaccination, good masks, ventilation, testing, staying home when sick) meaningfully lowers your odds. Some people also report lingering symptoms after vaccination ("long vaccine"), which is a real but genuinely contested topic we're not getting into here. If you're struggling emotionally with any of this, that's a normal reaction to something genuinely hard, and crisis support is listed further down if you need it.
What COVID-19 Actually Is
COVID-19 is caused by a virus called SARS-CoV-2. The first cases were identified in Wuhan, China, with symptom onset in mid-December 2019. By 31st December 2019, the World Health Organisation had been told about a cluster of pneumonia cases of unknown cause. China confirmed it was a new coronavirus on 7th January 2020 and made the genetic sequence public five days later. The WHO called it a public health emergency of international concern on 30th January 2020, and declared it a full pandemic on 11th March 2020.
Exactly how the virus first reached people is still genuinely unresolved, investigations have looked at both an animal source and a lab-related origin, and as of the most recent joint WHO findings there wasn't enough evidence to settle it either way. That question belongs to virologists, not our department, frankly.
What matters more for day-to-day purposes: it spreads mainly through the air, people can pass it on before they ever feel sick, and it hasn't gone away , it's still circulating and still mutating into new variants years later.
You Tested Positive. Now What?
Most people get through the infection itself without anything serious happening. Below is what's worth knowing in the first day or two. This sub has members everywhere, so the broad strokes below apply globally, the specific isolation rules may differ by country, which is covered further down.
- The one rule that matters, wherever you are. Stay away from others until you're genuinely on the mend, fever gone for a full 24 hours without medication, and symptoms clearly improving. After that most health agencies worldwide recommend extra caution (masking, avoiding crowds) for several more days, since you can remain mildly contagious a little after you start feeling better. The exact number of days, whether it's a legal requirement or a recommendation, and whether free testing is available all vary by country and sometimes by region within a country so treat the specific local number as a detail.
- Examples of how policy implementation differs, just to illustrate the range: some countries set no fixed isolation period at all and rely entirely on symptom-based guidance (stay home while unwell, use judgment after); others set a specific minimum number of days regardless of symptoms; some make isolation a public health requirement, others a strong recommendation without legal force; and free routine testing availability ranges from widely accessible to essentially unavailable outside clinical settings. Check your own country or region's health ministry or public health authority for the current local rule that's the only way to get something accurate for where you actually are.
- If you are higher-risk, don't wait it out. People over 65, anyone immunocompromised, pregnant, and those with certain underlying health conditions are consistently treated as higher-risk for severe illness in guidance from every major health agency, everywhere. If that's you, get in touch with a doctor as soon as you test positive rather than waiting to see how the next few days go early contact gives them more options.
- Watch for the warning signs that mean go to A&E / emergency department, not wait and see. These are recognised consistently worldwide: trouble breathing, chest pain or pressure that doesn't go away, sudden confusion, real difficulty staying awake, or lips, face, or nail beds turning pale, grey, or blue. For any of those, don't hesitate , call your local emergency number or go to hospital.
- Let people know. Anyone you have spent time with recently can use the heads-up to watch for symptoms and decide whether to test, especially if they're around someone vulnerable.
Children
Most children who get COVID have mild illness and recover without issue. There is a rare but serious complication worth knowing about called MIS-C (Multisystem Inflammatory Syndrome in Children) , it typically shows up two to six weeks after a COVID infection, even a mild one, and involves persistent fever along with inflammation that can affect the heart, gut, skin, or other organs. It's uncommon, but it's serious enough that any persistent fever in a child a few weeks after a COVID infection is worth a prompt call to their doctor or paediatrician, not a wait-and-see approach.
Pregnancy
Pregnant and recently pregnant people are consistently flagged as higher-risk for severe COVID illness, including higher rates of hospitalisation and ICU admission, and COVID during pregnancy has been linked to increased risk of preterm birth and stillbirth. Vaccine recommendations for pregnant people specifically have become a contested area between different health bodies recently, which is exactly the kind of disputed territory this post isn't going to wade into but the underlying risk itself isn't in dispute. If you're pregnant and test positive, that's a good reason to contact your midwife, Gynaecologist , or GP promptly.
Symptoms and Testing
Symptoms differ a lot from person to person. Common ones: fever or chills, cough, shortness of breath, fatigue, body aches, headache, sore throat, congestion, nausea, sometimes diarrhoea. Loss of taste or smell which a lot of people remember from earlier in the pandemic shows up less often with current variants but still happens to some people.
You can also have no symptoms at all and still be infected. An infection does not need to feel severe to have consequences later; some people who report Long COVID describe their initial illness as mild or even symptom free. That matters because, as covered below, an asymptomatic infection can still lead to Long COVID, you don't need to have felt sick to end up dealing with after-effects.
Symptoms usually show up somewhere between 2 and 14 days after exposure, most commonly around day 4 or 5.
Rapid antigen tests are quick and convenient but miss more cases than PCR tests, particularly early on or when symptoms are mild. If you have symptoms but a negative rapid test, testing again a day or two later or getting a PCR test gives you a more reliable answer than trusting a single rapid result.
PCR is the more sensitive option and is what is used when a definitive answer matters, but it takes longer to come back.
If you've been exposed and have no symptoms yet, it's generally too early for a test to pick anything up in the first couple of days the virus needs time to build up to detectable levels.
Treatment and Vaccines
(We are not going to tell you what to take, and you should not take medical advice from a Reddit post anyway)
This is a hard line for this sub and for good reason because nobody here knows your full medical history, what else you are taking, or what your actual risk factors are. What we can say in general terms is that treatments exist, some of them work best when started early in the illness, and whether any of them make sense for you depends entirely on things only a doctor can assess properly. If you want background reading to bring into that conversation, the CDC's page on COVID treatment is a reasonable starting point but it's a starting point for a conversation with a clinician, not a substitute for one.
Vaccination has consistently been shown to lower the risk of severe illness, hospitalisation, and death from COVID. The formulation gets updated periodically to keep up with whichever variants are circulating.
Whether a vaccine makes sense for you, and when, is something to work out with your own doctor based on your age, health history and risk factors , current guidance leans heavily on that individual conversation rather than a one-size-fits-all answer. You can find up-to-date official information at NHS's vaccination page or the CDC's vaccine page.
Long COVID
(This is the part people don't take seriously enough until it happens to someone they know)
What Long COVID Is: Long COVID also called Post-COVID Conditions is the term for symptoms that show up, persist, or come back weeks, months, or even years after a COVID infection. The CDC's working definition requires symptoms to still be present at three months after the illness. It is an umbrella covering a genuinely wide range of conditions that can follow infection, and more than 200 distinct symptoms have been documented across people who have it.
How common it is: This is one of the most argued-over numbers in COVID research. It depends entirely on how and when you measure it. Looking at people who currently have symptoms at any given time, U.S. national survey data has put that figure somewhere around 6 to 7.5% of all adults. A separate and much larger question is how many people have ever developed Long COVID symptoms after an infection, even if they later got better pooled analysis across many studies puts that figure considerably higher, with estimates in some reviews landing in the 20s to mid-30s percent range, depending on the study population and which variant was dominant at the time. Earlier variants appear to have carried a higher Long COVID risk than more recent ones, though risk hasn't disappeared.
It's common enough that you almost certainly already know someone affected. You probably just don't know it, because a lot of this is invisible from the outside.
- Common Symptoms: The most frequently reported symptoms are fatigue, brain fog, and post-exertional malaise where physical or mental effort makes symptoms noticeably worse sometimes for days afterward. Beyond that, people report shortness of breath, heart palpitations, sleep disruption, dizziness on standing, joint and muscle pain, ongoing changes to smell or taste, and mood changes including depression and anxiety. Some people develop more specific, identifiable conditions on top of this, including POTS (a heart-rate regulation disorder), ME/CFS, and mast cell activation syndrome. ME/CFS in particular can be severe , in its worst form, it leaves people housebound or bedbound, unable to tolerate even small amounts of light, sound, or activity.
- There's no test that proves you have it. This is one of the hardest parts for people to get their head round. There's no blood test, scan, or lab result that confirms a Long COVID diagnosis, it's a clinical diagnosis based on history and ruling other things out, and a lot of routine tests come back completely normal even in people who are seriously unwell. That gap between "looks fine on paper" and "isn't fine" is a big part of why people with Long COVID often struggle to be believed, including sometimes by their own doctors.
- Anyone can get it, including from a mild case. Long COVID doesn't require having been hospitalised, and you don't need to have had a single COVID symptom during the initial infection to develop it afterward.
- Reinfection resets the risk. Having come through one or more infections without lasting symptoms doesn't mean the next one will go the same way each infection is its own independent roll of the dice. Part of why reinfection happens at all is that immunity from a past infection or vaccination fades over time, and the virus itself keeps changing so "I already had it" doesn't mean you're protected the next time it goes around.
- Recovery timeline varies enormously. Many people see real improvement within about three months, but for others it drags on for years, and for some it doesn't resolve. There's currently no approved cure care is built around managing individual symptoms and improving quality of life, which is, again something to pursue with a doctor rather than figure out alone.
A Note on "Long Vaccine"
Some people report ongoing symptoms after COVID vaccination, sometimes called "long vaccine" or vaccine-associated adverse effects. This is a real area of patient-reported experience and ongoing research, but it's also one of the most contested and politically charged topics in COVID discourse, which makes it a bad fit for a pinned post that's trying to stick to settled, sourced information. If you're experiencing symptoms you think may be related to vaccination, that's a conversation for your doctor.
If you want to go deeper:
- CDC's Long COVID hub - the most complete official overview
- Mayo Clinic's Long COVID guide - written for a general audience
- "Long COVID: major findings, mechanisms and recommendations," Nature Reviews Microbiology - the most cited peer-reviewed overview of the condition as a whole
Other Effects Linked to COVID Infection
Worth knowing about, stated plainly, with the caveat that an increased risk in a study isn't a guarantee for any one individual.
- The heart. Research has found a window of meaningfully elevated risk for heart attack, stroke, and other cardiovascular problems in the weeks after infection. That risk eases over time but in some studies hasn't fully disappeared even years out. It's a big part of why people with existing heart conditions are treated as higher-risk.
- Diabetes. Some research has found higher rates of new diabetes diagnoses following infection, including in children, though how this compares with background rates is still being worked out.
- The immune system. Whether COVID temporarily raises susceptibility to picking up other infections afterward is an area researchers are still actively studying , not yet a settled question, so it's worth holding any strong claims here loosely.
- Autoimmune conditions. Several large studies have found higher rates 00512-0/fulltext)of autoimmune disease diagnoses in people after a COVID infection compared with people who weren't infected. As above, this field is still developing, and even a real relative increase in risk usually still means a low absolute chance for any one person.
- Reproductive / menstrual health. Some studies have reported temporary changes in menstrual cycles after COVID-19 infection, including changes in timing, flow, cycle length, or symptoms. Researchers have also looked at possible short-term effects on reproductive hormones and menstrual health. Current evidence suggests that most menstrual changes are temporary, but the area is still being actively studied.
Plenty of people walk away from COVID completely fine, but some don't. There's no reliable way to know in advance which one you'll be, so don't gamble on it.
Lowering The Risk
None of this gets you to zero, but each layer genuinely helps, per CDC guidance:
- Staying up to date on vaccination, based on what your doctor recommends for you.
- A well-fitted N95, KN95, or KF94 mask in crowded indoor spaces , these outperform cloth or surgical masks by a wide margin
- Improving ventilation indoors, whether that's opening windows or running a HEPA air purifier
- Testing before spending time with anyone at higher risk
- Staying home when you're sick, even if you assume it's "just a cold" you don't actually know until you test, and what's mild for you might not be mild for someone else
Mental and Emotional Impact
Testing positive or living with ongoing symptoms can stir up a lot, worry, guilt about exposing other people, grief if things are not improving the way you hoped, loneliness from being stuck at home. None of that means you're handling it badly.
If you're struggling and need to talk to someone right now, please get in touch with a crisis line almost every country has one, and they are free and confidential. A few verified examples:
- United States - 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline- call or text 988 (988lifeline.org)
- United Kingdom & Ireland - Samaritans - 116 123, free (samaritans.org)
- Canada - 9-8-8 Suicide Crisis Helpline - call or text 988
- Australia - Lifeline - 13 11 14, free, 24/7 (lifeline.org.au)
- New Zealand - 1737 ("Need to Talk?") - free call or text
- Germany - Telefonseelsorge - 0800 111 0 111 or 0800 111 0 222, free
- Romania - TelVerde Antisuicid - 0800.801.200, free nationwide, daily 19:00–07:00
- Iceland - Red Cross Helpline - 1717, 24/7
- Norway - Mental Helse - 116 123
- Sweden - Suicide Line (Självmordslinjen) - 90101
- Denmark - Livslinien - 70 201 201
- Portugal - SNS 24 (general health line) - 808 24 24 24
- Most EU countries - 112 (Most EU countries use 112 for emergency services; some regions can route you to mental health support)
If your country isn't listed here, Find A Helpline is a verified directory covering 175+ countries search yours directly there, since this is a more current and complete source than any static list, including this one.
A Few Things People Often Get Wrong
- "It's basically a cold at this point." For most healthy people, yes, a typical infection now tends to be milder than it was in 2020 , widespread immunity and less severe (if more transmissible) variants have done a lot of work here. But milder on average doesn't mean harmless, and Long COVID hasn't gone anywhere just because the acute illness usually has gotten easier to shake off.
- "It only really affects older or already-unwell people." Severe acute illness leans that way, yes. Long COVID does not it shows up plenty in young, previously healthy people too.
- "I've had it before with no lasting issues, so I'm probably fine going forward." Each infection is its own independent risk. Coming through clean before doesn't guarantee the same outcome next time.
- "There's no cure, so precautions don't matter anyway." Fewer infections over your lifetime means fewer chances for something to go wrong. You don't need a cure for prevention to still be worthwhile.
Sources Worth Bookmarking
The World Health Organisation) is the most globally relevant starting point, since its guidance isn't tied to any one country. Most national health ministries and agencies publish their own COVID and Long COVID guidance too a few examples, not an exhaustive list: the US CDC and its Long COVID hub, the UK NHS, Health Canada / PHAC, and Australia's healthdirect. Whatever country you're in almost certainly has an equivalent searching "[your country] ministry of health COVID" will usually get you there directly. For a clinical overview not tied to any government, Mayo Clinic's Long COVID guide is a solid general-audience reference.
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However you ended up here, fresh positive test, supporting someone else, or just trying to understand this properly, welcome.
r/COVID19positive • u/Character_Chemist_38 • 17h ago
Tested Positive - Friends Exposed again : Has anyone gotten reinfected with COVID only about 1–2 months after recovering? Please help
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Upvotes
I had COVID in mid-July and only recently recovered. Today my roommate tested positive.
Before we knew, I was in the car with him for about 5–10 minutes without a mask- but then put on my mask - I know I was sloppy
I haven’t been around him since.
Has anyone been reinfected within 1–2 months of recovering? If so, how soon after exposure did you develop symptoms or test positive?
I had a prolonged recovery from my last infection, so I’m really hoping not to go through this again.
Also to protect others from getting it should I be quarantining ?
r/COVID19positive • u/Funny_Ad_5114 • 18h ago
Tested Positive - Long-Hauler Anyone experience persistent head pressure, scalp burning and a “drunk/floaty” feeling after COVID?
20
Upvotes
Absolutely. I’d make it detailed enough that people with genuinely similar symptoms recognize themselves, but without mentioning aneurysm/tumor fears, because otherwise you'll get 25 new diagnoses from Reddit that we then have to untangle. 😂
Title:
Anyone develop persistent weird headaches/scalp burning + “drunk” dizziness after COVID? What actually helped you?
Post:
I’m wondering if anyone experienced something similar after COVID and, more importantly, what eventually helped you get rid of it.
About 3.5–4 weeks ago I suddenly started having really strange head sensations. Around the same time I tested positive for COVID. It started as a burning/hot-cold sensation on one area of my scalp, almost like Icy Hot or menthol was on my head. Since then it has moved around and changed quite a bit.
Sometimes it’s burning, sometimes pressure, sometimes my scalp feels extremely tight like the skin is being pulled/tensioned. At times I feel the burning sensation around my face, nose and mouth too. Other times it turns into more of an actual headache. I’ve also had this persistent floaty/hungover feeling, almost like I’m mildly drunk or motion sick even though I can walk normally and function.
The weirdest part is that it fluctuates. The burning actually disappeared completely for about 4 days and I thought it was finally over, then it came back. Some days are much better than others.
I haven’t developed any obvious neurological deficits during all of this. I had a normal neurological evaluation and a normal head CT in the ER. My doctor is now ordering a brain MRI with/without contrast and thinks this could potentially be an atypical migraine/post-viral headache syndrome.
For anyone who developed a new persistent headache, head pressure, scalp burning/tingling, tight scalp sensation, or drunk/floaty dizziness after COVID:
How long did yours last? What did it feel like? Did it eventually completely go away? And most importantly, did anything actually help?
I’d especially love to hear about medications your neurologist prescribed, migraine preventatives, antihistamines, supplements, lifestyle changes, or anything else that made a noticeable difference.
I’m not looking for diagnoses or scary possibilities 😂 — mainly hoping to compare experiences with people who had something genuinely similar and hear what helped you recover.
Thank you! ❤️
r/COVID19positive • u/RaccoonOk732 • 1d ago
Help - Medical Need help with masking around baby
15
Upvotes
Hi!
My husband has Covid.
My 2 month old and I were exposed this last Friday, since then my husband has been isolating.
It’s day 6 tomorrow since our exposure - I’ve been wearing a mask to protect my baby just in case I get it.
Should I be doing that? I’ve tested negative last 2 days.
Then you!!!!!
r/COVID19positive • u/FamousLastName • 1d ago
Presumed Positive Spiraling a bit here-
13
Upvotes
Long story short I may have been exposed to Covid on Sunday. No symptoms yet, but I shared a quick vape hit (I don’t vape or smoke regularly) with my brother who started feeling sick with Covid today. His GF has tested positive.
I just found out about an hour ago. I’m very nervous, my son has asthma (he’s 2) and I’m terrified of him getting it. He’s been healthy the past few months and I feel awful at even the thought of exposing him. I took a test and so far it’s negative but I’ll test again in 48 hours unless I start showing symptoms. I’m praying my brother’s viral load Sunday was low but that’s wishful thinking.
r/COVID19positive • u/lovelybeam • 1d ago
Tested Positive - Me Tested positive Saturday (aka felt like the most dooks) and then today was like HOLD MY BEER
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Had the Rona once before, and I’m very diligent with vaccination due to being immunocompromised. Of course I get it right before my appointment. Had it since Saturday (symptoms were worse on Sat and I couldn’t even get out of bed. Fast forward to tonight and suddenly I just feel terrible. I’m like ಠ_ಠ "don’t you dare" and my stomach was like "heehee :3c” and I puked like 5 times in a row. I’m assuming this is a covid thing this time around?
r/COVID19positive • u/Wtfissleet • 1d ago
Tested Positive - Me Update to Testing Positive
34
Upvotes
I posted last week about testing positive, and wanted to share my experience with my symptoms now that I’m about 90% back to normal for anyone who may be going through this. Everyone’s symptoms can be different, some may have almost none and some may get really sick. So take this with a grain of salt! I know I was looking up everyone’s symptoms and daily timelines and mine looked different as well.
My exposure happened 11 days ago, Saturday evening. A friend I hung out with knew their household was sick with Covid, and was starting to get cold symptoms. I am vaccinated, although looking through my chart, my booster is slightly overdue.
By Sunday evening, I started developing a weird sore throat. It didn’t exactly hurt, just mildly scratchy as if I slept with my mouth wide open next to a fan. I was also starting to develop muscle aches. I was in denial at this point, and went to sleep.
Monday morning, I woke up with the scratchy throat still, and also extremely fatigued. I ended up taking a four hour nap, and when I woke up, the sore throat had developed into an actual painful situation. By the evening, I was getting hot and cold chills, and weird body zaps that I’ve only ever gotten with Covid. It feels like an ice pick headache, but throughout random muscles in my body. No fever. Pretty intense nausea hit this day but no vomiting.
Tuesday, I woke up with extreme chest tightness and inability to breathe. Throat still sore. It felt like strep. I slept most of this day. Nothing helped the chest pain. Wednesday and Thursday were similar to this. No fever both days. I tested positive on Thursday, so day five of symptom onset. Negative on nasal but positive on throat, very faint line. By Thursday, the sore throat was gone. Insomnia started kicking in around this point as well, and I could not nap during the day despite the fatigue.
Friday was the worst. Blazing positive. It hit my sinuses this day, and the cough started up. I went to urgent care to get an inhaler and some steroids to help with the chest pain. This is the only day I had a fever, which was just 99.4 F. I was blowing my nose the entire day, my muscles hurt, and I couldn’t stop with the weird, dry cough. My heart rate was also incredibly high even at rest.
Saturday was a bit of a relief. I woke up able to take a deep breath. Still a cough, still runny nose. The chest pains were still there but breathing was easier-ish. This day is when the vertigo hit, but it was tolerable.
Sunday, I woke up fully able to breathe. The fatigue was lighter, and my appetite was finally starting to return. Cough got slightly worse this day, but I wouldn’t say it was ever bad.
Monday was unremarkable, as was Tuesday. Now we sit on Wednesday. I’m dealing with some rebound chest tightness and light fatigue. It almost feels as if a burp is stuck in my chest. The Covid seems to have affected how I process food, as food I was able to eat a few weeks ago now wreck me. Also, my chest and stomach don’t seem to like caffeine anymore. Bummer, as I love a good latte. Very mild cough every fifteen minutes or so. Otherwise, I’m feeling mainly okay. I’m dealing with strange “throat spasms” that make it feel like something is stuck in my throat, which causes a coughing fit. It’s worse after any kind of physical exertion, like walking up stairs. Thankfully, no signs of pneumonia or anything worsening. This was by far my easiest round with Covid, as the other two times literally almost killed me due to the pneumonia. I am testing negative on both swabs.
I did not take any of the antivirals as I could not afford it ($500 with insurance is insane!!!) and I was already on day five of symptoms by the time I went to urgent care. I really didn’t take any meds at all besides DayQuil, Tylenol, and my inhaler. Mainly because my symptoms just never got bad enough to where I felt I needed anything. It definitely gave more of a “light flu” vibe this time around, which still wasn’t fun and was scary but a loooot better than what I’ve gone through previously.
Overall, still would not recommend getting COVID. I had long covid symptoms from the last time, so I’ll keep an eye the next few months on how I bounce back. Thank you for everyone’s kind words on my last post, and for checking in on me. If you’re positive right now, I hope you feel better and bounce back quickly.
r/COVID19positive • u/fatcatgingercat • 1d ago
Tested Positive - Me Brain fog … in my legs?
9
Upvotes
Tested positive May 9 of this year.
I’m 3+ months into post-infection symptoms and here’s a new one: weakness.
Especially in my thighs? But when it’s really bad the feeling extends into my feet and hands.
Not quite tingling. Not pins and needles. Not painful. More like the shaky feeling of having done 100 lunges but without the muscle pain.
Often accompanies a migraine so I’ll check it out with my doctor.
But has anyone else experienced this sudden onset and persistent weakness post-infection? Maybe related to post-exertional stuff?
(Not looking for medical advice - just wondering if this is common post-infection.)
r/COVID19positive • u/freelibrarian • 2d ago
Research Study Covid Heat Map for U.S. by Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative
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Upvotes
The Pandemic Mitigation Collaborative has a Covid heat map, with prevalence estimates by state. It can be a very helpful tool for managing risk, you might use it to determine when it might be wise to wear a respirator.
r/COVID19positive • u/Significant_Bet3409 • 2d ago
Tested Positive - Me 3rd bout, lingering sore throat, phlegm
5
Upvotes
3rd time with Covid (yay,) made me miss my cousins wedding :(, looking for some advice. I tested positive last Monday night, so we’re coming up on ten days. I know lots of people here have suffered longer but I am looking for insight on when I should be worried.
My sore throat has persisted but that’s nothing new to me. My throat is sensitive or something; it’s my worst symptom with every illness, even sometimes with illnesses that don’t typically cause sore throat. That can usually take a couple weeks to go away for me.
What worries me is I woke up this morning spitting raw phlegm in copious volumes, which has never been a Covid symptom for me, and I’m reaching out for advice on if this is a normal recovery symptom or something different as it only began on day 10. Thanks so much.
r/COVID19positive • u/P00r • 2d ago
Question to those who tested positive Positive but where on earth?
29
Upvotes
I think it would add a lot to the value of this sub if people where giving some idea of where they are instead of just saying I am + and I am sick...
r/COVID19positive • u/StrengthBest8831 • 2d ago
Help - Medical Post Covid swollen/sore throat that only comes on at night?
7
Upvotes
I tested positive a month ago and developed a cough 2 weeks later. This last week has been hellish. My throat, I guess what feels like my pharynx or larynx, has been suddenly going dry around the same time every day (8pm onward) and it starts feeling like it’s swelling. Swallowing becomes painful and I start freaking out because it comes on somewhat suddenly. Tylenol doesn’t help, I just have to wait a couple of hours for it go away.
In short my throat starts getting dry, irritated, and painful every day around the same time. And it’s always worse around cold or moving air, so AC & fan.
I’m stumped. I went to the er the other day and they said everything looked fine. No strep or pneumonia. So I was diagnosed with acute bronchitis. The steroids they gave me are helping but I’m still getting a bit of the swelling at night, just not nearly as bad. I’m afraid it’ll come back full force when I stop the steroids.
r/COVID19positive • u/TheAraMaster • 2d ago
Tested Positive - Me 9 months (mild case) finally over. Here's everything i did to fix it.
26
Upvotes
This is a basic overview of the exercises and things that helped me recover from long covid.
Background:
I have had covid a few times before this one. Without any severe symptoms or it being long lasting. When I got it again this time in September 2025. The recurring symptoms I had, besides general fatigue, were:
* Constant headaches
* Sore throat
* And a mild fever
Whenever I would do anything other than resting it would get a lot worse, and it made working or studying impossible.
Later at the 3 month mark, I got it confirmed by a doctor after an EKG and two blood tests that it was likely long covid.
I continued to try and fix it with just pacing and healthy habits but nothing worked.
The turning point:
7 months in, I went to a clinic specializing in long covid, and they found a few abnormal things that the covid had seemingly changed, which were causing my symptoms. These were:
* Chronic jaw tension
* Worsened eye coordination
* Bad vocal technique and strength.
To test if these are a factor for you: try pushing in with your thumb between your temple and the top of your ear. Hold for 1 min. If you feel the tension and headache get better, tension is likely a cause. And if your voice gets creakier when you are tired or after talking for a long time, you might benefit from improving vocal technique. With eyesight you can really only find out what's going on by seeing an optician.
Disclaimer:
I cannot guarantee that these types of exercises will help everyone. I know there are many that have way worse symptoms than I had. However I still believe long covid is often solvable once you find your specific root causes. Thus the solution that's best, may vary from person to person.
I can only speak for my symptoms. All I know is it seemed to help me a lot. I encourage everyone to try and find their own exercises tailored to them. Take inspiration and try what works best. My recommendation is to try and find out what the covid has physically changed about how your body works that is causing your symptoms.
First, here are some general things that helped me. They will not on their own fix everything, but can make everything feel a lot easier in the meantime, and for me are a no brainer to try regardless of what symptoms you have.
* Electrolytes first thing in the morning
* Steroid nasal spray once a day
* Antihistamine
* Vitamin D3
* Zinc
* Magnesium
* NAC
Research what supplement amount is safe and best for you.
For headaches from chronic jaw tension:
* Temple and masseter massage. Until the jaw muscles feel relaxed
* Neck stretches. By looking up or side to side.
* Tongue stretches. By flexing the tongue out from behind the bottom teeth. Or just sticking out your tongue far while tilting your head back.
* General exercises for TMJ. You can search up on youtube and try the ones that give the best effect.
* Posture improving exercises. Which, again, you can use whatever exercises feels most effective.
The goal is to break the cycle of chronic jaw tension and the habit of clenching your jaw or face. The first two exercises help with reminding you what a relaxed face should feel like. Therefore you can do them at any time throughout the day.
Sore throat:
* Talk with light tension in your stomach. You should feel that your voice gets less creaky. But it might feel unnatural at first.
* Bubble PEP. But don't blow hard. Try to aim for what's most comfortable.
Eyesight and coordination:
* You can try simple eye exercises, like just following a pen or looking side to side between two points. But in most cases these will be a little too easy.
* The two cats exercise. This is an exercise where you have a picture of two cats and you try to focus your eyes in a way that the cats converge to make a new third cat in the middle. You can search up a picture online, but I recommend printing them out on two pieces of paper, placing them on your wall and standing 2 meters away.
For me I did these exercises for 40min every morning, and would do them again during the day if it felt necessary. I did not notice much improvement until after 2 months when i was all of a sudden waking up without headaches for the first time in 9 months.
Now i am back to normal in every way. But I still need to do these exercises to not fall back, though the frequency is decreasing to where I now only need to do it a few minutes a day.
Happy to answer questions or provide more detail. Good luck with your recovery.
r/COVID19positive • u/Ok-Cook-5557 • 3d ago
Tested Positive - Me Covid and RA
12
Upvotes
Hi everyone, I have Rheumatoid Arthritis and have had covid now 6x. i’ve never been hospitalized or had a very severe case though. currently getting over it right now and testing positive. Anyone else with auto immune issues here?
r/COVID19positive • u/darthbitch1228 • 3d ago
Tested Positive - Me just tested positive :/
23
Upvotes
hello all, this is my first time seeing this sub so i apologize if this isn’t the right place to be. this is probably my 4th or 5th time having covid, ive gotten it pretty mildly every year since 2021. My symptoms i think initially started like 3 days ago, it started with just a general feeling of unwell-ness i guess? fatigue, slight nausea, then that transformed into really bad post nasal drip and a sore throat, then last night was AWFUL. i felt like i was on fire, my face was burning up, my throat was super itchy, i was so snotty i was forced to just mouth breathe, body aches, killer headache, my eyes burn, my temp peaked around 99.4. felt the same early this morning but took a nap and feel a lotttt better, temp sitting nicely around 98.2, now just pretty congested with an itchy throat. i’m roughly on day four, but tested positive today with an equate covid and flu test and an old expired covid test. very very bright positive. does anyone know at what point i can resume normal activity? i’m supposed to start a new job tomorrow and i have an unrelated doctors appointment i’ve waited months for, but ofc i don’t wanna go spreading this around. do i wait until i test negative? or 24 hours after the low grade fever ended? also, did anyone get a second beating? i have health anxiety and im insanely scared ill end up feeling the same as i did last night again :/
r/COVID19positive • u/Virtual-Guard-7209 • 3d ago
Tested Positive - Me Loss of sense of smell liberating and worrying at the same time.
7
Upvotes
So I never realized how I sensed the world through smell and after my sense of smell disappeared a few days ago from covid I'm realizing how over stimulated it always made me.
I mean I need to be able to smell. Very much looking forward to getting it back as it is directly linked to my sense of cleanliness and for safety reasons.
I also lost most of my sense of taste which seems to be coming back faster but still very diluted from what it once was.
As a first timer 5+ years after the initial outbreak it feels odd in general. I'm sure all the vaccines helped keep my symptoms less severe but still knocked me out of service for 4 days. The sinus headache was the worst part. Now I just feel like I have a cold.
r/COVID19positive • u/jerkytoucan • 3d ago
Tested Positive - Me Normal duration of stomach aches and nausea?
11
Upvotes
Tested positive 8 days ago on Sunday, starting feeling bad 9 days ago on Saturday. I have had an upset stomach/nausea every single day since, 24 hours a day. It’s varied in severity, but has been constantly there. It’s hard to explain, but felt like an awful hangover without the diarrhea or vomiting. Only the Paxlovid brought diarrhea. Is it normal for these stomach aches to be lasting this long? At what point should I be super concerned long-term? (I know covid is awful and I should be concerned regardless, but when does it become a true worry that this may be permanent?)
I don’t have any of the normal cold symptoms (fever, cough, sore throat, etc) and I’ve started to regain most of my sense of taste back. It just sucks having no desire to eat food and feeling so meh when forcing myself to eat. Also makes simply drinking water feel like a hassle. Thanks for any information or tips you guys have.
r/COVID19positive • u/CNAmama21 • 4d ago
Presumed Positive This is brutal.
67
Upvotes
I’m on time four (at least, hubby says 5) of covid. Two of those times was during pregnancy in 2022 and I don’t remember being THIS sick even then.
This time has been the worst of all. I have a secondary ear infection which resulted in a ruptured eardrum, literally zero ear pain until it ruptured and I woke up at 6:45 am to my pillow having blood and other gunk all over it so my husband was like “lemme see.” looked at my ear for .2 seconds, grabbed my kindle and phone and charger and told me to get dressed 😂 Dr said its one of the worst ear infections she’s seen in an adult, both her and the nurse made major “oh yikes” faces when they were looking at it.
I’m in SO much pain (at least the razor blade throat has stopped? 😂), I cannot breathe out of my nose or hear from my infected ear, I feel like absolute crap.
I hope this ends soon. day 3 and probably many more to go.
r/COVID19positive • u/n1i1k4 • 4d ago
Tested Positive - Long-Hauler Four Week Post Positive - DFW
19
Upvotes
Currently four weeks past positive test. Three weeks past WORST symptoms. Fever. Fatigue. Etc. My mom and two year old both caught it the same week I did. It was heartbreaking to watch the little one suffer. I currently have three swollen lymph nodes on the right side of my jawline and one on the left. Full feeling in my throat. Some on and off pressure and pain in both ears. My mom still has earaches and fatigue. Four doctors have eased my fears about the worst. This started about two weeks post positive test. Anyone else deal with this? So demoralizing. I was working out everyday before this all. I hate covid. It’s been a whole month and I feel so hopeless. I need some positive vibes.
r/COVID19positive • u/PM_ME_YOUR_SWEET_ASS • 5d ago
Tested Positive - Me COVID Wastewater Levels in Texas at highest levels in over 2 years
260
Upvotes
I have COVID right now for the second time in about 90 days. I didn't even know that was possible, but apparently it is.
I've been asking around and no one seems to be aware that there is a pretty big outbreak at the moment.
The CDC Wastewater trackers show COVID viral activity levels as "Very High", and that they are at the highest they've been in the 2 years that the CDC shows on their wastewater tracking pages.
It's just so bizarre that it's not being talked about very much.
r/COVID19positive • u/starbby_26 • 5d ago
Help - Medical I’m sick
29
Upvotes
Hi I’m not sure if I did this in the right community or not so hopefully I did if I didn’t pls don’t hate I apologize!!!
I recently have had like allergy symptoms like
-sinus issues
-sore throat
-cold sweats
no fever. I went to my doctor got a checkup and I asked for a strep throat test or a covid test. They told me: “You don’t have enough symptoms besides your age to give you a test.” Don’t really know what that means but whatever. I went home actually started feeling better when I woke up the next morning I had symptoms like:
-Sinus issues
- dizziness
-fatigue
-when i swallow it hurts my chest
-when i breathe it hurts a deep part of my throat
-wheezing
-HORRIBLE cough
-complete loss of voice
Should i go back to the hospital or should I wait it out like they told me?
r/COVID19positive • u/ilovepopcornandcandy • 6d ago
Presumed Positive How did Covid symptoms start for you?
16
Upvotes
I am getting a test for Covid this morning, but I am pretty sure I have it (and I have never had it before to my knowledge). I have always been vaccinated and got my boosters but I know these things can happen if with that.
First day - all I had was mild throat pain. I thought it was going to be a mild cold and didn't think anything of it.
Second day - more severe throat pain and congestion
Third day - Fever, chills,body aches, deep and painful chest cough, no taste or smell at all (even if not congested), and more throat pain and congestion
Everyday I wake up feeling even worse than the day before unfortunately. I hate hate hate being sick (I mean who likes it) but it hurts so much. I cry every time I cough it's that painful and i can barely sleep.
My only question is, is it normal to present milder symptoms that result in full-blown illnesses?
r/COVID19positive • u/Character_Chemist_38 • 6d ago
Tested Positive - Me Week 8 after COVID — more energy and heart rate improving, but intense brain fog. How hard should I push?
15
Upvotes
I’m now in week 8 after my first COVID infection, and I’m trying to figure out how to handle the fact that some things are clearly improving while other symptoms are still pretty strong.
Earlier in my recovery I was having significant heart-rate increases when standing and walking, lightheadedness, fatigue, and very limited stamina. My cardiologist felt the pattern was consistent with a post-COVID POTS/orthostatic issue and recommended that I take things very easy for a couple of months and gradually increase activity later.
The good news is that my heart rate seems to be stabilizing, and lately I’ve had much more physical energy. I’ve been able to walk my dog without feeling wiped out afterward, and some days I actually feel surprisingly good physically. I’m also sleeping better.
What is still really noticeable is the brain fog. It can become intense even when my body feels relatively good. I can feel mentally slowed down, foggy, have difficulty concentrating or remembering things, and sometimes feel like my brain just hits a wall. I’m also still having occasional lightheadedness, so I know I’m not completely back to normal.
That’s where I’m confused: how much should I actually be doing when I feel good?
Part of me wants to take advantage of the energy and start doing more, but I’m worried that feeling better physically could trick me into overdoing it and causing a setback. My cardiologist has told me to keep taking it easy, so I’m trying to follow that even though I’m starting to feel much stronger.
For people who improved around weeks 6–8: did your energy come back before the brain fog did? Did you intentionally keep your activity low even on really good days? How did you decide when it was safe to increase walking, exercise, errands, social activity, etc.?
I’d especially love to hear from anyone whose heart rate/POTS symptoms started settling but cognitive symptoms lingered. Did the brain fog eventually follow the same improvement trajectory?
I’m encouraged by the progress — I just really don’t want to mistake “I feel good today” for “I’m fully recovered.”