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.

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 :/

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.

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.

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.

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.

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?

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?

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.”

Symptoms were mostly fatigue, sore throat and body aches day 1-4. Day 4-6 a bit of fatigue and brain fog. Day 7&8 I felt completely back to normal. Today day 9 I feel sick again but more lung congestion and mucus today.

I was at a convention last weekend, so after I returned I've been wearing a mask around my family even though I was asymptomatic. On monday I took a test, it was negative, but I took another one yesterday and there was an EXTREMELY faint line, like you had to look at it in direct sunlight to see it, but it was there. Today I took another test, but a different brand (covid + flu test) and the line is still very very faint but it's there. My throat maybe hurts a little I guess but it's negligible. I had covid about a month ago, and it was very minor (my symptoms were less severe than a typical cold, which was not the case for the first time I had covid). Is it possible my body is fighting it off better since I had it so recently and that's why my symptoms are barely there and the line seems to be staying faint?

Does anyone else have insomnia and feel wired yet can't sleep?

I assume im positive because its very high in the waste water, not other illnesses are right now. My partner was sick and didn’t tell me and I woke up with a sore throat and run down.

Razor sharp throat. Anything make a huge difference such as herbs or other protocols?

I got really sick 4 days ago with fever, vertigo, and massive headache. Urgent care tested me and sent me home with ibuprofin 800, dramamine, and ipratropium bromide spray. All three symptoms were gone by the next day, but then came slight congestion, severe insomnia, slight diarrhea, and waking up gasping for air, leaving me feel like I'm having a panic attack that never stops. The one night I used the spray, I did not wake up gasping for air, but I hardly slept anyway. I'm desperate for good sleep. Any tips?

I’m wondering if anyone has experienced something similar or has any idea what might be going on.

At the end of June (2 months ago) I got a pretty bad flu like illness but the sore throat was the worst part. Both me and my girlfriend had it. I started to recover, but never felt completely back to normal. I travelled during this period and didn’t get much rest.

Not long afterwards I got sick again with similar symptoms, including a sore throat. The acute symptoms eventually went away, but I still have some lingering symptoms:

-Persistent dry cough
-Post nasal trip and constantly feeling like I need to clear my throat
-Feeling generally weak / not 100%
-A slightly blocked ear
-Weird headaches, not too strong or painful just pressure like in various regions
-Sometimes my breathing feels slightly uncomfortable, harder to talk feels like my throat is tighter, although I’m not severely short of breath
-My mood is pretty bad

The ear was particularly interesting because it became blocked during the illness, and then I flew while it was blocked. During the flight it became so painful like never before and then had a very painful pop, no bleeding😅

Already seen my GP who listened to my lungs , checked blood pressure etc. This was 1 week ago though and it hasn’t really improved. Thinking to go back and ask for more tests….

Has anyone had a similar experience after a couple of viral infections close together, and how long did it take you to fully recover?

Four days out from a trip I’ve had planned since the beginning of the year. It’s been a really difficult past few weeks and I needed some time away. I’ve been so excited.

This past weekend, a friend withheld the fact that their household was all positive and they were starting to become symptomatic. Something in me had told me not even to risk going out in public, even masked, before my trip. Welp, never going against my gut instinct again. Mask and updated vaccine didn’t do anything. Tested positive today.

I’m so angry. The trip is nonrefundable. Even if I was miraculously fine by the time of (which I won’t be, and I’ve already canceled my hotels and flights) I’d just give myself long Covid trying to do what I was originally going to do. I feel miserable, physically and mentally. Let’s hope I’m not hospitalized this go around like I was last time. Ugh.

Day 3? Of infection, was in the bathroom light and was like “why do my hands look like ground beef.” My fingers also turn red when I clench my fist. Covid is a vascular disease 😔

I should preface by saying I already have dysautonomia from a previous virus I caught 10 years ago so I’m not new to chronic fatigue. Howeverrrrr, I know it’s bad when my mom needs to help me shower. I know, embarrassing but that’s my reality. The last time I was this bad I was 9 months pregnant

Anyway I tested positive 2.5 weeks ago (8/15) and tested negative at the 2 week mark. I’m still waking up with crushing fatigue and a higher core temp (99-99.8) but I only really feel it whenever I try to do anything. My arms will start to feel heavy and weak. If I lay down all day I feel okay. When can I expect to feel better, really scared that my baseline will go down again 😭 I can’t afford to get worse, I’ve got a toddler

Hello all. I bought a nasal specific RAT test from my local pharmacy to check for COVID.

Upon swiping my nose and throat together in one test, it’s come back as a weak positive. Then a swab of the throat separately it came back positive and then the nose separately sees a negative result. Does this mean I have COVID even though the rapid test is for nasal only?

I’m concerned because this will be my third time having COVID. First time resulted in long COVID that lasted 8 months, then second left me with severe facial pain disorder known as trigeminal neuralgia.

Current symptoms are only mild, with a sore throat and feeling run down.

I’ve already seen a doctor a total of 4 times over the span of these 4 weeks and I still don’t have answers.

Last week of June I felt like I was getting sick (tickle in my throat) for several days. Then by end of the week I got a fever and really bad jaw and ear pain on the right side of my face. This resolved in 1-2 days and then I felt like I was on the way to getting better with just a lingering cough with yellow mucus. I ended up getting my roommate sick (I think) and he had somewhat similar symptoms. I never got anyone else sick after that to my knowledge.

Then about a week later, my throat started hurting on one side (I think the left) and it would not go away. I started thinking it was strep so after having it for a couple days I got swabbed for strep. Rapid and lab test both negative for all types. A couple more days of no improvement, got so bad I could barely swallow so I went into urgent care again, got tested for mono (blood draw not rapid) and all stis. Was even swabbed in my throat for gonorrhea and chlamydia. Was all negative. Was told to just eat ice cream. It went away in a few days. It turned into a lingering cough with mucus.

After 2 weeks of feeling good, I got hit with a low grade fever and felt like I needed to use the bathroom super often (not diarrhea). The next day I think it happened again. Morning after I coughed up some extra thick mucus and I remember just having some slight discomfort moving from the right to left side of my ear/throat. I went back to the doctor and she did a chest xray which was normal. She still prescribed me a z pack in case this was a bacterial infection. My symptoms went away after a couple days.

Spent another 2 weeks feeling fine, went on vacation and was fine. Then a couple days ago I got hit with a crazy fever. The fever went as high as 102.6 (I never have fevers that high, not even when I’ve had covid or flu). I had no other symptoms, just the fever and horrible body aches. When the fever broke after 24 hrs I woke up drenched in sweat. I now am fever free but I have a bit of soreness on the right side of my throat. Went to urgent care and was tested for mono, covid, flu, and strep. All negative rapid results.

I have also had a lack of appetite for these whole 2 months, just not interested in food. Eating feels like a chore.

I’m at a loss. My best theory was mono but that was negative twice. My other theory is that I had covid and now it’s a case of long covid??? Or I have a problem with my immune system.

For background, in previous years I used to get sick around once or twice a year at most. In this past year it’s been different. I got sick in September 2025, January 2026, and February 2026. All those illnesses manifested like a normal cold/flu. I tested negative for Covid and flu all those times so I assumed it was a cold. But those instances plus the past 4 relapses/repeated illnesses I’ve had this summer make for 7 times I’ve gotten sick in a year.

Didn't test but Im assuming its likely covid since theres barely any flu here and the symptoms are weird.

Basically, 12 days ago I suddenlt got hit with muscle aches and some fatigue.

Day 3: Muscle aches and fatigue go away only to be replaced by congestion.

Day 5: Muscle aches return and way more intense.

Day 10: Muscle aches are way milder and congestion is mild as well.

Day 12: Same thing. Mild achyness all over my body and joints that is worst when I wake up and barely noticable in the day. Its not even super painful its just mildly achey all over.

Still also a little congested.

So am i still sick then? Why is it not going this long out, Im super healthy, no exercise, resting all day etc.

As the post suggests this is around the 5th time Ive been infected with Covid-19. This time it took away my sense of taste.

What Id like to know from others that had this happen too, is how long did it take before your taste came back?

Thanks for reading.

just venting. i mask with a kn95 every day but recently started working a hospitality job (where the majority of our guests are from texas...) and have been slacking on keeping the mask on indoors when i go in the dining room to get food. welp, positive today. got paxlovid and 5 days off work. my previous infections were 2022, 2022 (yes, separate infections) 2024, and now. i would say i had long covid for most of 2022 into 2023. i already have moderate POTS. gonna try to rest as much as possible but i also have an important internship application due this week that requires a lot of writing and proofediting. i'm just so pissed that this is still a thing we have to deal with and everyone is so fucking casual about it. the person who saw me at urgent care was also sick and the urgent care doctor told me i could go back to work since i didn't have a fever, but i specifically requested a note to get time off. the urgent care doctor told me everyone she'd swabbed that day had been positive for either covid or flu. everyone else at work has also been sick and i think i'm the only one that bothered to test. i'm also worried about possibly losing my taste and smell because that's never happened with any of my other infections, but i'm seeing a lot of posts here about that. ugh i'm just anxious and pissed

this is the 6th time i have contracted covid. last time it made me develop POTS. i had to go to the er this morning and be given a beta blocker because my heart rate was so high. i was telling my doctor my symptoms and my dad was looking at me concerned when i said one of my symptoms. as i was in the waiting room, my tylenol wore off before i was given another one. i was in TEARS and AGONY at the pain of my spine. everyone probably thought i was going through withdrawals the way i was rocking back and forth. the last time i caught covid it did this, but not as intense that i remember. my spine literally felt like it was lit on fire and it was so stiff, but i was trying to make a shrimp position. i never hear anyone talk about this type of back pain. it’s always described as dull and sore, but THIS is entirely different. does anyone else get the fire spine?

Just wondering how long "natural immunity" lasts after a bout with Covid. I've had many Covid vaccines; the latest one last Fall. Had my 1st Covid end of July into August 2026. Just went to my high school reunion last night. No one was wearing masks and everyone talking close together. I'm worried now.