For those who have had Covid....

[rivers]

How did you fare when getting back to training? How easy did you take it when you went back?
I tested positive on an LFT Monday (and 4 more times since then- got caught up in the negative PCR scandal). I'm feeling fine overall, I seem to be asymptomatic, which is good. If I didn't test regularly for work, I most likely wouldn't know I have Covid- except for maybe getting out of breath when I really shouldn't be. I did an easy 20 minute spin on Zwift Thursday evening, and felt like I had just finished a TT (heart beating out of chest, but at 135 bpm, not 175+). I've trained so hard over the past 18 months and I don't want to lose those gains.

 

[Sharky]

Going into the autumn is the traditional wind down time, so don't worry. Once into the new year, steady and consistent riding will get you fit for the new season.

 

[fossyant]

From what friends have had, it's varies by person. One is still on 18 hours a day oxygen therapy a year after catching it, another is still out of breath walking,4-5 months later.

 

[Cycleops]

No long lasting effects four months later. Back to normal.
You've got more of a chance if you're reasonably fit and not overweight. But having said that my friend in the UK who I posted about contracted it and died within two weeks and had none of those. He did refuse the vaccine though, I don't know for what reason.

 

[CXRAndy]

I ran a fever for 5 days, fatigued and breathless when climbing stairs for I would say 4-6 weeks post infection. No lasting symptoms 10 months later

 

[bonzobanana]

I was in hospital 4 times because I was struggling to breathe. The last visit I was kicked out the same day and only really called the ambulance because the online NHS person said my oxygen level was too low. I never needed a ventilator but was put on oxygen for the first 3 hospital visits. The 3rd time only in the ambulance not while in the hospital ward although was constantly monitored and hugely fatigued due to struggling to breathe but comfortable compared to the first 2 times. After all that I had long covid which I guess took about 9 months to get past mainly because of lung damage caused by my own body's immmune system. I had a hospital check about 4 months ago and they said I only had about 64% lung capacity of what I should have but it didn't feel like that it felt higher and I feel much better now. I might guess I'm at 80% now based on their 64% previous assessment. I was never confirmed with covid I think because my immune system eliminated the virus by destroying all the cells it occupied which were in my lungs mainly. The lung damage was always stated to be typical of covid though and I'd never ever had any respiratory issues before. Hopefully now after having the virus and 2 vaccines I should have enough capacity to generate my own anti-bodies to future covid infections rather than the more damaging cell destroying response. Cytokine storm I think its called or something like that. I've always had a very aggressive immune system, almost like an autoimmune disease except it only kicks in with a virus or infection rather than just attacking my own body randomly. I have an over-reaction to infections. In the past I've had maybe flu and cold infections and its hit me for six for example, extremely fatigued in addition the normal symptoms. However on the plus side sometimes they would pass quickly. Other times I guess my body fought the infections normally perhaps because I could create my own anti-bodies and it would follow the normal path. I guess what I'm saying is that if I can't create anti-bodies my body over-reacts in response.

I started taking Vitamin D, Niacin and Zinc early last year and do wonder if that saved me. I fueled my immune system for a battle or maybe that caused the cytokine storm to be worse, who knows. It took about 10 weeks from starting to feel fatigued last year in early March to early May when I went into hospital unable to breathe. It is like covid built up in my body and my body trying and failing to fight it suddenly switched to a huge response. The huge response may have caused lung damage that allowed bacteria to grow causing a more serious infection and hence losing the ability to breathe normally.

I have very poor memory of the period too so guess my brain oxygen levels were a little low, they seem like vague memories compared to previous years. The last year or so has been very strange.

I think from first infection to back to a comfortable existence was about 18 months. March 2020 to Sept 2021.

 

[Ming the Merciless]

I’d add it’s not just COVID you have to be wary of when getting back to your exercising. I had a heavy cold for 10 days start of this month. On a bike ride yesterday I noticed my HR and breathing was far higher than it should have been for the pace.

After any illness don’t be too keen to push too hard too soon. Ease your way back into it and see how it goes. Think steady slow recovery of fitness rather than all out and relapse.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

How did you fare when getting back to training? How easy did you take it when you went back?
I tested positive on an LFT Monday (and 4 more times since then- got caught up in the negative PCR scandal). I'm feeling fine overall, I seem to be asymptomatic, which is good. If I didn't test regularly for work, I most likely wouldn't know I have Covid- except for maybe getting out of breath when I really shouldn't be. I did an easy 20 minute spin on Zwift Thursday evening, and felt like I had just finished a TT (heart beating out of chest, but at 135 bpm, not 175+). I've trained so hard over the past 18 months and I don't want to lose those gains.

When did you have your PCR test?

Generally though, always train within your comfortable limits. I think it's pretty fair to say that the effects on Covid in serious training haven't been overly explored. There has been some research, here for example, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/08/01/bjsports-2021-104392 but not a huge amount.
I would suggest stay well within your limits, stop if you feel out of breath and generally ease back on the pedal for a while.

 

[rivers]

When did you have your PCR test?

Generally though, always train within your comfortable limits. I think it's pretty fair to say that the effects on Covid in serious training haven't been overly explored. There has been some research, here for example, https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/early/2021/08/01/bjsports-2021-104392 but not a huge amount.
I would suggest stay well within your limits, stop if you feel out of breath and generally ease back on the pedal for a while.

Had PCR on Tuesday- came back negative. But I live in Bristol and well, there were at least 43,000 covid tests that came negative that should have been positive. And seeing as I had 5 positive LFTs, I'm fairly certain I have covid.

 

[Craig the cyclist]

Had PCR on Tuesday- came back negative. But I live in Bristol and well, there were at least 43,000 covid tests that came negative that should have been positive. And seeing as I had 5 positive LFTs, I'm fairly certain I have covid.

If it puts your mind at rest a bit, the lab in question received it's last batch of tests on Monday evening (11/10). So if you had a test taken on Tuesday, then you were not involved in what went on.

You will have received a text message by now if your text was mixed up in this. If you are in doubt, probably best to get a re-test, but I can assure you that if you have not been contacted by now, and your test was after Monday, then the test result was not involved.

PM me if you need anymore detail. I hope you keep well, and feel better soon.

 

[Sniper68]

I had it last years and had no real symptoms other than a high temperature.My wife,who ran a Covid Ward,showed slightly more symptoms but we both would have gone to work under any other circumstances.I have had far worse colds and gone to work.Had she not tested positive at work I wouldn't have bothered getting tested.
I was on the indoor bike most days whilst isolating.I have had to after effects whatsover.
My 86 years old dad tested positive and despite having Accute Emphysema and stage 1 Prostate Cancer is still knocking on a year later.
Strange how some folk aren't really affected by it.

 

[Cycleops]

Yes, very odd that some like myself had it very mildly while others that were healthy suffered badly. If you have existing conditions you're most at risk of course.

 

[newts]

I'm almost 4 months post covid & exercise has to be pretty easy to avoid very high heart rate.
Recent chest infection has knocked me back, but I'm hoping I've turned a corner on this. The chest/rib pain has subsided, still get very tired. GP says excercise as much as possible & able.

 

[All uphill]

I have mentioned that our son got the virus last July, obviously pre-vaccination.

He had it very mildly and at 27 and in excellent health you might think he was one of the lucky ones.

About three weeks after the positive test he was struggling to do the simplest thing like getting dressed, going to his letterbox. You may imagine the long, scary struggle back to health.

Today was his first day back at work since July 2021.

This is not just flu.

 

[slowmotion]

I tested positive with a lateral flow test on 14th October. I isolated myself for ten days before leaving the front door. Unlike the lockdowns, I didn't go out on the bike and found it mind-numbingly tedious. I was lucky in that my symptoms were not too bad, dry cough, sneezing, headaches for a couple of days, loss of smell and a general listlessness. I was pretty much OK after a week but felt pretty listless for a further couple of weeks and didn't go out much on the bike much, more a motivational problem than a physical one, but I think I'm back to normality now.