Day Eighteen

08:30

Good morning!

It’s been a good night’s sleep with no disruptions, waking up to the sound of birds and a lovely sunrise to start the day.

Today, it seems, could finally be the day of closure for COVID-19. The occasional cough that is left from the pneumonia and the complete loss of appetite are the tail end residuals of the virus and a bit more time is what the body needs right now to repair and recover from this battle.

For now, it’s a case of seeing how today goes, more on that at the end of the day. Stay safe and healthy everyone!

21:45 - End of the journey

An uneventful (and lazy) day pretty much sums up today, it’s been a long and torturous journey with COVID-19 and I, for one, am extremely glad it’s finally over.

The odd cough and lack of appetite still persists but I’m confident, in time, they will be fixed.

My thoughts are with all those who are battling this virus and all the frontline workers who are fighting hard to help keep us safe and healthy whilst they are exposed to the dangers, I wish you all safe and best wishes in these difficult times.

But the immense support and followers of this blog along with support from friends and family globally has been immense and for that, I thank you all ❤️ During some of the darker struggles with this journey, the messages of support have really lifted me.

There is nothing more I can wish for but for the disappearance of this virus. Make no mistake, it’s horrendous. Those who have not experienced the wrath of this virus, I hope you never do. The reality we face is that this virus will still continue to ravage society for a little while longer so please don’t kid yourself and think life will return to normal anytime soon.

Those of you who contract the virus and have beyond mild symptoms, be strong, both physically and mentally. Your body needs the strength and willpower to slog it out with the virus. There are no vaccines, no miracle cures, don’t believe in the nonsense and viral stuff being spread around. It’s down to you and your body’s immune system to fight it out and it won’t be pleasant. If in doubt and you are struggling with your symptoms, call it in, your body may need medical assistance to fight the virus!

Everyone’s reaction to the virus will be different, my recovery had nothing special instilled, I’ve followed expert medical advice on enduring and recovering from a viral attack. First things first, avoid contact with others and enforce it, it takes very little to spread the virus. Maintain hygiene and cleanliness, I’m rather OCD but went into overdrive with cleaning before, during and after everything I do. Bear in mind that my approach has been honed from years of being a carer and from following a healthy, active lifestyle. Keep things simple like consuming the correct nutrients to boost the immune system and aid repair and recovery.

Anything that helps with enduring the symptoms: paracetamol (not just from relieving aches and pains but to help reduce the fever), cough syrup (the dry, tickly variant worked best for me) and sore throat lozenges (to help minimise coughs from being triggered). Drink plenty of fluids as any fever and infections you go through will dehydrate you fast, you also want to help clear the system.

But my message in this final blog post: do follow government advice, do ground yourself and others whilst we ride out this pandemic but ultimately be there for others when they need it. We are all in this together and we will all see it through together.

As quite a few people have found this blog useful to be shared out and especially ground those who are still being too carefree about COVID-19, despite there being no further updates after this post, this blog will remain here, more as a shared experience and guidance on what to expect with COVID-19 so please feel free to continue sharing it out.

My next stop is to return to the royal voluntary service for the NHS and give them the help they need. One last thing, know that you are not alone out there, if you need to reach out for any reason, I’m always readily available so feel free to hit that About option up top to contact me.

Thank you for all your support, it’s been one hell of a ride. Stay safe, stay healthy, best wishes and much love, Albert ❤️

Day Seventeen

07:11

A largely peaceful night’s rest with only one minor disruption due to dehydration.

The brief morning cough reminds me it’s still lingering but unlike previous days, there is no more blood being brought up, yet another positive sign on recovery.

Most symptoms are gone now, the piercing headache that appears as night falls has also stopped since last night. All that remains is the light-headedness, the cough and the missing appetite.

If all is well and good, I should be out of isolation from tomorrow. Just in time for the Easter break.

Good morning!

20:32

If the virus has an exit strategy, I’m pretty certain it has just pulled it off with a completely random, sudden and violent vomiting episode that has come out of the blue this evening. The day has been largely uneventful from a medical perspective but something had been provoking nausea throughout the day and food intake has been pretty dire with dinner skipped altogether.

But it’s now left me feeling more relaxed and the nauseous feeling has simply disappeared. It’s plentiful fluids and Dioralyte to restore both water and salt loss for now. Here’s hoping whatever is annihilating my appetite has been casted away from this evening’s event.

21:12

Time to shed a tear for the last yellow pill… sarcasm alert!

After 6 days of moaning about this monster of a medication, it’s the last one standing until this very second. Good riddance to those side effects!

Day Sixteen

08:36

Good morning!

It’s been a slightly less eventful night and with less disruptions to the sleep. Clocking in at 00:04 was a cough that woke me up, a round of Strepsils wrapped that up. Two dehydrated moments at 04:47 and 06:45 followed, yes ladies and gentlemen, I’ve now got to the stage where I’m even documenting the time of the disruption.

A quick morning stats for those who have asked, not much to add here except the diastolic blood pressure which is venturing awfully close to the low side. The weight is still plummeting like there is no tomorrow so I might have to take some drastic actions on the food front later today.

13:01

A quick trip outdoors during lunch for a breath of fresh air was nice, too nice… until you realise you forgot to take your morning dose of antibiotics, doh!

The side effects still aren’t very pleasant but it’s three more little pills before it’s finally all over (wait, that sounds a bit wrong).

Not much to report at this point, still the occasion cough and the odd light-headedness.

For now, it’s a double alarm set to remind me to take tonight’s antibiotics. Over and out!

20:08

An attempt to force down a much heavier meal this evening to steady off the weight loss has ended much better than I hoped, it’s time to see how the digestive system will cope with a bit more work after a rather lazy past two weeks.

On a much more positive front, the day has gone by without any incident, no tiredness, still a little lightheaded and the odd cough but a sense of normality is in the air.

With the arrival of nightfall once again yields the return of the persistent cough, the big question mark that looms is what is triggering this? For now, it’s a case of seeing through the antibiotics course and if the cough persists thereafter, then a trip to the doctors will be required.

Day Fifteen

07:30

Good morning readers!

An okay-ish night’s sleep, waking up five times, two of which was cough-related.

The significant reduction in mucus and blood being brought up is a much welcomed, positive sign with much deeper breaths now possible.

The only thing I’m dreading is the 9am dose of antibiotics, only three more days until that treatment is complete but it’s three more days of side effects to endure.

10:15

Today is one of those days that I feel the need to beat myself senseless, the morning dread of antibiotics meant I completely missed my 9am slot, a delayed course only means shifting the side effects by just over an hour, not fun!

18:20

It’s the first time I’ve stepped outside for a breath of fresh air after 15 days of solitary confinement, a significant welcome by the mind, body and soul, most certainly the eyes and lungs.

And for the first time, there’s a feeling that I’m on the home straight with this path to recovery. There’s still the odd cough, perhaps not made much better by me testing my ability to lift 27kg of shopping in one go… and then some. One thing for certain, the core & cardio is definitely way off and a quick look at the mirror shows a worrying amount of bones on display.

The appetite is still a major challenge, the reality is that it simply doesn’t exist so I’m scratching my head on how best to combat this. The antibiotic side effects are also known to cause appetite issues so I may have to endure this for another three days then see whether the appetite returns thereafter.

20:55

Another episode of what’s coughing tonight? The cough has once again picked up on intensity as night falls, the good news is that it isn’t bringing up much mucus or blood anymore, the bad news is that the piercing headache is back, almost rather well timed to coincide with the cough.

And for the first time, I’ve not drifted off at all for the entire day, a little tired on occasions but it’s been another positive step in the recovery process.

With 9pm looming, it’s time for another yellow pill (Clarithromycin). I’m quite literally counting down the excitement of seeing this treatment course end (or maybe the isolation has finally driven me mad)!

Day Fourteen

00:54

It has been an unpleasant wake up call with a coughing fit lasting the past 50 minutes bringing up a regular stream of white mucus and blood.

The poor old solar plexus has gone back to being very sore again, it’s been a while since I’ve had to reach out for some Panadol, in fact, it’s been 4 days according to my medicine diary but now is the time to reach out once more to soothe things over for tonight.

08:50

A night of waking up every hour with a fit of cough has left me more exhausted than the previous day. Not quite sure what has happened with the chest infection but it’s not the best of signs, here’s hoping it’s the virus’ last stand.

For now, it’s time to deal with a rather bad headache, hopefully some work distraction will help with the passing of the day.

11:20

The trouble with taking any form of antibiotics is the side effects that comes along with it. Today marks the halfway point of the Clarithromycin treatment but if there’s one thing I need to note, it’s the way it makes me feel queasy when I take the morning dose.

The effect lasts around 3 hours, which has been rather exhausting and uncomfortable, the addition of the non-existent appetite offers no comfort at all. Anyhow, rant over!

18:55

It’s been a strange day, at times, I’ve drifted in and out of consciousness and I’m currently attributing the lack of food intake and poor night’s rest as the cause.

The continual weight loss is a major concern so it’s been another two forced meals for lunch and dinner to stop the weight from plunging any further.

And now, it’s time for a little nap!

21:21

With nightfall comes the nighttime Clarithromycin dose (twice a day, spaced evenly). For the most part, unlike the daytime dose, I can simply sleep through the side effects so it’s not too bad.

However, the return of the cough and piercing headache as night approaches is the new problem, if this virus wants maximum disruption on it’s final stand, it certainly knows how to get it. To make it worse, being a viral pneumonia means I am still contagious so have had to keep my isolation going a little longer.

Tonight’s approach will rely on Strepsils Extra Triple Action to soothe things as it has done in the past 2 weeks. From here on, it will all come down to whether I can get a full night of undisrupted sleep.

My thoughts are also with all those who are slogging it out with COVID-19 including our prime minister, Boris Johnson, who has been admitted to intensive care as of this evening, I can certainly feel for what you are all going through right now. Stay strong!

Good night all and stay safe!

Day Thirteen

05:02

There’s good sleep and there’s bad sleep, when you are waking up each and every hour past midnight for no reason, you know it’s going to be a pretty poor night of rest.

The cough appears to be a little more tamed, although that’s probably more to do with the damage repaired by the body, the solar plexus is significantly less sore now! Still, bringing up of white mucus and some blood is still on-going so this infection still has some way to go yet.

Anyhow, time to grab a few more winks.

11:11

Trying to restore some resemblance to normality in life has been the start to this lovely Sunday morning.

The poor bedding for one is finally consigned to a 90c wash and a simple room dusting and cleaning of the floorboards was all it took to wipe out most of my energy (and this is only from doing my bedroom)!

Appetite is still non-existent so balancing energy reserves before flopping back to bed will be the challenge for the coming days.

15:31

Falling asleep again seems to be the norm and yes, I’ve been sleeping since the last post until 15:00, there’s no doubt some concerns are being raised about how the body is behaving.

With only some fruits eaten this morning, a forced meal this afternoon was required to get some much needed nutrients into the body.

More on this later, time to count some sheep…

20:45

Not much to report tonight, the cough is still a little persistent with white mucus and blood still being brought up.

Oxygen saturation levels are better with an improving resting heart rate. Breathing has been a little easier with deeper breaths more achievable without provoking a coughing fit.

Appetite is still woefully non-existent and I’ve developed a new kind of headache away from the killer headache that has been slowly fading away, the kind that shoots through between your temples.

Not a pleasant way to end the evening, perhaps I just need more sleep…

Day Twelve

02:36

It’s a double whammy tonight, with a not so pleasant cough waking me up and good lord, that solar plexus is really sore. Bringing up the white mucus and blood seems to ease off the cough.

Just before settling in for sleep again, a discomfort in the stomach signals a diarrhoea warning and it’s quite an episode this time.

Just before hitting the bed, some quick stats taken:

• Temp: 37.2c

• Heart Rate: 77bpm

• SpO2: 96% (taken from my Beurer Pulse Oximeter)

With the chest infection, I thought the measure of arterial oxygen saturation (SpO2) may come in handy for those taking in stats from this blog.

Over and out!

08:06

Good morning world, another feverless night and feverless start to the day!

Still bringing up white mucus and blood, the cough is in less of a fit this morning.

Another diarrhoea episode to kick things off too.

Today’s aim is to try and get a bit more food in. Appetite is still non-existent so we shall see how things go.

18:39

Apologies for the lack of updates and especially those who have messaged in with concerns, sorry!

I appear to have taken up a liking to being a koala and have slept for most of the day, but all jokes aside, I suspect the addition of the chest infection / COVID-19 pneumonia has taken a huge toll on the body and after eleven days of battling the main COVID-19 symptoms, it’s pretty knackered.

Everything else is ok, the latest stats taken are pretty positive, not much I can do about the heart rate as breathing is a little shallow and rapid until the damage to the chest is fixed. Any attempts to do deep breathing techniques to relax will only end in a coughing disaster so I won’t be trying that again anytime soon.

There have been some doubts on the effectiveness of the antibiotics as it won’t have any effects on a viral infection. But better to be safe than sorry and see through the entire course.

For now, it’s time to find some distractions, all this sleeping will surely turn me into a koala, I’m sure I’ll be climbing that tree outside soon and start eating leaves…

21:15

Last post before I head for bed (have just taken antibiotics so will let the body process that whilst sleeping).

It’s not been particularly eventful but most of it is due to the large numbers of hours I’m clocking in with sleep.

Food intake is still pretty bad, it’s improving although ever so slowly, to give you an idea, today’s food diary:

Breakfast: Fresh mangoes 200g

Lunch: Homemade egg & ham sandwich (crust removed) with 400ml fresh orange juice on the side

Dinner: Chicken, tomato and grain soup 600g

Each meal has been a struggle to complete so it’s all been about patience to try and get nutrients into the body.

Tomorrow will be another challenge, until then, good night and stay safe!

Day Eleven

09:09

Apologies for the lack of posts, I’ve been overly occupied with… sleep. In fact, I’ve been sleeping so much in the past two days, I’m sure it’ll make koalas proud (little known fact, koalas sleep 18-22 hours a day).

There have been some sleep interruptions from a bit of coughing and thirst but nothing major worth noting.

Whilst refreshing myself this morning with a hot shower, I couldn’t help but notice how much bones was on show. A quick jump on the scales did not bring a smile to my face, this COVID-diet is awful.

The general weakness and light-headedness is most likely due to the lack of food (the major weight drop being the major giveaway here).

In good news, the temperature and blood pressure levels appear to be in the healthy zone and the diarrhoea has finally gone.

In not so good news, the persistent cough remains an issue (as indicated by the heart rate). There’s not much blood being brought up now but more of a white mucus, which from experience tells me we are looking at an infection of sorts. Time to call this in with my GP for a second opinion.

13:30

After a lengthy morning discussion with NHS 111 and my GP, it’s been concluded there’s a nasty chest infection going on, it can’t be confirmed whether it is pneumonia at this point as no one really wants to do a home visit in presence of COVID-19, who can blame them.

The prescription of antibiotics is now in play, plus a quick body temp check on the side.

13:51

When looking up the antibiotic, here’s a really interesting fact…

15:34

With medication comes side effects, diarrhoea! Great Scott!

20:25

For the first time, there’s no fever today, paranoia meant I took a couple of readings before realising the thermometer wasn’t going to change its mind.

It’s not quite over yet with the residual effects of COVID-19 still lingering, the chest infection being the big nasty one here. But the weeklong antibiotic treatment should clear that up.

The on-going appetite loss is still disturbing and taking Clarithromycin which has the additional common side effect of appetite loss will certainly not help. Oh, and let’s not forget the reintroduction of diarrhoea from the side effects!

The other residuals from the virus includes the slowly dissipating killer headache, fatigue and the light-headedness. The latter two will most likely remain unresolved until I get my appetite back.

We still do not know if I’m contagious, there’s not much information to go on and with the cough still present, NHS 111 can only advise “better to be safe than sorry” and ride out the chest infection before exposing myself back to the world.

For now, it’s back to bed!

Day Ten

03:48

The past 24 hours has felt rather strange, the number of times I’ve drifted in and out of consciousness simply due to fatigue has been disturbing to say the least.

Waking up for a loo break, the first thing I’ve noticed is that my face doesn’t feel hot. A quick check on the stats and it confirms tonight is the first night where my temperature taken is actually normal.

The elevated heart rate has been from the cough, still a little persistent but it’s none of the coughing fits I’ve had in the past few days.

For now, time to grab a few more winks as I’m still fatigued, let’s hope this is the light at the end of the tunnel, good night!

08:59

Body temp hovering just outside the fever range.

Both weakness and fatigue rules over me this morning.

The cough has died down but only seem to be triggered from the sore throat so Strepsils seem to have that soothed over for now.

There’s still a banging headache and light-headedness when moving around but the room spinning has gone.

Still no appetite though. Let’s see how today progresses.

12:18

Back into the fever range now and there’s the odd occasion where I am simply sat dazed whilst working.

The cough is still a little niggly, still being reigned in by Strepsils but it’s still bringing up a small amount of blood, although less frequently now.

There’s no nausea effect anymore when confronting food, I’ve only managed to eat some fresh fruits earlier and it’s stayed down which is a good sign.

16:00

A quick symptoms update:

Fever: Fever is still looming so I’m not quite out of it yet, a quick temp check after this.

Cough: The cough is intermittent but not coming in big fits anymore.

Aches and Pains: Knee and shoulder joints are still aching, tailbone is a little sore. There’s plenty of discomfort across the chest, solar plexus, throat and back, one little cough is all it takes to remind me of all those sore locations.

Headache: The headache is still bad, not much change here.

Smell and Taste: Smell has now fully returned, the taste is starting to return.

Fatigue: Fatigue is still a rollercoaster ride, clocking nearly 14 hours of sleep and still wanting more.

Stability: No more room spinning effect, light-headedness remains.

Confusion: Have been caught dazed a few times.

Lack of Appetite: Non-existent appetitite, this is still on-going, I’m forcing food down but so far, no negative consequences. No nausea but I get a full sensation pretty quick now.

Breathing: Breathing is ok, a little rapid due to the cough. Can breath through nose normally.

Diarrhoea: Last seen, yesterday at one in the afternoon. To be confirmed.

16:11

Oh how I do not miss you, fever!

19:53

Updated stats for the evening after a brief rest.

It’s worth noting I took some Panadol 90 minutes prior to this so would expect the fever temperature to be affected.

The intermittent cough still keeping that HR up.

Day Nine

01:10

“Ow! Ow! Ow!” said the solar plexus.

Waking up to a violent bout of coughing has not been at all pleasant. Bringing up another round of blood seems to put the breathing at ease, I’m beginning to wonder if it is accumulating in the lungs as a result of the harsh cough or possible chest infection.

With the face feeling very hot, a quick temp check shows another high fever hitting home as the virus continues its onslaught.

A quick round of dry cough meds, Panadol and Strepsils (for soothing the sore throat) calms most of the cough.

Having gone through known symptoms of COVID-19, I’m starting to wonder what’s lined up next.

Anyhow, good night and stay safe folks!

Heart Rate: 103bpm

09:13

Waking up and the first word that comes to mind is “Meh!” followed by a coughing fit.

Energy levels are completely shot this morning, a hot shower to soothe the aches had been welcoming but kickstarting the day with a glass of freshly squeezed orange juice did not go to plan with a major urge to bring it back up again. Appetite, it seems, is non-existent.

Along with a morning fever and elevated heart rate, blood pressure appears be staying in the norm although swinging to the low end.

A quick look at the bathroom mirror this morning had shown I’ve got some rather hollow cheeks, new stats for this morning is the weight, a drop of 2kg in 9 days (76.3kg to 74.3kg), considering water consumption has been kept high, this is not positive news.

For today, it’s remote working from bed, until the next update.

13:32

Drifting in and out from lack of energy hasn’t been fun. Another diarrhoea episode hits as a side bonus.

The cough is a little more tamed with the occasional fit. Back to working from bed!

16:11

It may not look the most appetising but I’ve come to a point of having to force a meal down and deal with the consequences after, the body needs the energy!

A heart healthy prepped meal from M&S (Pulled Pork Ramen). So far, it’s gone down ok, smells good, still no taste and it’s taken over half an hour to finish, a new personal best for sure (I’m not a slow eater)!

You might have noticed the photo of an insanely hot sauce to the right, I was in two minds earlier, with the temptation to simply burn this blasted virus to high heaven, maybe on another day…

18:54

Waking up with another drenched t-shirt, no change here.

Another quick change, another sip of water and it’s back to bed again.

Heart Rate: 92bpm

21:07

Another coughing fit wakes me up. The face is feeling very hot again but there’s also a strange feeling in the mouth, like it’s grinding on sandpaper.

Part of me thinks, if there is any place for this COVID piece of bleep to hide, it would be the in the mouth.

A quick gargle of Listerine and boy did that mouth burn from Listerine feel good.

Now, it’s back to more sleep again.

Day Eight

03:31

Another coughing episode and still bringing up a wee bit of blood, not worsening is a blessing at this point.

The solar plexus is now sore from the constant coughing so another double Panadol is in order.

Fever is ravaging on and heart rate currently at 106bpm, no doubt elevated from the coughing.

Time to try and grab a few more winks, over and out.

08:50

A heavily disrupted night’s sleep with the cough tearing through the deep sleep constantly.

A sore throat now exists alongside the sore solar plexus.

The cough has reduced a fair bit as of this morning and it’s a welcoming sight to see the stats drop to more human levels.

16:31

Energy levels are pretty much dire at the moment with the cough ramping up again in the early afternoon along with the fever temp.

Appetite is non-existent and even the thought of food prompts nausea. Have so far forced a light bit of food down. Water consumption levels are maintained regardless due to the on-going fever.

Time to sign off remote working for this afternoon, as much as it is a good distraction, the body needs a good time out.

Heart rate: 101bpm

18:30

The cough saviour has arrived, this is an absolute godsend with the cough heavily suppressed for now.

The cough has so far given me a very sore solar plexus, a sore throat and a sore back (which indicates a strained back muscle from the coughing). And yes, I’m afraid blood is still being brought up, let’s hope the cough suppression will ease things.

19:41

The need for nutrients to support the immune system and internal body repairs from the damage done is crucial to win this fight. The complete loss of appetite was not going to deter me from getting food into me.

But tonight’s attempt was stopped short by nausea, 280ml of vegetable soup and a slice of bread is all that the body was willing to take, but it’s a start.

And now, it’s time to do something sensible, back to bed.

Day Seven

01:18

The physical and mental fatigue is really showing when you find yourself slumped on your office chair since…. last night’s blog entry!

Still no letting up from the fever (just yet) and I’m getting used to moving around with the room spinning a bit.

Time for a round of Panadol (hope that doesn’t make me sound like a drug addict) then sleep in bed. Good night!

08:34

Good morning London (UK, World)!

A solid run of sleep followed by improved stats (I’m under no illusion that it can easily swing back to the dark side as seen on previous occasions but let’s look to the bright side eh?).

A new change, or shall I say, a welcomed return is the ability to smell although it is very faint. Still no taste at this point.

With the on-going issue of maintaining balance whilst moving around, a couple of readers have sent in some hilarious but interesting ways to try out. The most successful one this morning has been to walk in smaller steps, flat-footed… like a duck.

Quack!

12:25

Feeling like dopey from the seven dwarfs.

Lunch-time Update

Fever: Fever is still looming so not much change here.

Cough: The persistent cough has yet to improve.

Aches and Pains: Knee and shoulder joints are aching, everywhere else is fine.

Headache: The headache is still mindblowingly bad (yes, another pun), I suspect until the fever is out, the headaches will continue.

Smell and Taste: Smell has partially returned as of this morning. I can actually smell a whiff of the lit Yankee Candle that has been burning since this morning. Still no taste though.

Fatigue: Fatigue has been a bit of a rollercoaster ride, some remote working today to see how some distraction fares. Have taken Panadol Extra (the added caffeine variant) to give a bit of a boost (for good or for bad, we shall have to wait and see).

Stability: Movement around the house is constantly met with the room spinning effect. Taking slower, flatter steps to help with balance. Quack!

Confusion: Still none after the over-40s high fever moments.

Lack of Appetite: This is still on-going, currently eating light at timed intervals to ensure I’m giving the body the fuel it needs. There’s a hint of nausea at times after eating.

Breathing: This is still normal, can breathe through the nose normally, no rapid or difficulty in breathing.

Diarrhoea: This new symptom is still live and kicking since yesterday.

15:05

Falling asleep on my office chair for 30 minutes, thank heavens for good lumbar support otherwise my lower back would be mush!

A quick temp check as work resumes.

Heart rate: 88bpm

19:22

The persistent cough appears to have finally paved way to some breathing difficulties and tightness across the chest, the one major COVID-19 symptom I have yet to exhibit until now.

Each deep breath only encourages another cough, the only way to reduce the likelihood of coughing is to take short, shallow breaths for now. It will be interesting to see how this develops.

20:20

The cough has moved into a whole new level of continuous and persistent, I won’t be surprised a sore throat will develop at the rate things go.

Trying to maintain calm for at least 5 minutes to take a conclusive blood pressure reading has, instead, taken 20 minutes.

Breathing hasn’t gotten any worse since the last report an hour ago.

23:05

Last reading of the night and another feverish one at that after enduring a prolonged session of coughing.

I’m afraid no BP reading tonight as the cough won’t stay put long enough to allow a proper reading.

Heart rate: 97bpm

23:21

Something felt like it wanted to come up as I am coughing, first thought was phlegm, a quick rush to the bathroom and the cough has been so bad, it has brought up some blood, not cool!

No major concerns just yet as this is a side effect of a severe cough, will see how tonight’s rest goes.

Good night peeps and stay safe!

Day Six

04:40

Rude Awakening

A short, violent coughing episode wakes me up. The face feels hot so a quick temp check is in order.

A dose of Panadol before sleeping again, let’s hope I can get some undisrupted sleep.

10:30

First thing I’ve noted, a solid run of sleep since last night’s disruption. Mind you, the total sleep time according to my sleep tracker was 10 hours 2 minutes so that is a fair amount!

Getting out of bed and whoooooooa! Room spinning much? I’m still impersonating a zombie at times when walking around to maintain balance.

In welcoming news from down below, after two days of silence, the number 2 is back.

In not so good news, the loss of appetite continues and trying to force myself to eat has made me a little nauseous.

10:33

Stats are looking better this morning, let’s hope it stays that way.

For you eagled-eye readers, the time on the BP machine is one-hour off as it has yet to adjust to daylight saving time.

13:28

New symptom: Diarrhoea

13:36

Fever is still lingering and room temperature is still at 16c.

Heart rate: 83bpm

14.12

A sudden wave of fatigue hits me followed by an on-going chill effect, not quite sure what has changed but I’ve taken a quick temp check with a reported heart rate at 94bpm from the Apple Watch.

Have restored room temp back to 20c as I’m trembling pretty bad, in fact, it’s bad enough that I can’t get the blood pressure machine set up.

Typing this post up has been excruciatingly slow. Have already wrapped the duvet around me, will grab a few winks and see what’s what later.

Shiver me timbers!

16:55

Woke up with the head feeling hot, the lower arms and legs feeling very cold despite room temperature clocking 20c and being completely wrapped in duvet, socks and gloves. There’s still some minor trembling.

Placing the hand on the forehead feels like placing a block of ice on molten lava, it feels refreshing but something is playing up.

Both knee and shoulder joints are aching, some assisted support needed to stabilise moving around as the room spins a fair bit.

Blood pressure reading took 4 attempts, the first 3 returned an error despite changing arms and trying again but I’m suspecting this is all related to the current phase I’m going through.

Back to bed for a few more winks and see how I am later.

19:22

With new symptoms comes a new fever episode so this appears to be the norm with this virus.

Having woken up to a drenched t-shirt, a quick temperature check shows why.

There’s a wee bit of orientation issue but this hasn’t gotten any worse.

For those who have asked about hydration levels, this is constantly maintained with urine colours at pale to light yellow.

Time for a quick chicken broth and fresh fruits to keep the body fueled with nutrients.

Day Five

04:35

Waking up every hour since the evening, feeling hot and bothered with the need to use the loo has been rather troublesome as I’m starting to feel really grouchy at the serious lack of rest. The constant light-headedness and thirst despite drinking around 3 litres of water a day is a concern, the persistent cough has also ramped up again which is something of note.

04:42

Temperature remains the same since last night, not ideal.

05:10

As we know, skipping meals is bad and in current circumstances, the body needs all the fuel it can get to fight off this virus. Last night’s missed dinner from the lack of hunger meant I need to force myself to consume breakfast. It’s worth noting that I still don’t feel hungry but a healthy dose of nutty granola is on this morning’s menu!

06:35

Drowsiness hits, will give the body a rest and come back with an update later. Good night… or should I say, good morning folks!

10:04

Waking up still feeling hot and the temperature still not shifting at 39.5c, I’ve resorted to cooling the room down from 20c to 16c. There’s an increasing sense of imbalance when getting up and moving around, which I deeply suspect relates to the fever. Another alteration made is to maintain water consumption but I’m sipping even slower now.

Heart rate: 93bpm

11:39

The first drop as a result of room temperature drop.

12:24

One more stats for the day, temperature is still holding at 38.8c.

13:09

The loss of smell and taste, appetite and the intermittent number 2 has made me assess the diet and food consumed. Some of the richer food consumed previously as a result of the loss of smell and taste wouldn’t have helped much for the digestive system.

A light spaghetti bolognese with fresh mangoes on the side should do the trick for now albeit with no flavours at all, some form of chicken & veg broth with a bit of wholemeal bread for the digestive system looks like the diet moving forward until things settle again.

13:28

We may joke about the zombie apocalypse but one thing I’ve noted is that I need to raise my hands to steady myself on occasions as I manoeuvre around the house. Zombie apocalypse? Ha!

The pounding headache continues but once again, this points back to the fever, which has been persistent since last night. The temperature is still holding at 38.8c but both arms and legs are starting to feel a little chilli despite the extra insulation. I’m suspecting there’s an extended battle between the immune system and the virus, so far, this phase has lasted longer than The Lord of the Rings trilogy, extended editions!

13:55

Another drowsiness wave has just hit, as much as I’d love to stay up and be active, the physical state just isn’t there, time to hit the sack once more. Good afternoon all!

Heart rate: 89bpm

19:28

Feeling a little bit more sprightly after a good few hours of sleep.

19:42

My uncle’s a lifesaver!

Revised food plan to help the body.

Still no smell or taste though.

20:21

Not much appears to be documented on COVID-19 at present and very few people who have contracted COVID-19 are documenting their experiences so it becomes difficult to know what to face. Surprisingly, I’ve received quite a few e-mails today about this blog so I’ll post the Q&A below.

Note: if you have asked specific medical questions, my initial response is that you consult NHS online as I am not a medical professional. If you are going struggling with your symptoms, please call NHS 111 for medical assistance.

I also cannot comment on rumours or viral messages being spread around, personally, unless it is an official announcement from a recognised medical body, I find these messages do more harm than good.

21:28 Q&A

Would you classify your symptoms as mild symptoms, similar to those who have been declared as showing mild symptoms?
For those declared with mild symptoms including our prime minister Boris Johnson, there have been no further details as to what they currently exhibit as symptoms nor do we know their medical stats as the symptoms develop. We do know the current UK guidelines for symptoms is rather vague where the official primary symptoms in the UK are a high temperature and a new, continuous cough.

As my condition grew worse with new symptoms emerging, these matched the symptoms that have been recognised and seen in other countries (in particular, our neighbouring counterparts France, Germany and Italy). The extremely high fever has brought along to the party some nasty side effects which makes me feel comfortable to say no, I don’t consider my symptoms to be mild.

Why did you not call for help on your dangerously high fever?
Although the high temperature has been disturbing (venturing into hyperpyrexia levels), this is simply the body’s natural response to a viral infection. From experience in dealing with fevers, you may get the odd spike and had the temperature maintained itself for more than a few hours or kept increasing, i would have called it in. The mild confusion, spinning room on getting up, killer headache and pale skin were already the pre-warning signs that I may have had to call it in.

Can’t you just call into a hospital and let them help you?
The reality of COVID-19 is that we have no vaccine so the only way to beat it is to let your body do the work. As with any viral infection, it all comes down to your immune system and as long as I am still able to move around with some form of sanity and look after myself, there is no need to add more pressure to the already overstretched NHS.

What was your initial thoughts when you realised your got COVID-19?
Isolate, isolate, isolate. Let people know that you’ve got it. Don’t leave the house, maintain distance with those in the house with you and clean up before, during and after you do anything. Avoid venturing into other rooms that others will use. You want to avoid spreading the virus so all considerations must be taken into account, it’s all on you now.

My approach has been similar to that of contracting the flu, get as much rest as possible, stay well hydrated and eat healthy, especially immune boosting foods.

The medical stats you have provided have been useful, are you able to provide any more?
I am glad the stats have helped! Unfortunately, as a non-medical profession, I am limited to the readings I can take as all equipment I own have been with me since back in the days I was a carer (end of life care).

The only other stat I can provide is my weight but I don’t believe this will be of much help. For those medical professions who have been noting down my stats, I have added my healthy average blood pressure and resting heart rate on my main stats found at the bottom of Every Little Helps.

What advice can you give us for those who are concerned about contracting the virus?
Stay calm and stay healthy. Follow government advice as they are working with medical professions to bring you that advice. Look at ways to boost your immune system by eating healthy. Stay active by doing daily exercises to keep the body and mind in shape. The only way to stave off this virus or fight it is to have a strong, healthy immune system so starting building that defence.

21:33

Standing up after answering the Q&A above and was hit with a bit of room spinning, oops!

Quick temp check and it doesn’t look too bad (room temp still at 16c).

Heart rate: 84bpm

23:44

Last stats of the night as tiredness looms again.

Update on all symptoms

Fever: Fever is starting to rise again but room temperature kept at 16c for now.

Cough: The persistent cough still isn’t letting up.

Aches and Pains: Most of the joint aches and pains have subsided now

Headache: It’s still very bad and still disrupting my train of thought and concentration levels.

Smell and Taste: Still nada and estimated to continue for at least another 6 days minimum according to reports from other countries so can only continue to monitor and hope.

Fatigue: Still on-going and can randomly hit. I suspect the fever has an impact on this as well.

Stability: Movement around the house is constantly met with light-headedness and some instability. There have been some odd occasions where I might have considered reaching out for support but it hasn’t quite reached that point… yet.

Confusion: None after the over-40s high fever moments.

Lack of Appetite: This is still on-going and I’m simply eating at timed intervals to ensure I’m giving the body the fuel it needs.

Breathing: This is still normal, can breathe through the nose normally, no rapid or difficulty in breathing.

That’s all for tonight folks, sleep calls, good night and stay safe!

Day Four

04:12

Waking up completely sore all over made me wonder if someone switched my mattress to a bed of nails overnight. A little dehydrated and light-headed with a banging headache.

04:18

A lot lower than previous nights!

Heart rate: 76bpm

07:50

The toothpaste had no taste this morning, in fact, you’d think you are brushing with nothing.

Upping the ante, time to bring out some more flavours for breakfast to see where those taste buds have run off to, a heavily peppered omelette, oaked smoked Scottish salmon with a strong, double teabag of Teapig’s peppermint tea (those who drink Teapig will already know how strong in flavour one teabag is, this is a first for me trying two). The result… everything was tasteless. I should have already known when I couldn’t smell anything.

13:15

An uneventful remote working morning but hunger strikes. Only thing of note is the on-going banging headache, light-headedness and joint pains.

13:22

Nothing to report here.

Heart rate: 74bpm

13:28

When one is defiant, one looks for options. For lunch, it’s time to bring out the flavours with a juicy ribeye. My uncle’s ingenuity of picking up some Chinese XO sauce with noodles meant I can combine some very heavy flavouring with a spicy kick. And the amazing result of all this effort? Bland. Oh well, time to order some sawdust to eat!

16:00

It’s been a relatively straightforward and quiet afternoon with remote working and I was wondering, whilst it’s all great ranting on about what I’m experiencing with COVID-19, perhaps some extra stats would be more useful for medical professionals.

16:03

Blood Pressure with Heart Rate
Nothing to see here!

Temperature: 37.6c

18:32

There’s an odd sense of drowsiness and weakness this evening, feeling a little too warm up top but with chills from shoulder down.

On another note, hunger seems to have disappeared as I considered making dinner at 18:30, whether this is an impact from the complete loss of smell and taste is uncertain at this point.

18:45

Temperature has risen slightly, I’ve seen that temperature before at a similar time…

A new thing to note, rather pale hands and feet.

Tiredness strikes, time for a swig of water and then a kip!

23:10

An evening of broken sleep, is it me or is it getting hot tonight?

Day Three

01:02

Waking up feeling like you’ve been sleeping in a sauna, aching all over, completely dehydrated and upon trying to get up, the entire room is spinning, not a good start.

If the chill from the fever causes your teeth to chatter and you feel like you’ve walked into a walk-in freezer… naked, this is pretty much what I’m going through right now. It’s safe to say this virus has giving me a good kicking tonight.

Heart rate currently at 112bpm, where’s that blasted thermometer:

01:07

This is not a temperature you want to hit!

01:10

Straight on the phone to 111 who already knew of my COVID-19 symptoms. First priority, diffuse that fever. One thing I’ve not done since the fever started was take any medication for it. Part of my stubbornness was that I thought my body would manage it all, surely my body needs no assistance? Oh how wrong could I be! The nurse on the other end of the line told me to take 2 500mg Paracetamol straight away and drink lots of water.

07:30

Within an hour of taking the Paracetamol, the fever and joint soreness have eased. For the first time, I’ve had a straight run of undisrupted sleep until the alarm clock went off. There are times you wish you could throw it across the room… I do miss the good old days of my old John Major alarm clock where you had to throw it at the wall to stop it (for younger readers, John Major was formerly prime minister of the UK back in the 90s).

However, the headache from yesterday has returned as an ultimate, killer headache. There are times where I believe smashing my head on a brick wall would feel more comfortable than the pain that tears the insides of my head, but I’m aware of the residual effects of an extreme fever so I’ll just have to endure, taking Paracetamol as required and within guidelines. In good news, the number 2 ability has finally returned!

07:51

A hint of sweetness only… has it gone off?

07:51

I don’t know about you, but I know the taste of my toothpaste as I’ve been pretty much using the same type for years, but this morning felt a little odd. There was no fresh, minty taste to mine, just a hint of sweetness. Does toothpaste go off?

08:05

A strong double espresso tasted fine along with my tuna and egg on toast (before anyone asks why I didn’t put in any avocado, stock appears to be an issue in the UK’s current state of panic buying so I’ve not had any since the start of March). The toothpaste incident has been written off as a one-off.

13:30

I could talk about that headache all day long on how much of a pain it is (pun intended), concentration levels are severely disrupted and I’ve resorted to writing a checklist that I run through as the day progresses to ensure I don’t forget anything. It gets more confusing when I had to remind myself to write a list of lists, one of which was a shopping list then remind myself to send that list to my uncle to pick up (as I’m not allowed to leave the house).

14:24

Looking much better, I did a double-take, took the temperature twice on both ears!

Heart rate: 77bpm

18:15

Another solid day with remote working, it’s great when there are no office distractions but that headache really does drive me up the wall (I did mention earlier I could talk about it all day). The joint discomforts have now become joint pains, all over.

18:45

Dinner is served, beef with polenta potatoes served with a red wine gravy, smelling great, time to taste, yum… wait, there’s no flavour. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, no flavour. Add more salt, still no flavour. Before dumping enough salt to raise the blood pressure to high heaven, I’ve heard from Germany some people have had a complete loss of smell and taste as a result of COVID-19. A flavoured greek yoghurt after dinner came back tasteless so I guess this is the next chapter of COVID-19? At least everything still smells fine.

20:38

The complete loss of smell has finally arrived, it’s obvious when the hand wash that you use with its rather floral smell… smells of nothing. Time to ride through this next journey.

20:45

The fever subsiding.

Heart rate: 72bpm

Good night!

Day Two

02:16

Waking up with t-shirt completely soaked through.

Heart rate at 94bpm.

07:30

Most of the night involved waking up at random and drinking lots of water. As the morning alarm went off, the first thing I noted was a really bad headache. Another bad night’s sleep meant being grouchy and the high fever meant feeling groggy. Movement a little sluggish and disoriented but the mind is still sharp.

One word I can say, Shiver me timbers! (good old Captain Haddock quote from the Tintin cartoon), the chills as a result of the fever is rather uncomfortable!

12:45

An interesting morning to remote working, the really bad headache hampers trying to multi-task and sometimes disrupts my train of thought but a morning of persistent coughing meant I was no good for any pre-arranged conference calls with clients and partners alike so these have all been postponed.

13:07

The fever is going down…

15:50

The decreasing temperature has been a welcoming sign but the headache is getting worse. Getting up at my usual hourly stand-up interval has seen the first leg weakness with a sudden dizziness. Water consumption is currently at 2.8 litres by this point today. The other thing to note is that I’ve not gone for a number 2 since Monday morning. Average heart rate at 77bpm.

20:50

Heart rate slowly creeping up and hitting an average of 91bpm, my cough frequency makes one wonder if I was a chain smoker. There’s a discomfort developing on my back and at joints and that dreaded chill is starting to creep back, at this point, I’ve called it time to hit the bed and get some extra rest, but one more reading before that…

21:05

Fortunately, not as bad as yesterday!

Good night!

Day One

01:00

Waking up every 20-30 minutes since 01:00 feeling extremely hot and thirsty despite the room measuring 20c was the first warning sign. As with most tired souls, I simply tried to force myself back to sleep throughout the night. Average heart rate clocked at 97bpm by my Apple Watch.

07:30

The morning alarm goes off, feeling hot, face looking flushed and developing a headache. Something was definitely not right. First point of call, clean myself up and find the thermometer.

08:41

Hello fever!

12:30

Everything felt normal apart from a bit of heat under the collar, remote working for the entire morning went by without any issues. Dry cough develops. Water consumption increased to keep hydrated.

13:06

A marginal increase.…

15:30

Nothing to report on an uneventful afternoon of remote working, food and drink consumption is normal like any other day. However, the fever is starting to feel a little hot and there’s a slight light-headedness being felt. Cough is getting persistent. Average heart rate at 81bpm.

15:43

Red is so pretty, wait, this means bad.

18:45

Wrapped up remote working and tried to stand up only to face a sudden dizziness, how unusual. Time to take a nap.

Every Little Helps

This blog documents my COVID-19 journey and I hope to share this out in hope that it helps medical professionals in their research and understanding of COVID-19.

If you are seeking medical advice, please seek a medical professional, please do not use Google to self-diagnose, do not go on hearsay nor viral messages. In the UK, your first step should be to consult the NHS web-site. If you are struggling with your symptoms and you require medical assistance, please call NHS 111. Please don’t overwhelm our emergency services by jumping straight onto 999, taking a trip to the GP or heading to A&E.

I will not provide any medical advice as I am not qualified to do so, my experience of COVID-19 is reflective of my body’s immune system and lifestyle as it appears each person who contracts COVID-19 has a different reaction to COVID-19.

Essential vs non-essential, you’ve heard it all before so I won’t repeat the government guidelines, however, what is important during this pandemic is how we should all be available to help each other and especially those in need.

Consider being a NHS Volunteer, for more information, visit: NHS Volunteer Responders

Since the announcement of the 20th COVID-19 case in the UK on 28 February 2020 along with the alarming rise in Italy, my first thought was mitigation. All planned photoshoots were pulled to see how things would pan out in the coming weeks. Exposure to others became extremely limited with the most exposure being at the supermarket doing my grocery shopping (no panic buying required).

The Reality: Despite being overly cautious, at some point leading to 24 March 2020, I had somehow contracted COVID-19. There were no warning signs leading up to the first day of symptoms.

For medical professionals who require some extra information on myself:

• Age: 37

• Height: 182cm

• Weight: 76kg

• Exercise: 3-5 times a week (90-minute sessions)

• Diet: Healthy, fully-tracked daily nutrition intake

• Alcohol: 2-4 units per week

• Smoke: No

• Average Resting Heart Rate: 53bpm

• Average Blood Pressure: 114/68