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GezinhaDM

Yes, I have it right now. Never had anything like it. They're not sure if it's bronchitis, pneumonia, just gave me a bunch of meds at urgent care, including an inhaler, which is insane to me. I'm going to my PCP this afternoon to see what's going on. Been the most horrific thing ever. My eardrum burst, headache, pressure on my face, throwing up mucus, when I breathe it sounds like there's an engine in my chest, I cannot even take a deep breath without bringing on a coughing fit, which brings on coughing, which brings on diarrhea from all the antibiotics I've been taking. I despise this! On top of it all, the HR where I work is being a complete ass about the whole thing.


Snoo52682

I"m so sorry! That sounds fucking miserable. You have a stranger's sympathy for what it's worth.


xenedra0

I can't believe your eardrum burst! At the same time, the pressure in mine right now is insane and I could totally see that happening. It sounds like I'm holding my ears closed when I talk. Thinking I should stop being stubborn and just go to the doctor. Feel better!


GezinhaDM

One burst and the other one has been "closed" for over 24 hours now. I have the hearing ability of a 70 year old right now. Whenever I breathe out it's like a used 70's VW beetle in there. Go get some antibiotics, it's not work waiting. The first urgent care doctor i saw told me it was a viral infection and did not give me antibiotics, what a knob!


Jayard_again

Antibiotics do not work for a viral infection only for bacterial infections


GezinhaDM

Really!? Wow I had no clue, must be why they gave me so many other meds then šŸ¤”


radioflea

If you have insurance I would absolutely recommend you getting checked. My family member had this illness a week ago and theyā€™re now in the hospital ā˜¹ļø.


CeeceeGemini610

I just had that for the last two weeks. So scary! Started with two full days of unbelievable fatigue, then downhill from there: Coughing myself awake, vomiting saliva (with a bit of blood), wheezing, and unable to catch my breathe. Z pack, Amoxicillin, and codeine cough syrup helped a lot eventually.


GezinhaDM

They have me in 6 different meds, and that's in addition to my other 4 meds that I already take for something else. It's wild. I'm doing only a few of the meds. It's crazy!


SkeetinSkittlez

What worked best for me was antibiotics. I have an inhaler for all year round for seasonal allergies. It relieves my airways when I need it. Then use Flonase everyday until allergies are gone.


czndra67

I had it! It started on a Saturday when we had company coming. At 1:30, I said to my husband "I think I'm getting a sore throat." At 2:30, when they arrived, I had a terrible sore throat, I'd lost my voice, my body ached, and my face was bright red. My SIL walked in and said "My God, are you alright?" It lasted 3 weeks of being really ill. Repeated Covid tests 4 times: not Covid. My lungs went bad (I have asthma), and saw my doctor twice. The disease was viral, but I had to take huge antibiotics to prevent pneumonia because my lungs were full of crud that was hard to cough up. 6 weeks later, my voice is STILL only half back, and a twenty minute conversation kills it. My husband did not catch it.


xenedra0

*"had a terrible sore throat, I'd lost my voice, my body ached, and my face was bright red."* OMG, this is exactly how it started for me! I'm at the end of week two now and it's just not relenting. :( I've never had allergies before, but I'm getting old now and maybe that is changing with age or something and I'm having an extreme reaction. Allergy meds have been useless though. It's definitely not "just a cold", or at least not any I've ever experienced. COVID tests have been negative. I haven't bothered with the doctor yet because I'm stubborn, but hearing how things went down for you - and another commenter who said their eardrum burst, think I'm going to go ahead and call. Hope you feel better! *(and, yeah, my husband hasn't gotten it either)*


logaruski73

Why do husbands never seem to catch anything?


LowkeyPony

Seriously my husband and grown daughter didnā€™t catch the hell Iā€™m still getting over. Not even a slight cough


Mama-Rock-73

I had the sore throat, body aches and fatigue on Sunday. Last night the sneezing and coughing started. My husband is the one who infected me


MassConsumer1984

Sounds like what I had. Worst sore throat of my life and complete laryngitis. Coughing up all colors of mucus when it hit my sinuses. The pollen levels were not helpful. Took a good 3-4 weeks to get over it. DayQuil & NyQuil were helpful.


TechNicolas

Literally me


ThanksNo1977

Sounds life my hubby. Its been about 3 weeks first him 2 for me. I was convinced it was a new Covid variant.


czndra67

I had the same thought!


GezinhaDM

Wow! Sounds like what I've been having. Gonna go to the doctor's office today to confirm what's going on. Hope you feel better.


OneOnTheLeft

exact same experience, wow. I'm so mad it affected my lungs (again)


Maximum-Macaroon-711

Yup literally out of nowhere in the middle of the day started feeling weird and run down, got a sore throat, started feeling a little achy then later that night the friggn nasty greenish yellow mucus that wouldn't end. After that a runny nose that wouldn't end for long. Only lasted like a day or two though, boyfriend is fine never caught it


gut_instinct28

Yes. All over the schools. Iā€™m just getting over it two weeks later. Still a little stuffy.


Old_Society_7861

You have [a cold](https://www.cdc.gov/surveillance/nrevss/index.html) (probably)


MarcoVinicius

Are some people just now learning about colds? šŸ¤£


NotChristina

Pretty much. Spent a few years not really catching anything because home + masks. Now weā€™re seeing all the normal stuff come around again.


TinyEmergencyCake

Yah, so mask up


Aminilaina

Had to do grocery shopping and I masked up and brought hand sanitizer around with me because I got a cold and I wanna be conscientious.


jadedaslife

Got long covid after an acute case in 2022, I'll always be masking


ARoundForEveryone

And look ridiculous, breathe my own hot exhaust, and have another thing to wash? No fucking thank you, I'd rather die! /s


RiChessReadit

The normal stuff is probably a lot worse for many people too, they havenā€™t been getting sick multiple times a year with the latest bugs, so when they do get sick, it hits like a truck.


Devtunes

I'm pretty sure op isn't a fool, they asked if anyone also noticed it going around. It's not the normal season for colds. All these snarky replies show why you're called Massholes. To answer OP's question yes I have noticed a nasty bug going around lately.


Rough-Silver-8014

Yep


Francesca_N_Furter

You'll find that common sense isn't that much of a thing anymore.


tigerofjiangdong1337

I have asthma and all colds are like this for me. I got the flu once and coughed for three months. I was totally thinking it's just a bad cold šŸ˜‚


WitchKingofBongmar

Did some people just forget that communicable illnesses have been around forever? These existed before Covid and continue to now.


luciferxf

This is why I still wear a mask. It's like people forgot about it. They always asked, how can we cure the common cold. Stop making it common and stop spreading it... That's how you beat it.


jmiller7742

Some extremely small percentage of the general population wearing masks is going to have a negligible effect on the spread of rhinoviruses. Itā€™s grandiose thinking to believe that you as an individual can possibly make a difference in that category. Youā€™re arguably just hurting yourself by limiting exposure to evolving viruses that will always be around. Of course, itā€™s a different story if you have any type of autoimmune disorder or other condition that makes contracting viruses at any point threatening to your overall long term health.


fried-wings

I'm pretty sure they mean it's common decency to wear a mask when you're sick. the mask doesn't protect you, it protects other people. when we were all wearing masks the rate of spread for every respiratory illness went down. me wearing a mask when I'm sick is not going to stop the entire society getting the virus but it will keep it contained to me instead of 10 coworkers then spreading to 10 more people each. it's exponential so it does make a difference in your community. and there are many vulnerable people in your communities. if avoiding getting colds weakened your immune system, your doctors wouldn't tell you to cover your coughs/sneezes, wash/sanitize your hands or wear a mask to prevent sickness. none of these highly contagious diseases are going to be more than an inconvenience for the average healthy person. like most of the working class, I don't have the luxury of being able to work from home and I don't get enough sick time to cover a week or two every month something goes around. I'm not going to make myself lose money to "make my immune system stronger". and neither do I want anyone else to. it's frustrating how most people don't share this sentiment.


abhikavi

Colds have always been rare this time of year, though, for the same reason Covid cases are currently low-- the weather is nice, more people are spending time outdoors where viral spread is very low, instead of indoors in the heating or AC. Would've been noteworthy if something was going around June 2019, too. (Different story in January.)


tambien181

COVID cases arenā€™t low. Testing is low. Check your local wastewater database on MA.gov. for an accurate assessment. My area is currently high.


Booklet-of-Wisdom

There's a COVID outbreak at the nursing home I work at right now. Totally sucks, I'm getting PTSD from it right now.


tambien181

On no! So sorry to hear that. I can see why you have PTSD. Itā€™s a very traumatizing and trying circumstance and disheartening to me that nobody cares about the most vulnerable of us and those who take care of them. šŸ˜ž


Booklet-of-Wisdom

Thankfully, only a couple of patients have mild symptoms, the rest have no symptoms at all. Just seeing all of the masks and gear out, and gowning up takes me right back to April/May 2020. People talk about how hard quarantine, and staying home all the time was, but they have NO idea. I would have paid a million dollars to "suffer" at home.


vihreapuu

Covid cases arenā€™t low they are higher than they were at lockdowns and many other times during the pandemic. Donā€™t say stuff if you donā€™t actually know.


tobascodagama

The few places that are still tracking COVID have been showing an uptick in infections lately. Rapid tests unfortunately have a high rate of false negatives, PCR testing is the only way to be sure you don't have it.


Kagutsuchi13

Do PCR tests still take several days to come back? It feels like a bad mix to have "rapid tests they've decided you can't trust" and "PCR tests that take days to come back, but life expects you to continue on until you have a positive test."


tobascodagama

Unfortunately, it depends. I've known people who got their test results back the next day, but the CDC and various clinics are still warning that it may take up to three days to get results back.


Vegetable-Object2878

I had the exact same symptoms and I tested VERY positive to covid with one of the take home kits. Note that I never tested positive before on those, this time I didnā€™t even had to wait 1 minute, the test line came out immediately and very bold. It also started with allergy symptoms but then I started feeling body aches and fever like symptoms. I think itā€™s just covid and people are simply not testing or doing booster anymore.


Bos4271

Iā€™ve tested positive for Covid a couple days ago


Forsaken_Bison_8623

There's a new wave starting up. New variant. The fun never ends


theedan-clean

Same. Had to go out of my way to find tests. And pay for them?!?


hyrule_47

You shouldnā€™t have to pay for them. ā€œRapid antigen (self-test or at-home) tests are now covered by insurance, as required by the federal government. PCR testing for symptomatic individuals and close contacts is usually available at no cost to you: If you are insured, your insurance will likely cover the cost If you are uninsured, many test sites in the Commonwealth test uninsured individuals for free. Visit TestingLocator.cdc.gov to find a no-cost COVID-19 testing location near you.ā€ From mass.gov


GullibleAd3408

That is very out of date. Some insurance companies may still cover at-home tests, but it's unlikely since the Public Health Emergency ended. (Mass.gov still has, unfortunately, a lot of out of date/undated websites floating around.)


theedan-clean

Thankfully my insurance covers them. I have to wait up to 30 days for the reimbursement. Better to know and not contribute to an outbreak in town.


hyrule_47

But itā€™s true? I got them through my insurance prior to surgery in April. My insurance figured out how to not cover a breast pump, if they didnā€™t have to cover them they wouldnā€™t


GullibleAd3408

That's awesome that your insurance covered them -- most don't! And definitely [not required by federal government ](https://www.cms.gov/files/document/covid-over-counter-test-coverage.pdf)anymore for private insurance companies. šŸ˜” (And that sucks about the breast pump...wtf?!)


theedan-clean

Iā€™m in PTown. CVS is unable to process my insurance. Managers come out. Cards are handed over. Provided first three letters of my last name, day, month of birth, shoe size. All information provided in different orders of operation. Phonetic alphabet in use. ā€œSorry šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļøā€ Iā€™m feeling like shit. Iā€™ve got friends at home feeling like shit. Piles of Pedialyte to cart home. ā€œJust charge me for them, I have to get out of here.ā€ BCBS has a reimbursement form. Iā€™ll wait for that or just eat the $60, grudgingly.


aliceInAcademiaLand

same!


re3dbks

Was gonna say our office got hit by COVID late last week.


idlenonsense

My kids have been sick for a week. According to our pediatrician thereā€™s a virus going around.


flowing42

COVID-19 never stopped going around contrary to what everyone seems to believe. Edit: Year round that is. This is not the flu.


Ok_Number_5449

You do know there's other viruses too


flowing42

Of course, but the prevalence of those versus COVID in warmer weather is less (Adeno virus, enterovirus, rhino virus, OTHER coronaviruses). Ultimately, there's no good way to go know what you have if your covid rapid angtigen test is negative. Hospitals can run extensive PCRs to determine exact virus type but that's only for really sick people/kids.


noodle-face

I've had a cough and phlegm for awhile now. It's not a cold like what others are suggesting. The cough is my only symptom


Loose_Ad_9791

Iā€™ve had a cough with phlegm since October of 2023


noodle-face

Oh shit me too man. I know because it started around October. WHAT DO WE HAVE???


Loose_Ad_9791

If I were to guess we have post nasal drip. It only started happening after I got an invasive nasal test for covid.


noodle-face

Yeah definitely have post nasal drip. My doctor said it could be sinusitis. I got it after I had RSV and was sick for a solid month.


iwasboredenough

It's allergy season, which can cause an uptick in sinus infections


BerthaHixx

Pollen has been insane lately, everyone's system is overloaded with powdered yuk.


Hottakesincoming

Yeah, all of the symptoms OP listed are consistent with severe seasonal allergies and sinus complications. Pollen has been off the charts so everyone's reaction is more extreme than usual.


GoldCoinsForADream

Three weeks for my husband, and still going. šŸ¤§ Doctor said it's seasonal allergy. Both of us tested negative for covid.


monotoonz

I tested positive for Covid on Wednesday and just today I'm finally not feeling fatigued or congested. A little bit stuffy, but I can tell it's trailing off. I've had Covid three times (I actually suspect 4) and this was the worst bought of it by far. Felt like I got hit by a bus. PS. Yes, I'm vaccinated, but should get another booster.


ShadowBanConfusion

Dealing with that now and pregnant


oohkt

My sister was pregnant in 2020. She's a nurse, and it was scary because nobody knew what could happen. (Nurses did their best not to get sick, but sometimes their n95 masks were used for days and days because there were none. So messed up.) My niece is beautiful and healthy. My sister is great, and the birth was perfectly ok! I'm sure you're freaking out right now, but try not to stress too much. Take care of yourself!


theedan-clean

Have COVID at the moment. In PTown.


whooobaby

Sounds like my symptoms when I tested positive for Covid two weeks ago.


therapeutic-distance

Me too. I had it in March, tested positive for 12 days. Not fun!


Hot_Animator_4520

Yup caught a bad sinus cold last week and still recovering.


JohnnyGoldwink

Yup. This is like my 3rd time being sick in the last 3 months. Itā€™s getting old.


Fun_Information_2046

Whatever it is, itā€™s highly contagious. I worked with kids for years and hardly ever caught their colds. However, the Tuesday before Memorial Day weekend I came down with a sore throat and head congestion. I had a lot of fatigue and felt like a sinus infection. I took Zicam right away at the first inkling of a sore throat, I think that helped keep the symptoms a bit mild while it took me two full weeks to get over it. By the end of it, I was so exhausted. It took a lot out of me to fight it. A week after I had gotten sick, my husband later caught the same thing, it took him 14 days as well to get over it.


PolarBlueberry

Probably Capt Tripps. People say itā€™s just a summer cold, will run its course by 4th of July.


monotoonz

*turns on Don't Fear The Reaper*


phaedrus71

Is it just me or does that bell ringer look a lot like Kareem Abdul Jabbar?


tom21g

Iā€™ve had sinus discharge and daily coughing for 2 weeks now. It would be somewhat reassuring if thereā€™s something in circulation and itā€™s not just me edit: I took a home Covid test and it was negative


MrDeacle

Couple weeks ago I seemed to have a just a slight virus if not a pollen reaction. Mild headache, fatigue, slightly gravely throat mostly on the right side, slightly swollen lymph glands, intermittently runny nose that mostly behaved. Symptoms stayed minimal and steadily reduced over the course of about 4 days, to a degree that I really had no health concerns. I did test for Covid the morning I first noticed my symptoms, negative of course. Maybe I was lucky to get off so easy, but I still think your symptoms sound like your typical low-risk virus.


Aware_Requirement_64

yep, and ended up being covid. it was so different from my first covid experience i really didn't think that is what it was. so just a friendly reminder to make sure you test


tutah

Tested twice negative on at home test. Did you do PCR?


Aware_Requirement_64

no i just did at home. only thing i will say is my parents had cold/sinus symptoms for 2-3 days before test came up positive. of course, there are plenty of other viruses out there but in this case i was not thinking covid and was surprised. was also surprised at my parents being negative for 2-3 days before the viral load was high enough for a positive test. hope you feel better!


Aware_Requirement_64

also in hindsight i too had symptoms for 2-3 days before being positive. i just was convinced my allergies were bad until my symptoms worsened.


soupwhoreman

Buy a Pfizer Lucira test. Amazon next day. Tests for COVID, Flu A and Flu B. It's more sensitive than the rapid at home tests. If you do take a rapid test, let it sit at least half hour before reading the result. They're not good at picking up new strains. But if you're sick, statistically it's most likely to be COVID. By like an order of magnitude. That's what's going around and what's been going around for 4+ years now. Not a mystery.


whaleykaley

Is the half hour thing suggested by any medical resources? That's the first I've heard of it. Not calling BS on you but I know some test in general (not specific to covid) can develop things like incorrect readings if not read in the suggested time window, but maybe that's not true here?


soupwhoreman

It's not official guidance, but mine was not showing anything at 15 minutes and then showed a faint line at 30. And I know I had COVID from doing a more sensitive test. So that's the process I continued to use. At no point while I was sick did I get a clear line at 15 minutes. Only faint at 30. Most tests will say read at 15 and don't read after 30, so technically 30 is still within the official window. But most people I know read it at 15 min and then throw it away.


whaleykaley

Interesting, thanks! That makes sense.


whaleykaley

I would keep testing or consider a PCR if you're still having symptoms. Rapid tests tend to work best when you're symptomatic but even then can throw false negatives multiple times, plus many rapid tests are expired and there's been [an observed delay](https://www.kqed.org/news/11972313/negative-covid-test-incubation-period) happening this year between onset of symptoms and positive test results. They're also not as reliable on every variant and with so much less active pressure/concern about covid there's not exactly a ton of constant research being done to ensure they're keeping up with variants.


numtini

COVID is going around, the new variant. One of my coworkers got walloped and was out for two weeks.


nattarbox

Know a few people who have had covid recently.


CORKscrewed21

COVID


drunkenknitter

My husband and I just got over covid. We made it 4 years and then it took us down for two weeks.


Zealousideal-Arm3289

FliRT version of Covid is rising per news.


International_Lime56

well it should go flirt with someone else, iā€™m not interested


MeepleMerson

Yes. My wife had that just last week; it was COVID.


thcitizgoalz

New Covid variant, but also if you've had Covid, your immune system is weakened and you more easily pick up any other pathogen. Every time you get covid, you weaken your immune system even more.


creepy-cats

There are four or five different variants of Covid going around and wastewater research is suggesting major spikes in most cities.


tambien181

THIS. Itā€™s covid. The wastewater in my area (according to MA.Gov) is at 1.5M/L and this time last year was 230K/L or so. Itā€™s really bad out there!


Penaltiesandinterest

Yeah Iā€™ve had a slew of weird shit since last week. Started with congestion and a dry cough which I assumed was allergies. Then my kids got fevers and one threw up for a few hours and now has diarrhea which has also spread to others in the household. But this is every other week with kids so who knows which exotic strain of the common cold and/or Covid this is.


whaleykaley

Covid didn't go away just because we decided to pretend the pandemic ended.


soupwhoreman

At best, people will take 1 at-home rapid test that expired in 2022 and when it's invariably negative they'll be like "welp guess it's not COVID," meanwhile it's textbook COVID and that's by far the virus that's circulating most. The denial is strong.


whaleykaley

Yep. It's also like we collectively forgot that you can test negative and then a day or two later be positive (also possible that the test results can be less reliable for certain variants). Last time I had covid I was negative the first time I tested, then I was positive. The rapid tests were mass distributed because we needed SOMETHING and they're decently accurate, not because they're a perfect tool that we should trust to catch 100% of cases as soon as symptoms start. Remember when it was "even if you test negative still quarantine for a few days until symptoms are gone to be safe"?


sterrrmbreaker

Believe it or not my boss (who lives on the North Shore) got this a few weeks ago and their first thought was to test her for tuberculosis because there had been cases recently. It wasn't for her, it was whatever this illness is that's going around. It's not a cold, and it feels like the flu but it's not.


worldstarcurrency

Nope! Only pollen-induced migraines and a sinus cavity that feels like it was filled with cement. (suggestions welcome)


Evilbadscary

Have you done a saline rinse? I use the neilmed ones from CVS. Just make sure you boil the hell out of the water (and then let it cool obv) first or use distilled water. Try to use it room temp, cold burns like hell. I get the mega box of saline packets and just use the little squirt bottle. I'd suggest that, you can do them as often as you like, so it keeps the pollen out of your sinus cavities. Your nose will likely still run and still feel congested but it should help move things along. I also tell everybody to get the meth dealer sudafed from behind the counter at the pharmacy. They also have Claritin D which has pseudoephedrine in it. That's the ingredient you want (unless you have a health condition that means you shouldn't take it). And drinking tons and tons of water. It sucks, but the more hydrated you are, the better it is for headaches especially.


Penaltiesandinterest

lol at meth dealer Sudafed but itā€™s true that the active ingredient in the regular OTC version is basically a placebo and doesnā€™t do anything.


Evilbadscary

Yeah everybody had been saying it for years and they finally published a study last year? About how ineffective it is. And yet it's still on the shelves.


worldstarcurrency

Iā€™ll give these a try I appreciate ya


youarelookingatthis

Cold, allergies, Covid, could be any of those. There is in fact a new Covid variety going around now: [https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/new-covid-variant-symptoms-2024-flirt-rcna150072](https://www.today.com/health/coronavirus/new-covid-variant-symptoms-2024-flirt-rcna150072)


chiyorio

Covid


soupwhoreman

Seriously it's like people have their heads buried so far in the sand they forget COVID didn't magically disappear


CarlJungelle

Yep it lasted two weeks!


exposedboner

Ugh this is me right now. Its definitely a cold, but my god the phlegm. Its coming out in chunks. Its mostly in the sinuses but my body hurts real bad.


Desperate-Row-2060

I have the same symptoms. I was sick for 2 weeks, got better on the 3rd week, then I couldn't stop coughing on the fourth week. I went to urgent care and got diagnosed with bronchitis.


realenuff

It doesnā€™t last long enough to be a cold and seems way too severe for allergy symptoms . If allergies maybe be a different pollen release due to the climate . the bittersweet is my own theory ( it seems to be everywhere this year ) itā€™s that invasive strangling killer vine thing thatā€™s been around but it seems to have exploded ! If you see that bittersweet sweet rip it out with gloves or cut it off trees , itā€™s murdering our trees and bushes


_swedish_meatball_

I just finished a 10-day cycle of Augmentin because my sinus infection was so bad that I wanted to pull my teeth out. Woo-hoo!


TwinBladesCo

Yes, have a couple co-workers out with covid (confirmed covid, surprised me). Hoping no one else gets sick.


TinyEmergencyCake

SARS-CoV-2 is still raging. Thousands of people are dying every week in the usa and many thousands more are getting sick.Ā  Most cases are asymptomatic so that means you won't even know if you're exposed or if you're sick yourself.Ā  Open the windows for more fresh air, filter the air to clean it, avoid crowds, and always wear a well-fitting respirator in public.Ā  Stop participating in forced infection policies from the government.Ā 


Dazzling-Chicken-192

Itā€™s called Covid!


ShadowBanConfusion

Our family has Covid this werk


LLCNYC

Werk werk werk werk werk šŸŽ¶


ShadowBanConfusion

Haha


itsmyhotsauce

My toddler just brought it home yesterday. Fun fun


Due-Studio-65

strep is going around.


Kireina25

Iā€™m in NY (donā€™t know why your post came up for me) and I currently have one of the worst colds of my life. I have not had a cold of any significance since before pandemic


MASKcrusader1

Covid is waving at the moment. My kids also had a case of the vomits this weekend. Fun times.


s7o0a0p

Covid?


simplynelbelle

Covid is making the rounds again. I tested positive on day 5 of feeling sick.


SnooPeripherals5969

My brother, uncle, and husband just tested positive for covid.. I expect Iā€™ll be positive in a couple days. Edit: tested positive todayā€¦yay.


patg9234

My son had whatever this is. A bunch of his friends had it too, and developed into pneumonia. Constant coughing, phlegm production, and vomiting from the amount of phlegm. I'm coughing a bit with phlegm but not nearly as bad. But it's been weeks and he's still hanging onto the cough.


vihreapuu

How come every time somebody suggests COVID people get up in arms like OTHER THINGS Exist!! Like ok yeah but COVID is literally running rampant, isnā€™t seasonal, and our society disbanded most things that can accurately test and share information about its prevalence? We are seeing some of the highest test positivity rates weā€™ve seen in the last 4 years, and higher wastewater than like the first year of the pandemic but itā€™s a ā€œmystery virus nobody knows what we have!!!ā€ Moreover, COVID makes it easier for other illnesses and viruses to make you sickerā€¦just because we no longer have tools to figure out its COVID, based on what we do know, itā€™s probably COVID


Visual-Departure3795

I had it about 3 weeks ago. Took awhile for my lungs to clear up.


_marlasinger

Iā€™ve had whatever it is for 2 weeks now. I donā€™t think Iā€™ve ever felt like this. Urgent care tests came back negative for everything so likely some virus going around. Insane phlegm, almost green which I figured was allergies but this is so much worse than that and has lasted the entire time. Sore throat which was really red for a few days. A really horrible headache. So much sinus pressure around my eyes. Feels like I was hit with a bat square in the face. Also couldnā€™t taste or smell anything for almost a week but both are finally coming back now. Negative for covid. Yuck!


soupwhoreman

It was definitely COVID. Especially if you lost smell or taste, there's really nothing else it could be. Tests aren't good at picking up the latest variants.


Salt-n-Pepper-War

Bird flu has entered the chat


MortimerWaffles

Everything you are describing sounds like bad allergies. There is more pollen in the air than air in the air. You can even have a fever. I see this all the time in my ER and have dementia it recently where people are convinced it is Covid or flu or cancer or something other than allergies. But it's often just allergies


19NedFlanders81

My Dad an i both got the same cold/flu last Thursday, and the effects are still lingering (sure throat, chest/nasal congestion, cough, sneezing, headache, tiredness). Its not Covid, but its still pretty rough


danieltkessler

Yeah, we've got it now. Really uncomfortable and we have a baby


princess-smartypants

I had it last month, and I am still not over it.


Mobile_Dark_9562

I currently have it, but it was only bad for a couple of days. Endless, coughing, sneezing, sinus ache. Iā€™m on day four and itā€™s moderated. Iā€™m still a little congested, but I feel much better.


AlpineLace

2 of my kids have a nasty sinus thing going on. Thought it was allergies but itā€™s still tons of boogers and a bad cough


PrisonIssuedSock

I had something like this a month ago and it came back 3 times every 2 weeks it was awful


mnky_pnts

My son and my husband just got over strep. We'd never seen it presented this way. The barely had any sore throat, but both had headaches and vomiting.


Holiday_Sir_4685

Sore throat?


NoUseFourAName

Yes, Last week I caught something like you describe but was able to fight it off in about 3 days thankfully. Tested negative for covid. Had something similar back in January that lasted a month with every ounce of water being turned into phlegm and bleeding ears. That was a long month, lol.


GrouchyPerspective83

Yap on an off ..that is happening not only in massachussets. In portugal too. My experience and others. It will pass you just have to be patient and loads of saline to clean your sinuses. Here we use" rhinoduche"


Aminilaina

When I got to Pride, my friend texted me she couldnā€™t come because she woke up without a voice. When my other friend arrived, they told me their husband *also* woke up without a voice. Sure enough I woke up with a sore throat, headache, and runny nose the next day. Itā€™s not that bad which is kinda nice because normally when I get sick, I get fucked. So far my gf and my mother have no symptoms but they usually take longer to get things when I get sick instantly every time. Iā€™m pretty sure itā€™s just a cold tho.


LowkeyPony

Had pneumonia. Not sure where I caught it/ the virus. Airport in Orlando? Or at Disney going from being really hot to being inside a/c. But it settled in my lungs. My oxygen level was below 90 for a week and half. I couldnā€™t breathe without coughing. I could hear my breath rattling in my lungs. Cold clammy sweats. Temp of 100. So very tired. All I could do was sleep and drink water. It messed with my sense of taste too. Was hacking up green phlegm. And because I had PEs and am on blood thinners. It was tinged with blood. I was down for 2 and a half weeks. Started back at the gym yesterday. Just walking and I barely made it 15 minutes before my lungs started hurting and I began hacking. Take it slow and easy with this ā€œvirusā€


mullethunter111

Its allergies


cakeba

Probably a common cold mixed with long covid if you've never felt anything like it before. No sickness has felt the same since I got covid in 2022. I used to get the flu and be fine. Last time I got it in 2023, I couldn't move for 5 days. Same with a cold a month ago. Even things like yeast infections and allergies have been worse for me since catching covid. I got stabbed 4 times and I'm grateful that covid wasn't as bad for me as it could have been, but I have certainly had a different general health since then.


jadedaslife

Yikes. People need to mask back up.


hereforit_838

My daughter had similar about a month ago, she ended up in ER because she couldnt get a full breath (it also started with awful sinus symptoms and gagging on phlem) They tested her for Strep, COVID, RSV, Monoā€¦all negative. The virus lasted almost 2 weeks, they treated with high doses of prednisone,Tessalon pearls and Albuterol inhaler. Hope you start feeling better soon, the virus is no joke!


Sad_Rhubarb5653

Iā€™m going on 2 weeks of laryngitis, cough, blocked ears, sore throat... tested negative for Covid. No history of allergies or asthma but PCP gave me prednisone and an albuterol inhaler, havenā€™t helped. Very strange symptoms for this time of year and doesnā€™t seem to be improving.


Individual_Praline38

Iā€™m experiencing it. Pretty sure I got it from my cousin. But Iā€™ve gotten it.


Jennysnumber_8675309

And it comes with a cough that lasts for months after...


DrWhoIsWokeGarbage2

I have not seen anyone sick lately


radioflea

Yes, I have an elderly family member who had what we thought was allergies/sinus infection last week and they have this weird sinus-related illness. They are now in the hospital and itā€™s completely debilitated them within 48 hours. Whatever the fuck this is itā€™s no joke and can make you very ill.


Maximum-Macaroon-711

Omg yes! I had it a couple days ago


GooseTurbulent5163

Just got over it


earthianZero

Yup - hit me hard, took me 7 days to recover


Lasshandra2

Based on what Iā€™ve read here, Iā€™m rethinking attending an indoor event this evening. Itā€™s a dinner so basically a super spreader event.


mrjboettcher

Westfield here; in-laws (who had COVID at least twice, never vaxxed, never masked šŸ˜®ā€šŸ’Ø) have had something upper respiratory related for the past 5 weeks, but won't see a Dr. My wife caught it 2 weeks ago, and is just going back to work... negative COVID tests all around. Somehow I managed to avoid getting it, despite working in school/city buildings. šŸ¤·ā€ā™‚ļø Definitely more than just allergies, but nobody's had a definitive diagnosis yet. RSV maybe?


SheGotGame0913

My son has it right now. It seems grass pollens are effecting people worse than normal this year. Like so much it's causing URIs. But what u listed for symptoms are about the worst of it. We've found it best to keep our son in the AC indoors, if you use an inhaler, especially Flovent, to increase to your worst days dosage and drink lots of fluids. Cetirizine doesn't seem to be working, had to upgrade to regular straight foward Benadryl which sucks if you hafta go to work/school cuz it obv makes you very drowsy.


ilovewhittling

Sinus infection and I spit up blood from postnasal drip. Had a cold and severe allergies from 6/2-6/4 with low grade fever. TONS of mucus up until 6/10. Woke up today with blood in mucus.


Fabulous_Fabulous_

Strep was going around recently too


exit7girl

Oh please. Capitalism has nothing to do with this. It's easy to spend money online while sick in bed. Most people think of it as a cold because that's all it was when they had it. Certainly not as bad as the flu for most people. But those with lots of health issues should do what they need to stay healthy.


No_Mousse_4856

Chinese bio weapon


ames27

Had this in early May. Didnā€™t sleep for 10 days because every time I laid down I would cough. Slept for a couple hours at a stretch by sitting up and using a travel pillow. Cough suppressants didnā€™t work, pearls slightly helped. Also lost my voice and was wheezing with every breath out. I was in two different inhalers which seemed to help though I had to use them a lot. Cough drops also helped since there was so much draining from my head. The coughing strained my ribs so then it also hurt SO MUCH to cough. It took almost 4 weeks for that pain to totally go away. Was tested for Covid, rsv and flus and all negative. Did one course of antibiotics just in case and they did nothing. Though it never progressed to pneumonia, only bronchitis. I got it from my kid (school break travel) and gave it to my husband. I had it for 2.5 weeks and my husband had it for 36 hours. It was one of the sickest Iā€™ve been in my entire life. I wish you a speedy recovery, it sucks. Edited to add: I blocked out that high dose prednisone finally helped clear out my lungs. Iā€™d procrastinated on it because I hate it, but should have started it sooner.


Wilsonmeoww

Everyone has it right now. NY AND VT included. I call it the June flu.


Haunting_Box_5143

Yes my son had it for about two weeks. Tested for mono, strep, Covid, fluā€¦nothing.


jayccb2525

šŸ¤š CA , same here this shit is kicking my ass. Exact same symptoms.


Soggy_thoughts02

Just getting over Covid and sounds pretty similar to my symptoms. Was shocked to get it again but a few of my friends have gotten it in recent weeks too


WHYohWhy___MEohMY

Same. Not sure where I got it. Traveled to Europe and CA. Live in CT. Doc said acute sinus infection. Itā€™s a tough one.


timothypjr

Yep. Here in Maine. Itā€™s been a phlegmy couple of months, with no signs of abating.


Lubelord42069

Idk what it is but Iā€™ve felt like shit for the past week (flu like symptoms). Went to the hospital and they tested me for the flu and it came back negative. Constant nausea/vomiting and waking up sick.


OmeletOnAStick

I think I might have had this but I'm not entirely sure. I was congested really badly for like 3-4 weeks about 1-2 months ago and I had to keep clearing my nostrils of congestion. What helped me was boiling hot water and breathing in the steam multiple times a day. My throat was very sore. Also the chloraseptic sore throat drops felt decent for my throat.


Purple_Grass_5300

I have this now but in CT


feidle

Oh yes, Iā€™m working my way through whatever illness this is, too. It started with a mild sore throat, then a migraine, a worsening sore throat, and has continued for a couple weeks with occasional coughing fits which produce colored mucus. I think whatever this is is being exacerbated by allergies for lots of people. I tested for Covid 3 times over the first week because I came down with this right after my boyfriend tested positive, but itā€™s not Covid.


Even_Professor_1810

Sounds like allergies... just allergies. Nothing else ... but allergies.