COVID recovery time

[matt2matt2002]

Hi folks.
A bit of a how long is a piece of string question but here goes.
I'm a fit 69, touring loaded 60+ miles a day.

4 days ago I came down with COVID, lateral flow test at home. Felt rough and stayed in bed with fluids and paracetamol.

Yesterday & today definitely improvement.

I don't want to rush things but I had a Scottish end 2 end trip planned for this month.

I'll be following guidelines for not mixing/ going out until safe but from the point of view of regaining my fitness, what could be the time frame?

Thanks in advance.

Matt

[Jdsk]

Unfortunately it isn't predicable.

The NHS advice on recovery:
https://www.yourcovidrecovery.nhs.uk

And the overwhelming professional consensus is not to push it too early.

I hope that you're better soon.

Jonathan

[saudidave]

I'm a fairly fit 69yr old too and had Covid some 2 months or so ago. I didn't have any symptoms at all and only did a flow test because my wife had Covid and felt flu symptoms for a couple of days. Bizarelly when the flow tests showed that I no longer had the virus, I got heavy cold symptoms that persisted for about 10 days, along with a heavy cough and considerable catarrh. My first return to cycling revealed that I had a considerable shortage of breath relative to before the infection and that persisted for several weeks. I'd say I'm back to (my) normal now but it definitely took it's toll, despite my being triple vaccinated (Pfizer).

My 31 yrs old daughter had covid early on during the first wave of it (she works in Westminster), so around April 2020. She still has absolutely no sense of smell or taste.

[Nearholmer]

I started a similar thread with similar questions when I had it, and the answer from that, my own experience, and that of friends and family is:

- recovery time varies hugely; and,

- if you push yourself too hard, too quickly, it causes you to go back down the snakes, so you have to climb all the ladders again.

With that pre-warning about unpredictability, and non-transferability of experience: it took me just over a month from testing free of it to get back to single rides of normal intensity (I’m younger than you, but 60 miles fully loaded would be about me), but even now, ten weeks after testing free, I’m only good for two or three days on the trot, after which I need a good days rest. I canned a week long tour that I’d planned for late May, because I knew I couldn’t hack a week of riding days on the trot. I don’t feel rough or anything, just that my “battery capacity” hasn’t yet recovered.

[Mick F]

............ and my "battery capacity" still hasn't recovered ten months later.
Out of breath easily these days and taste and smell have changed, nothing I could state, but different nonetheless.
Chatted to a friend a week or so ago, and he's had it twice, and he reckons that coffee now smells like poo!

[matt2matt2002]

I'm a fairly fit 69yr old too and had Covid some 2 months or so ago. I didn't have any symptoms at all and only did a flow test because my wife had Covid and felt flu symptoms for a couple of days. Bizarelly when the flow tests showed that I no longer had the virus, I got heavy cold symptoms that persisted for about 10 days, along with a heavy cough and considerable catarrh. My first return to cycling revealed that I had a considerable shortage of breath relative to before the infection and that persisted for several weeks. I'd say I'm back to (my) normal now but it definitely took it's toll, despite my being triple vaccinated (Pfizer).

My 31 yrs old daughter had covid early on during the first wave of it (she works in Westminster), so around April 2020. She still has absolutely no sense of smell or taste.

Thanks Saudi.
Still have my taste and smell . Interesting to hear your story. Several weeks....?
Maybe I'll put my tour plans on hold until the end of summer.

Thanks again.
Matt

[matt2matt2002]

I started a similar thread with similar questions when I had it, and the answer from that, my own experience, and that of friends and family is:

- recovery time varies hugely; and,

- if you push yourself too hard, too quickly, it causes you to go back down the snakes, so you have to climb all the ladders again.

With that pre-warning about unpredictability, and non-transferability of experience: it took me just over a month from testing free of it to get back to single rides of normal intensity (I’m younger than you, but 60 miles fully loaded would be about me), but even now, ten weeks after testing free, I’m only good for two or three days on the trot, after which I need a good days rest. I canned a week long tour that I’d planned for late May, because I knew I couldn’t hack a week of riding days on the trot. I don’t feel rough or anything, just that my “battery capacity” hasn’t yet recovered.

Thanks Near.
I appreciate your reply.
I can identify with the lack of battery power.

Looks like I'll pop my sensible hat on and put the long tour off until end of summer.

Matt

[matt2matt2002]

............ and my "battery capacity" still hasn't recovered ten months later.
Out of breath easily these days and taste and smell have changed, nothing I could state, but different nonetheless.
Chatted to a friend a week or so ago, and he's had it twice, and he reckons that coffee now smells like poo!

Now that is serious, Mick.
One of my weaknesses is good coffee.
Damm that virus.

Matt

[Mick F]

I, personally, can say that coffee doesn't smell like poo, but poo does smell differently now. Mine, someone else's and also the dog's.

Honestly, nothing that I could state, but things in general smell "different" to me now.
Taste doesn't seem to be affected.

Strength and stamina have both reduced.
Off on a bike ride tomorrow morning, but I used to be able to do 50/60/70 miles without issue, but trying that now leaves me knackered for days. 25miles is happy enough now, and going on a 17mile ride after breakfast tomorrow.

[PH]

Good luck with the recovery.
As others have said the effects are very variable, I've had it twice, the first time 18 months ago, quite ill for a week, followed by a week's recovery then feeling fine. Then two months ago mildly ill for a week, but generally feeling run down and lethargic since. 70 mile steady club ride on Thursday was the longest since, I was struggling at the end which put paid to any idea of this weekends planned Audax.

[Bonefishblues]

I'm a fairly fit 69yr old too and had Covid some 2 months or so ago. I didn't have any symptoms at all and only did a flow test because my wife had Covid and felt flu symptoms for a couple of days. Bizarelly when the flow tests showed that I no longer had the virus, I got heavy cold symptoms that persisted for about 10 days, along with a heavy cough and considerable catarrh. My first return to cycling revealed that I had a considerable shortage of breath relative to before the infection and that persisted for several weeks. I'd say I'm back to (my) normal now but it definitely took it's toll, despite my being triple vaccinated (Pfizer).

My 31 yrs old daughter had covid early on during the first wave of it (she works in Westminster), so around April 2020. She still has absolutely no sense of smell or taste.

Thanks Saudi.
Still have my taste and smell . Interesting to hear your story. Several weeks....?
Maybe I'll put my tour plans on hold until the end of summer.

Thanks again.
Matt

I have some, but way less than I had previously, sadly (Last Nov)

[millimole]

I had it about 3 weeks ago. I'd like to say I had a mild dose - like a really bad, short lived cold. No loss of taste or smell.
I'm still constantly tired, both exhausted by the slightest exertion, and sleepy-tired as though I'm not getting enough time in bed. This is all making me grumpy and fed up.
I think I've been one of the lucky ones to have come off relatively lightly.

[roubaixtuesday]

Hi folks.
A bit of a how long is a piece of string question but here goes.
I'm a fit 69, touring loaded 60+ miles a day.

4 days ago I came down with COVID, lateral flow test at home. Felt rough and stayed in bed with fluids and paracetamol.

Yesterday & today definitely improvement.

I don't want to rush things but I had a Scottish end 2 end trip planned for this month.

I'll be following guidelines for not mixing/ going out until safe but from the point of view of regaining my fitness, what could be the time frame?

Thanks in advance.

Matt

I don't think there's anything which can inform your personal circumstances.

In my family:

My son - no symptoms whatever
Me - mild case, completely recovered after 19 days
Brother in law - 18 months later still unable to function at all normally.

Best for your recovery.

[thirdcrank]

I've not tested positive, but then I've never been tested. IIRC my temperature was normal when I had my first jab. I've tried to follow all the rules/ regulations/ guidance which meant getting out less. In the last couple of years I feel as though I've aged twenty. I feel constantly tired in spite of getting plenty of sleep. Senses of taste and smell seem unaffected.

[Jdsk]

I've not tested positive, but then I've never been tested. IIRC my temperature was normal when I had my first jab. I've tried to follow all the rules/ regulations/ guidance which meant getting out less. In the last couple of years I feel as though I've aged twenty. I feel constantly tired in spite of getting plenty of sleep. Senses of taste and smell seem unaffected.

Do you thank that you've had the infection?

Thanks

Jonathan