Delayed, but thanks for this reply, as well as the others who reached out. Figured I'd update with my timeline. I'll fully admit that my case, as it seems so far, still seems to be pretty mild. Escaping any shortness of breath or difficulty breathing and only having the most minor of throat tickles gave me some confidence about getting back to it slowly.

2 days of fever. 1 day feeling good. 2 days of head cold. 1 day feeling very good. 2 days of extreme fatigue. Then only got better from there. All symptoms gone by day except for some lingering fatigue. Did a 50min trainer spin exactly 2 weeks after my first day off. Got 10 hours of light training in over the next 2 weeks leading into St. George. My plan was to 'race' at 90% intensity and if anything felt even remotely abnormal, call it. Actually had a pretty solid swim in 25:10, followed by an hour of feeling solid on the bike and then my endurance disappeared. Nothing felt off, just felt like I didn't have fitness. Ended up riding around 250w (vs 290-300) I may normally, and then jogged a 1:29 for a time of 4:24. Certainly could have gone a bit faster but no point. Just happy to have felt decent and to have started a race.

Also gives me confidence to get back to slightly more normal training.

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Benjamin Deal - Professional - Instagram - TriRig - Lodi Cyclery
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It was great seeing you out there with a smile on your face and interacting with people. Well done, I appreciate what you bring to the forum and am not surprised by your attitude out there - but it was good to see knowing your situation a bit.

Now to cheer you on when you are challenging for titles - you'll get those cheers for sure!

Best of luck with the rest of the season!

Brent

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DFRU - Detta Family Racing Unit...the kids like it and we all get out and after it...gotta keep the fam involved!

RELAPSE?

Anyone had something similar to this? Diagnosed back in September last year. Took about six weeks to fully get back to normal. Exercising over winter went well. Ramped things up in Spring and felt 110%. Three weeks ago woke up with what felt exactly like Covid onset symptoms which got worse over a few days. No fever this time but lethargy, fatigue and overall sick feeling. Test came back negative so assumed it was just a bad cold.

Days have turned into weeks (almost 3 weeks now). I feel now like i felt on about Week 3 of Covid last year (ie. felt like i was on the slow recovery after Covid but not even close to doing well). I tried going for a run last week and not only did i have to stop after 5km due to a general sickness feeling, later that night I felt horrible with a lot of pressure in my chest. I biked a bit with the family yesterday and again felt horrible last night. Again, more pressure on the chest, heavy head + headaches, and fatigue.

This would be six months after my original diagnosis and recovery. Symptoms are worse in the afternoon. I'm still able to work (desk job) but have zero concentration late afternoon as symptoms intensify.

I'm getting my first vaccine shot this Thursday and have heard on the news of some with persistent Covid symptoms have noticed an easing of symptoms. FINGERS CROSSED.

Anyone have such a relapse before?

I feel like half my posts are on this thread unfortunately.

My relapse so to speak wasn't as extreme as yours. Mostly meaning that I never got quite all the back to 100% before the first big crash at three months in. But it's certainly been a pattern for the year and change since I was first sick. I think three additional cycles of normal(ish) and then suddenly sick again. Hoping in your case it'll just be the one crash of course.

Mostly commenting to add an N=1 to the vaccine bit. I had nasty side effects. Not just the flu stuff that a lot of people get but really legit lung pain for several days. Hadn't had respiratory symptoms since the acute illness a year earlier. BUT! I improved in a few days and continued on the upswing past where I had been pre-vaccine. Definitely seemed to help me and am very glad I was finally able to get it.

Best of luck with your recovery

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As you have already had covid are you purely getting the vaccine in the hope it helps with these new covid like symptoms? I would have though getting the vaccine would have been pointless otherwise?

In theory the natural immunity could last as short as 3 months. At least that was the knowledge the last time I heard. I'll likely be getting the vaccine in the next few weeks partly out of principle and mostly out of not wanting this to ever get me again.

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Much like a flu shot with different strains? Seems the covid wards in the US are all full of people that have had both shots. A friend of mine got covid after having her shots. We are still protected here in Australia so I am trying to piece together the truth and not buy into the hysteria. I personally am hoping not to have to have a shot at this stage if i don't have to...

You mean why get vaccinated if you've had Covid? It would further strengthen your immune response to it. There may be exceptions but it's the normal recommendation AFAIK. But that's in general. Again, AFAIK, long Covid is not a reason to not to get vaccinated. But how do you know if it is long Covid or a reinfection? Presumably with a test.

But I wouldn't be guessing or working through it myself, this is too important. If I was in that situation I'd be talking to my Doctor and doing what they say.

Well that is the first I have ever heard of 'long covid.' I'd personally rather get all the information and piece together for myself. I personally think I had Covid at the very start of Australia's lockdown when it was in the community before we eradicated it but I did not fit the testing protocol to qualify at the time. I will be having an antibody test to tell if I did and then read the scientific data to make a decision. Covid is like flu now it is going nowhere so we will have to learn how to live with it. In Australia I have the luxury of not having to rush into a vaccine so would rather wait until maybe a better option comes along or there is more study on the current vaccines.

That’s like saying one would never want to have a cold again.

Most build up some good transient resistance, others not so much.
I tested positive by PCR 1+ Month after vaccination (if they actually gave me a real shot of J&J...LoL). So likely a different strain and I had ramped up training (so maybe susceptible).

Wasn’t as bad (no lung issues), but sure felt like having a cold (chills, slight fever, sore throat).
I do think current vaccines are beneficial and ‘work’ to some extent, but I am not under the illusion that ‘proof of vaccination’ is protecting me from reinfection by others supposedly also vaccinated (paper cards and all).

You will see me with a mask in crowded settings for quite some time to come.
I hope people can respect that and keep their distance.
Especially before a race.
.

That is not correct. The Covid wards are not full of people who are fully vaccinated. The Covid vaccines do not provide you with 100% protection against catching Covid. However they all provide almost 100% protection against hospitalisation and death.

The truth is that vaccines protect you, your family and your community from Covid. Do not believe the hysteria around 5G, sterilisation, DNA altering, ....

Thanks for your opinion

You can very easily Google the facts and not believe the opinions you read on social media and ST.

The US CDC database shows that there have been less than 1000 Covid related hospitilisations in people who have been fully vaccinated and less than 200 deaths.
https://www.cdc.gov/...akthrough-cases.html

As you say it isn't going anywhere. That being the case it's hard to imagine how getting a vaccination isn't the best plan.

You may or may not have had it. Either way the medical advice I've read is to be vaccinated in both cases. Stressing again not to take my word for it in general principal and because there will always be factors a Doctor may ask about that aren't being discussed here.

The luxury of not having to rush is interesting. Does everyone in Australia have the same luxury? For the sake of argument say you get the full benefit of a vaccination course 3 weeks after the 2nd jab with 12 weeks between jabs. That could be 4 months from now for someone who doesn't have an immediate appointment. One way of looking at it is if you defer a jab now while waiting for better information you are making the bet about what the situation is in 4 months.

If you are offered a jab (not sure what the protocol is where you are) would you discuss it with your Doctor?

I had a follow up with two of my docs who both told me to get vaccinated. My anti body count was still very high (almost a year after being released from hospital) and both believed that the vaccine would provide further protection from variant strains. I had a lousy reaction to both shots.

We have zero cases of covid in the community in Australia at the moment. I think I am old enough I may qualify to get a jab if not soon but they aren’t going to open our borders and let covid into the community it seems for at least another 12 months. I only know personally of one person being a friend in the US that has had covid and most people I know don’t know any.

Sorry to hear but thanks for the info mate

As another Australian, due to the way the vaccination rollout is happening, I am not yet eligible to be vaccinated, I will be in the second to last wave (the last wave is teenagers and children with no pre-existing co-morbidity factors, which as a group the AusGov has considered that this wave will be optional). Which starts being interesting, as there are a number of people I know in the earlier waves who don't want to be vaccinated, for varying reasons (And so they haven't got it yet). As it stands, Australia doesn't yet have enough does to vaccinate the population, so it will be a while before I am offered a jab.
When I am offered, I will be taking the vaccine.
So saying, my doctor is pro-vax, this isn't a thing to discuss, with my history - I have not had adverse reactions to previous vaccines for other things, so there is no reason for me to not get vaccinated.

So after 28 days into this covid "relapse" of symptoms, i got the vaccine (pfizer). The next day i felt horrible - fever and massive headache. But the day after that, aside from some morning grogginess, i felt better than I had felt during the 28 days. But the following day the relapse symptoms came back and now i'm back where i started. Very depressing. Perhaps the second shot will help.

Has anyone who has either had a similar relapse, or never really gotten better since having the initial bout, had any success with open water swimming? There's an article about a women from the UK with "long covid" who says open water ocean swimming has helped.

FYI my symptoms are:
- fatigue
- feeling sickly
- can't exercise
- grogginess / head fog

I can still work and function day to day.