Possibly permanent damage after COVID

This narcissistic tough guy post is Exhibit A of the problem with so many folks’ attitude toward the virus. The restrictions on businesses, social distancing, and masks are not just to protect yourselves from others. They are also to protect OTHERS FROM YOU - especially others who are especially vulnerable to the virus such as the elderly, people with respiratory problems, etc. It’s stunning that you just can’t see that. Your lack of concern about your own health is your business, but you should care about killing or sickening your fellow Americans. Real “warriors” like the members of our armed services fight for others, not themselves.

Lasting health problems may exist for people with "mild" cases.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2020/jul/06/coronavirus-covid-19-mild-symptoms-who

fisky wrote:

This is my real concern. Over half of covid patients still have serious symptoms weeks later. And these people aren't athletes like us.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/its-frightening-doctors-say-half-of-cured-covid-patients-still-suffer/

A whole week?

Piano_Man87 wrote:

Who cares about health issues if you are still able to work?

Capitalism wins again!

You don’t seem to understand that for some people(like me!) work is a necessity. I would go to work sick every single day, not out of some I’ll conceived pride of the working man, but because I NEED TO MAKE MONEY

Even at maximal exercise one only uses about 70% of lung capacity. We have about a 30% reserve. So greater than 30% of one's lungs would need to be damaged to start having effects on exercise. That is some fairly significant lung damage.

ComeOn wrote:

The reasons COVID is to be taken seriously are:

1. Still don't know enough about it (including long-term effects)

2. No vaccine, no treatment

3. highly contagious

4. Asymptomatic Carriers

5. too many people not taking it seriously

It's not about hiding under a rock. It's about acting RESPONSIBLY until we know what we are dealing with. Since we don't, we've been asked to wear a mask while out and social distance. Not that difficult to do.

So the experts who are telling us all what to do still don't know what we are dealing with?

And they are experts how?

The TOOTH FAIRY is dangerous because:

1. No one knows if it even exists (including long-term effects);

2. There's no vaccine for a TOOTH FAIRY and there's no treatment;

3. The TOOTH FAIRY is highly contagious - because no one has ever seen it;

4. Asymptomatic Carriers - people who are healthy can spread the tooth fairy to others;

5. Too many people don't take the TOOTH FAIRY seriously, which makes it much worse.

It's not about hiding under a rock. It's about acting RESPONSIBLY until we know what we are dealing with.

Therefore, we should breathe less while wearing a breathing restrictor and learn to stay away from other people.

It's not that difficult!

Just lock yourself up in a cage and don't breathe as much as you used to do.

My previous post was meant to be facetious, in case anyone takes it seriously and freaks out.

As far as I know, there is no tooth fairy, which was the point of my post.

Not surprising really wrote:

The restrictions -- are not just to protect yourselves from others. They are also to protect OTHERS FROM YOU.

If you're so afraid of the TOOTH FAIRY you little weenie - WEAR A MASK.

our lack of concern about your own health is your business, but you should care about killing or sickening your fellow Americans.

Actually, I don't care that much about people who get so hysterical and belligerent about something that doesn't exist as an excuse to impose idiotic restrictions on others.

Here's the logic of the TOOTH FAIRY believers:

"if you don't wear a breathing restrictor, you'll make me sick because I'm wearing a breathing restrictor."

Probably 90% of adults have some underlying condition - over weight, high blood pressue, high cholestral, arthritis, digestive issues, it goes on and on. Trying to pretend covid is not lethal because you need an underlying condition is false.

Good point. Normal docs don’t test you for diminution in athletic performance - they only test to see if you are within the normal range.

I’ve had pneumonia, and it absolutely destroyed my running for a couple of months. But I could walk, work, and do everday things. Doc declared me fully recovered long before my running returned to normal - because by his metric I was fine.

You’d need to go to a sports medicine doc to get a real opinion on whether something is impacting high level performance.

And yes, I bet a lot of non-athletes think they’re recovered with no long term damage because they never do anything that challenges their cardiovascular capacity. A 10% reduction isn’t noticeable to people who don’t regularly do athletic activities.

Nuname wrote:

ComeOn wrote:

The reasons COVID is to be taken seriously are:

1. Still don't know enough about it (including long-term effects)

2. No vaccine, no treatment

3. highly contagious

4. Asymptomatic Carriers

5. too many people not taking it seriously

It's not about hiding under a rock. It's about acting RESPONSIBLY until we know what we are dealing with. Since we don't, we've been asked to wear a mask while out and social distance. Not that difficult to do.

So the experts who are telling us all what to do still don't know what we are dealing with?

And they are experts how?

They're experts because they've studied the science for years and they're humble enough to respect the power of nature and to admit what they don't know.

Am so sick of idiots like who think they have the answers because they can google, inhale right wing propaganda and act like tough guys. My spouse spent years in war zones, but knows enough to limit his exposure to people right now and wear a mask when he goes out. Too many people on this forum talking tough out of ignorance.

southerngirlz wrote:

Am so sick

You should get tested right away!

Kvothe wrote:

fisky wrote:

My point is that the risk of COVID is not just dying. There is a growing body of reports that indicate that the lung damage might be very long term or even permanent. If so, your running days will be over.

Some of them are likely paid by the Russian government

Extraordinary allegations demand extraordinary evidence.

Your story reminded me of something funny (at least it's funny looking back at it now) that happened when I was having breathing problems due to breathing some toxic fumes. I went to (whatever the specialist is called) for a series of tests. I explained that my "normal" lung function was a lot better than average. The tech gave me a test with a handheld device -- maybe it was an asthma flow meter?-- and told me to blow as hard as I could. I did. The slide flew to the max setting and hit it so hard it made a popping sound! She said, "No. Just breathe out normally but as forcefully as you can." I did. It hit the max again so hard it popped.

Bottom line: That test and the more involved machine/mask tests all showed that I had above normal lung function. The reality is that for me, it felt like I was running at 8,000+ feet altitude instead of my normal 600 ft above sea level. Fortunately, I eventually recovered about 90% of lung function. It's no longer a limiting factor except in intervals longer than 400m.

My point as it relates to COVID-19 is that even a tiny loss of lung function too small for the professionals to measure without having a previous baseline for you could be enough to end your competitive running days.

southerngirlz wrote:

Nuname wrote:

So the experts who are telling us all what to do still don't know what we are dealing with?

And they are experts how?

They're experts because they've studied the science for years and they're humble enough to respect the power of nature and to admit what they don't know.

Am so sick of idiots like who think they have the answers because they can google, inhale right wing propaganda and act like tough guys. My spouse spent years in war zones, but knows enough to limit his exposure to people right now and wear a mask when he goes out. Too many people on this forum talking tough out of ignorance.

Spot on. The craziest part is that many arguing here are highly educated, intelligent individuals.

But how can anybody dismiss that America is the ONLY first world country still struggling to control this thing.

Nuname wrote:

ComeOn wrote:

The reasons COVID is to be taken seriously are:

1. Still don't know enough about it (including long-term effects)

2. No vaccine, no treatment

3. highly contagious

4. Asymptomatic Carriers

5. too many people not taking it seriously

It's not about hiding under a rock. It's about acting RESPONSIBLY until we know what we are dealing with. Since we don't, we've been asked to wear a mask while out and social distance. Not that difficult to do.

So the experts who are telling us all what to do still don't know what we are dealing with?

And they are experts how?

Hey genius I'd like to see the work you do trying to figure out a brand new virus. I like how the one idiot also said that if we're afraid of the virus that means we should all go out and get hazmat suits as if there's nothing in between like washing your hands and maybe wearing a mask and not touching your disgusting dirty face 5 times a minute as you walk around with feces particals on said hands touching all surfaces in sight including your own nuts.

Runners, be wary. Before all of this I was running 20-25 miles a week, swimming once a week and doing 1 bike workout (usually at the gym). I had been planning a spring marathon and a half-ironman this summer (Both were canceled). Now, I can't run more than 1M at a time and not frequently.

I had most of the classic COVID-like symptoms, starting in late February, but the symptoms were mild and I couldn't get a test. As I started feeling better, I tried running but it caused a relapse of symptoms, especially shortness of breath, lung soreness and chest tightness, so I mostly walk at least 1M a day, which has been tolerable.

Because of these issues, I got in to see a doctor in early June. Tested negative for antibodies and my lungs and heart were normal, so my doctor thinks it's a post viral issue and encouraged easing back into exercise but also expect not be back to normal for at least a couple of more months. I've done a few 30 minute bike rides since and I did my first 1-mile run in a month a half last week. I did feel like I was improving until this past weekend where my HR spiked a little too high and that seemed to trigger a more intense relapse where I now need to take several days off to recover.

While maybe it wasn't COVID, I'm also part of a COVID group where there are scores of people, including runners and healthy active people, with similar stories about long haul symptoms/but negative tests and people who test positive initially but then don't test positive for antibodies. I've also read antibodies can ebb after a couple months (I was tested 3 months later). Some of theories why all this might be is apparently some people's immune systems clear the virus with T-Cells/IgA antibodies without producing much if at all of the IgG antibody (the one typically measured).

I do think my running fitness helped me through all this (I have run most of my adult life/now in my 40s, including several marathons and triathlons). Still, I've gained about 10 pounds since not exercising like I normally would and my lungs definitely aren't the same. I want to improve fitness as much as I can, because with no antibodies/affected lungs, I'm probably now at-risk.

Runners, be wary. Stay safe.