I tested positive for COVID-19 antibodies. AMA

Absolutely, I understand that completely, although the verdict is still out for me whether or not I'm simply crazy! :)

Once again, thanks for sharing your experience and the info about the antibody test. It's funny, but you hear so much about the testing not being available that you just think it's not available! I called up the Urgent Care based on your suggestion, and they have a non-FDA approved test. I drove on up there and my wife & I both got tested. We will know in a day or two what the results are. That simple. We're in Michigan.

FWIW, and bear in mind that I have not officially tested positive for anything, I started experiencing my symptoms around March 12th. I was on a mid-long easy run of 11.3 miles, and my heart rate shot up to 175...I was like "WTF is going on???" I wasn't struggling, as far as I could tell, but I was running slower than normal and didn't feel "right". I chalked it off to an issue with the watch. I ran a couple more easy runs that week and they all ended up in the 160 HR range. It freaked me out and I was feeling that things weren't right, so I decided to take a break from running. When it seemed that I wasn't able to shake these weird symptoms I was experiencing, I went to the Urgent Care on March 20th. I started feeling better the following day after receiving a shot & azithromycin.

I didn't try to run again until March 27th...it was OK, but heart rate still in the 150s at easy pace. In addition to this, I was working at home, and I consumed mass quantities of junk food throughout the day, allowing myself to get fat and lazy, so there is that to consider! I was still running periodically but definitely not pushing it. I'm definitely starting to feel like my old self now...my old self plus 6 or 7 lbs, that is! :) So, it's taken me about a month to really feel like I can start pushing things. If I hadn't hit the junk food so hard, I'd probably be in a better spot!

Also, I'm 47 years old, so not exactly a spring chicken, so there is that to consider, as well!!

Good luck!!!!!!

Frogcheeks wrote:

Toadlips wrote:

I posted about this in another thread a while back as an "anonymous user", but now that I feel somewhat vindicated I'm actually using my registered handle.

How brave of you to use your registered handle! Now we know you’re not just some rando on the internet, but it’s really you, Toadlips!

In the flesh!!! ;)

Toadlips wrote:I was on a mid-long easy run of 11.3 miles, and my heart rate shot up to 175...I was like "WTF is going on???"

Very relatable. Yesterday I went for a jog with my wife, who just started running, and we went around 7:00/km . It felt like jogging in place, but my heartrate was 155bpm. Normally I run 4:40/km at that heartrate. My legs want to go faster, but my lungs can't keep up!

OP: Did they tell you anything about being contagious? I don't cough anymore, just chest tightness, but I wonder if I still pose a threat to older people.

wtfbbq wrote:

AMA

Do you feel like a superhuman right now?

Do you think your status should be publicized for the world to see, e.g., like a 'Rona bracelet or 'Rona ID card?

congrats!!

1979 wrote:

OP: Did they tell you anything about being contagious? I don't cough anymore, just chest tightness, but I wonder if I still pose a threat to older people.

Apparently not likely to be contagious (tho there have been reports of relapse in people, however they haven't determined that they are once again contagious) after 14 days but I'm still very strict with mask while running/outside, watching what I touch, all of those things.

General Tso wrote:

Do you feel like a superhuman right now?

Do you think your status should be publicized for the world to see, e.g., like a 'Rona bracelet or 'Rona ID card?

I would feel more superhuman if I were one of the asymptomatic cases however I definitely was not.

And if immunity is established and people with antibodies could roam around freely, then sure, I would not mind a bracelet or a card.

wtfbbq wrote:

I would feel more superhuman if I were one of the asymptomatic cases however I definitely was not.

And if immunity is established and people with antibodies could roam around freely, then sure, I would not mind a bracelet or a card.

You are way too modest, wtfbbq! You need to get a tattoo across your chest or something! Go for a trip around the world -- plane tickets are cheap these days!

I'll tell ya what, my test came back NEGATIVE today, so I have no idea what I had or why I felt like I was in the Andes. Maybe it was stress, after all, but I didn't feel especially stressed during my run and can't explain a 175 bpm heart rate. Maybe it was some other fun virus that doesn't get the recognition it deserves. I'll probably never know what it was for certain.

Anyway, I do think it's important to know whether or not you've had the virus. Not only does it help the statisticians to gain a better understanding of how widespread the virus is, but it takes away the element of fear of the unknown: you have faced this beast and have defeated it.

Unfortunately, my foe still awaits me!!!

Update

I'm running 3 or 4 times a week, around 3 or 4 miles at a time. Same as I was doing before/the last few years now that my racing days are long behind me.

I'm STILL not quite where I was. My paces are still up and down.

I did a 2 mile run at 7:22 pace that felt like I was racing. This morning I got in another short 2 mile jog before work and I just felt utterly out of breath. My pace was... 8:55.

My average pace is definitely lower, closer to around 7:40, but I have odd days here and there.

My 200 sprint times have remain unchanged (32s -34s) and my weight lifting workouts have kept me in great physical shape. But the aerobic work is still far more challenging than before COVID.

Any other COVID runners have similar experiences? How long did it take?

wtfbbq wrote:

My average pace is definitely lower, closer to around 7:40, but I have odd days here and there.

Edit: just checked my app, my average running pace is just under 8:00 actually, at 7:58.

Pre-COVID I was about 30 seconds faster, give or take.

wtfbbq wrote:

Update

I'm running 3 or 4 times a week, around 3 or 4 miles at a time. Same as I was doing before/the last few years now that my racing days are long behind me.

I'm STILL not quite where I was. My paces are still up and down.

I did a 2 mile run at 7:22 pace that felt like I was racing. This morning I got in another short 2 mile jog before work and I just felt utterly out of breath. My pace was... 8:55.

My average pace is definitely lower, closer to around 7:40, but I have odd days here and there.

My 200 sprint times have remain unchanged (32s -34s) and my weight lifting workouts have kept me in great physical shape. But the aerobic work is still far more challenging than before COVID.

Any other COVID runners have similar experiences? How long did it take?

I am extremely interested as well.

I'm concerned that the long-term effects are far more common than beating reported. Lung problems are unnoticed in the general population but are more noticeable in endurance athletes.

Looking at the fatality rate in NYC, it is safe to assume that most everybody has had it there.

You tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. There is no specific test for COVID19 antibodies.

Wow I had almost the same thing, but it was around the last day of January. I live in nyc right near Grand Central, so definitely a hot spot.

I had an antibody test in May and then again in June, both negative.

I never had a sickness with that kind of muscle soreness. While I was sick, I went to the gym sauna just to sweat a little and almost fainted, and my muscles were sore as heck.

I suspect I may have had it, but the antibodies weren't in sufficient number by 3.5 months later? I don't know. Or maybe it was something else, but very peculiar timing. Never had the muscle soreness once before in my life.

joedirt wrote:

Looking at the fatality rate in NYC, it is safe to assume that most everybody has had it there.

What, you think because so many people died and the fatality rate is decently lower than what they are saying... a high percentage had it?

They did antibody studies, the highest was the bronx with up to 40% of people having antibodies

SlowAFRunnrMom wrote:

You tested positive for coronavirus antibodies. There is no specific test for COVID19 antibodies.

My mistake, let me rephrase: I tested positive for antibodies for SARS-CoV-2, the virus which causes COVID-19.

wtfbbq wrote:

Got my antibody test on Tuesday afternoon with my dr. Results from lab arrived Thursday afternoon. Confirmed my suspicions: I indeed had COVID in March.

There is NO accurate test for a covid19 virus, and there has been NO accurate test that even shows a covid19 virus exists. The test you took is absolutely worthless for confirming you either had or did not have a covid19 virus.

This should be common knowledge.

That people keep repeating nonsense about having an imaginary covid19 virus is ridiculous.

fisky wrote:

I am extremely interested as well.

I'm concerned that the long-term effects are far more common than [ ] reported.

Being deluded can certainly become a long term effect.

My dad tested positive for the antibodies recently as well (also NYC). No symptoms recently. He had a bad cough in February and thinks that might be when he had it. Got on a plane and stuff around then too, so it could have been in an airport.

I went through some of the math and it's good to keep this in mind:

Say 20% of NYC has had the virus and say the false positive rate for the test is 2%. Then if everyone in the city takes the test, 20% of the people will have true positives and roughly 2% (rounding) will have false positives.

So given those numbers, if you live in NYC and test positive then the odds of it being a false positive are roughly 2 in 20 or 10%.

wtfbbq wrote:

Got my antibody test on Tuesday afternoon with my dr. Results from lab arrived Thursday afternoon. Confirmed my suspicions: I indeed had COVID in March.

AMA

What was the point of getting tested?

Does not get you out of social distancing and mask wearing.

And they are telling us that it does not mean you cannot get it again.