Man that’s crazy. I did Leadville last weekend and got COVID a few days ago. In the thick of it now. I can’t see how I would imagine trying to do the race in this condition but I’m glad that the temptation is fully removed. There was a post of someone in the race participants FB group of someone who did the race with a mild case and ended up in the hospital.
I have Paxlovid in hand and am debating now about whether or not I want to take it. I’m hoping this will be a mild case and I won’t need it, and there’s enough noise about side effects and rebound cases I’d rather not take anything if I don’t have to.
Anyone who got prescribed Paxlovid find that it provided meaningful relief?
I hear good things about paxlovid. I haven’t taken it or gotten covid (afaik), but I work in healthcare IT and my (small) employer does some work with NIH-types doing various clinical studies. Some of the projects involves paxlovid and the conensus is it helps and should be promoted. I’ll caveat this with a) this is general population benefit, not athlete/cycling specific and b) it’s not a personal anecdote (sorry). If I can go 2 or 3 degrees, we had a summer gathering and the 'rona made the rounds. Collogues report a 2 or 3 day quicker recovery on paxlovid than their untreated spouse (or vice-versa… however it worked out). Very anecdote-y.
Ymmv, but if you have the meds in hand (and prescribed…) and it’s still early in the infection I don’t see any reason not to take it. I’m inclined to say the sooner you beat the infection the less systemic damage it does, and faster/better your fitness will bounce back.
I take it since you are here you are younger (probably <65) and reasonably lean, so your chances of complications are low, very low, so why risk taking an experimental compound only ever properly tested on felines ?
It could always be worse. I am happy though. What I am coughing up now is clear instead of green and yellow. I missed out on being a ride ambassador for a stage gravel even starting Monday. I would have rather done it. Part of me still wants to do it but I have pulled the plug on it.
Its more than worth sharing if it can help someone else. I was over three weeks out from first infection. I seemed ok. I worry how bad it might have got if I had continued to try and sleep and freeze that first night. I think the fact that my buddy forced me up to ride might have prevented a much worse situation from happening.
I felt ok after my third day with Covid and just did easy indoor rides(Baxter -1) on days 4 and 5. I took day 6 off because I was feeling a little tired and wanted to give my body a rest.
Started up with easy outdoor rides on day 7 and felt good after doing an easy 2 hour ride. Tried again on day 8 and felt like I hit a wall about an hour into my ride. Limped home, ate, and fell asleep in the hammock.
Noticed this pattern for the next week. After any ride I just felt drained and needed an afternoon nap.
Felt normal after about two weeks and did a mountain bike race about 17 days after I first showed symptoms. Finished the race but cracked on the third lap and limped to the finish. I chalked that up to a combination of being off the bike for 11+ days due to vacation and covid plus lack of any real intensity or structured training for almost a month.
I took it, mostly as a precaution against co-mingling with other underlying health conditions. I couldn’t tell you if it reduced symptoms. My first 3-4 days were rough. Then I felt pretty good. Then I rebounded, and then I had nagging symptoms and didn’t test negative until today, over 30 days since my first positive.
When people asked me if it “worked” I say I didn’t go to the hospital and I didn’t die. That’s what it is for, rather than reducing more mild symptoms or making it go away sooner. Plus, see rebound (whether this is drug-related or just COVID). It also gave me a TERRIBLE taste in my mouth for the 5 days I took it.
Super frustrated to have my first positive covid test this morning 19 days before my first big cyclocross race that I’ve been training hard for. I will rest up this week and start slow with active recovery trainer rides leading up to it. Hoping I wont lose everything Ive worked up to so far.
That’s too bad, sorry it worked out this way for you. I backed out feeling that COVID has knocked my training too much but my buddy rode and he said that hike a bike section sucked hard.
Good on your for finishing though, hope you get batter soon.
Doing better all ready. Went for a 45km ride on Sunday. Had some clear phlegm on Sunday night and Monday but was clear again on Tuesday. I am taking it slowly.
On Day 18 since my first positive test, and STILL testing positive somehow on rapid at-home tests. No symptoms since the first week. From what I’ve read; I’m unlikely to be contagious at this point. I’m a healthy 32 yo 160-lb guy. I’ve done 7 rides since my first test and have gradually increased duration and intensity. Anyone else test positive for this long?
You can test positive on rapids for weeks. You are not considered positive (by the CDC) 10 days post day 0 of symptoms onset so I wouldn’t stress about it.
I think I read that you might still have the virus in your nasal membranes so it causes a rapid test to be positive - but the virus particles are attached to antibodies so your not contagious.
I’m not a virologist - so grain of salt with my explanation.
this is all in the realm of unproven “science,” but months ago, CDC was saying don’t test your way out of isolation because folks would still test positive for weeks and that after x number of days, 10, then 5, then who knows, you are no longer contagious. I’m not surprised by what you are saying. My opinion is that I agree you probably aren’t contagious. I have no idea what to tell you to expect.
Still trying to recover. Covid on July 18th. Raced a 500km backcountry race on the 14th of august where lungs has a lot of phlegm and a bit of fluid. Emergency room on the 18th and was on Levosalbutamol and cortisone inhaler. Feeling much better but with any exercise I start getting phlegm.
Do yourselves a favor and take it very easy after covid. I thought 3 weeks was enough and it wasnt close. I am sure the temp at night going down to almost freezing did not help.
Hang in there bud. Finally, three months after covid in May, the vertigo I’ve been suffering has begun to fade.
First bought of CV in 2020, I’d recovered after a month.
Tricky little blighter.
Have dodged the bullet and never got COVID over the last couple of years. Murphy’s Law: My A race for the year is in two days, been training hard all year, I’m in an AirBNB by myself on the other side of the country, started coming down with cold symptoms, elevated resting heart rate, sleeping like crap, and just tested positive. Even got the Bivalent booster about a week and a half ago.
In the grand scheme of things, symptoms are mild. But timing is about as bad as it could have been. Have two days until the race and would probably have to be crazy to try to even ride it easy.
I would be careful and depends on type of race. If its a long distance endurance off the beaten path then I would say its not worth it. I did it and under the circumstances if I had not been with a good friend who pushed me to ride the first night I may have not made it as it dropped to just above freezing and my lungs started to fill up with phlegm and fluid while sleeping for 2 hours. I woke up it seemed every 20 minutes unable to breath until I coughed out my lungs and we were 230 km from help and this was 3 weeks after covid.
If its a crit or road race with lots of support then its a different story.
Your safety and those of others first in my opinion.
Barn Burner 100 Mile MTB at 7500’ elevation when I’m from Sea Level. I think I have to just bow out and take 2-3 weeks off and ease back into training when I get home. As much as I’ve been looking forward to it, and for me it’s mostly head cold symptoms as opposed to chest cold, I’d rather recover and not lose too much fitness than potentially make things a lot worse.