From: slider@anashram.com

A leading London doctor today described how he had been “poleaxed” by coronavirus — but was desperate to get back to work next week.

Ben Lovell, 36, a consultant at University College London Hospitals,
pictured, was shocked by the severity of the symptoms, which included a
40C fever, despite the disease being classed as “mild”.

https://www.standard.co.uk/news/health/doctor-shocked-coronavirus-symptoms-a4392921.html

Speaking last night from home, Mr Lovell told the Standard: “I think this
is what the majority of young healthy people would experience — a few days
of banging headaches and feeling like death.”

He first noticed symptoms when he woke on Tuesday. “My first sensation was just of aching limbs. I thought: ‘Did I hit it too hard in the gym on Sunday?’

“Then I thought that maybe this was phantom symptoms. Everybody is on high alert, and we are all panicking that we will catch it.”

The muscle aches were followed on Wednesday by a “very sore throat” and a headache. He also developed a cough. “Every swallow brings tears to your eyes, it’s just so painful,” he said. “Then last night [Wednesday], which was the night of day two, was a rough night when the fever came up. I was
going up to 40C, then the chills and the shakes and the shivers. I had to
put an extra four blankets on the bed. Then I was getting hot and sweaty.
I was guzzling as much paracetamol as I could.

“Today [Thursday] has been a rough day. I have been sleeping for hours. I still have a very sore throat, headaches and a cough which is quite dry.
It’s like a barking cough. I will cough and cough … It’s like a tickle in your throat but there is no phlegm — it’s very dry. Normally when I get a cold or flu I’m over it in 48 hours. But I’m on day three now and there’s no light at the end of the tunnel. I may only be halfway through.

“It’s like a very bad flu. I was under the impression it would feel like a head cold. I was surprised it completely poleaxed me. I could barely move
from the sofa to the bed.”

He had no idea how he contracted the virus. “I’m happy I have got it out
of the way now and can keep working, before the peak [in expected hospital admissions] hits in two weeks. I’m really keen to be back in the thick of
it.

“I’m hoping to be back next Tuesday. I will still take full precautions … I’m not going to assume I’m immune.”

A UCLH spokesperson said: “Our staff are working incredibly hard at this difficult time.

“We are enormously grateful for everything they are doing for our patients.

“Ben is one of our crucial acute medicine consultants and we look forward
to seeing him back at work once his isolation period is over.”

### - a temp of 40c?? that's 104! no wonder then people are dying! that's enough to seriously pressure-test anyone's system? 104! fuck me! (102 is
bad, 103 is devastating! but 104?? damn! should be in intensive care at
that level with cooling-packs before ya brain starts boiling!)

if ya do get it, then anything that brings that temp down by a couple of degrees would defo be a good idea in that sense, coz paracetamol just
doesn't cut it as ya can't safely take more than a gram of it anyway
without risking liver failure... in which case maybe in combination with
some kinda strong opiate derivative might help in survival terms as it
would not only remove any aches & pains (making ya feel a lot better) +
would help with the cough too (they used to put it in cough medicine for example, that is until people cottoned-on and started drinkin' bottles of
it lol) 'and' it's a safe enough substance taken in less than fatal doses
+ takes at least 2-weeks to begin developing any kind of tolerance to it,
so there's no problems using it medicinally for that length of time, or
even longer provided one just tapers-off from it over a few days at the
end...

104 damn! no wonder people are dying!?

one other thought/idea being... if malarial medications have any effect at
all (and we're not sure they do) then why not quinine too?

(slider bangs on the counter...) hey barkeep! 6 bottle of tonic water over here, please! :)

--- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05
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