Viral Illness Survey Case Summaries: Severe Lung Issues With High Fever
May 11, 2020
By Lisa Petrison, Ph.D.
This page provides a summary of the case reports from some of the first individuals to respond to the Paradigm Change Coronavirus Covid-19 and Viral Illness Poll.
Individuals included on this page are those who reported that they had a fever of 100F or more as well as severe lung symptoms.
Patient summaries are arranged in chronological order by illness onset date.
A discussion of the initial survey results is provided on a separate Paradigm Change blog page.
Overview
Number of cases: 18
Average Severity Score: 67
Severity Score Range: 30-103
21-Day Recovery Status:
17 cases
6% – Totally Recovered
47% – Mostly Recovered
12% – Somewhat Recovered
24% – A little better
6% – Not feeling better but the situation seems stable
6% – No response
Illness Onset:
6% – May 2019
6% – October 2019
22% – December 2019
33% – January 2019
17% – February 2019
17% – March 2019
Chronic Illness History (ME/CFS/CIRS/Lyme/etc.):
56% – Severe
17% – Moderate
11% – Mild
11% – None
6% – No Response
Severe Symptoms:
Generally feel terrible, 83%; Tiredness, 78%; Weakness, 72%; Muscle aches, 61%; Difficulty breathing, 56%; Lung pressure, 56%; Wet cough, 56%; Shortness of breath, 50%; Lung pain, 50%; Sleepiness, 44%; Bronchitis, 44%; Sore throat, 39%; Dry cough, 39%; Feverish feelings, 39%; Joint pain, 39%; Pain when moving body parts, 39%; Headache, 33%; Dehydration, 33%; Nausea, 33%; Abdominal pain, 33%; Bone pain, 33%; Pneumonia, 28%; Difficulties swallowing, 28%; Sore voice, 28%; Chills, 28%; Elevated temperature, 22%; Runny noise, 22%; Loss of appetite, 17%; Diarrhea, 11%; Loss of smell, 11%; Loss of taste, 11%; Vomiting, 6%; Sneezing, 6%; Blue lips or face, 0%
Moderate or Severe Symptoms:
Tiredness, 100%; Shortness of breath, 94%; Elevated temperature, 94%; Feverish feelings, 94%; Generally feel terrible, 94%; Difficulty breathing, 89%; Lung pain, 89%; Chills, 89%; Muscle aches, 83%; Weakness, 83%; Lung pressure, 78%; Sore throat, 78%; Sleepiness, 78%; Dry cough, 72%; Loss of appetite, 72%; Bone pain, 72%; Joint pain, 72%; Wet cough, 67%; Pain when moving body parts, 67%; Headache, 61%; Dehydration, 61%; Bronchitis, 56%; Difficulties swallowing, 56%; Abdominal pain, 56%; Nausea, 50%; Runny noise, 50%; Pneumonia, 44%; Sore voice, 39%; Loss of smell, 39%; Diarrhea, 33%; Loss of taste, 33%; Sneezing, 22%; Vomiting, 11%; Blue lips or face, 6%
Mild, Moderate or Severe Symptoms:
Shortness of breath, 100%; Sore throat, 100%; Elevated temperature, 100%; Feverish feelings, 100%; Weakness, 100%; Tiredness, 100%; Generally feeling terrible, 100%; Difficulty breathing, 94%; Lung pain, 94%; Headache, 94%; Loss of appetite, 94%; Chills, 94%; Lung pressure, 89%; Dry cough, 89%; Muscle aches, 89%; Pain moving body parts, 89%; Runny noise, 89%; Difficulties swallowing, 83%; Nausea, 83%; Joint pain, 83%; Sleepiness, 83%; Wet cough, 78%; Bone pain, 78%; Dehydration, 72%; Bronchitis, 67%; Sore voice, 67%; Abdominal pain, 67%; Pneumonia, 61%; Diarrhea, 61%; Loss of smell, 57%; Sneezing, 56%; Loss of taste, 50%; Vomiting, 33%; Blue lips or face, 17%;
Jessica
Patient Number: 1
Current Condition: I feel somewhat recovered
Severity Score: 99
Time Since Onset: 310 days
Onset Location: Anaheim, CA
Prior Locations: Phoenix, AZ; Disneyland (Anaheim, CA)
Chronic Illness History: Moderate
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 5/11/19
Lung Date: 5/11/19
Lung Symptom Lag: 0 days
Lung Severity: Very severe problem
High Fever: 101-102F (usually variable)
Bedridden During Illness: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse.
Duration: Life-threatening: 4-5 days; Very severe: 90 days; Severe: 30 days; Moderate: 45-60 days; Mild: 180 days
Initial Symptom: Tight burning chest; Cough; Low-grade Fever; Sore throat; Sinus pain.
Life-Threatening Symptoms: Wet cough; Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Generally feeling terrible
Very Severe Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Headache; Sore voice; Dehydration; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Muscle aches; Weakness; Tiredness
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty swallowing; Feverish feelings; Chills
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Dry cough; Sore/painful throat; Diarrhea; Nausea; Loss of appetite; Elevated temperature; Pain when moving body parts; Runny/stuffy nose; Sleepiness
Mild Symptoms: Bone pain; Joint pain
Not An Issue: Vomiting; Blue lips or face; Sneezing
Additional Symptoms: I have developed heart issues from this infection. It began with tachycardia walking or exerting myself at all. That has gone away. But now I frequently have heart palpitations when overexerting myself and high blood pressure. Also developed exercise intolerance and mitochondrial issues, which I never had before even with mold! I am able to hike and exercise again slowly, every day gets better but it’s been a long road. Have never been hit so hard in my life.
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Harder to get over
Practitioner: Saw a practitioner. Did not get a test since this happened way before the epidemic. Hope to get an antibody test. My doctor thinks I had this.
Decade Born: 1970’s
Gender: Female
Living: Apartment, New Hotels
Flu Shot: Definitely not
Blood Pressure: Normal (no medicine)
Chronic Conditions: Fibromyalgia; Toxic Mold Illness
Worst Neurological: Moderate
ME/CFS: Severe – Sensitivities; Moderate – Headaches, Unrefreshing Sleep; Mild – PEM, Cognitive, Muscle/Joint Pain; Not A Problem – OI
Most severe activity level: Could be active 20 hours a week or more
Recent activity level: Could be active 40 hours a week or more
Mold Avoidance: Made a big effort, improved a great deal
Mold Avoidance Skill: Very good
Mold Exposure: Very clear
HH Member #1: 1970’s; Allergies; No acute illness
HH Member #2: 2000’s; CIRS, tic disorder, ADHD (past), Asthma (Past), Tourette’s (mostly recovered), seizure disorder (recovered), clotting disorder (recovered), PANS (mostly recovered); No acute illness
HH Member #3: 2000’s; CIRS; No acute illness
HH Member #4: 2010’s; Tics (acquired since infection); Acute moderately severe illness with lung symptoms
Very Helpful: Electrolyte beverage; Stay out of moldy buildings; Sun exposure
Somewhat Helpful: Vitamin C (2000 mg); Quercetin; Selenium; Garlic pills; Colloidal silver (nasal spray); Probiotics; Citrus fruits; Garlic; Onions; Azithromycin; Other antibiotic drugs; Acetaminophen; Rest; Spend time outdoors in good locations; Stay warm; Rinsing sinuses (NeilMed saline rinse followed by Xclear. Recently included silver spray which seems to help some)
No Effect: Vitamin E; Antifungal drugs; Bathe and change clothes frequently; Take warm/hot baths; Nebulizer (Itraconozole and Ampho B)
Harmful: Iodine; MCT or coconut oil
Don’t know: Vitamin A; Ibuprofen; Reduce stress; Gargling (salt water)
Other helpful treatments: NAC, glutathione (Low dose is all I can handle), L Lysine, vitamin C, L glutamine, glycine, electrolytes, tons of water, hot teas (decaf, herbal), sun, CoQ10, vitamins b1, b2, iron supplements and high iron foods for recovery (this infection depleted iron), L Theonine (but this virus affected my BP, so calming supps were helpful, may not being the case with everyone)
Antibiotics Used: Augmentin course (no help at all); Augmentin + azithromycin course (helped a tiny bit); Doxycycline course (helped some); Buhner mycoplasma herbs (no help at all- in fact I think these made me worse)
Antifungals Used: Nystatin orally (no help, I got worse); Itraconozole nebulized (no effects); Ampho B nebulized (no effects)
Relapse Comments: I feel like overall I’m doing much better than I was, but I do have days where I feel somewhat of a relapse. Not complete relapse but some recurrence of symptoms like low grade fever and burning mucous membranes (this was one of my “weird symptoms” from this- I feel it damaged my mucous membranes). I also can get that strange fatigue and exercise intolerance badly some days, when other days I’m ok. This is something I had never gotten even from mold- at least not like this.
Diagnosis: “Pneumonia” diagnosed July 2 on CT scan after coughing for 2 months; they saw ground glass opacities on CT scan, which is what they’re seeing in Corona patients now. Positive (IgG, though) for Mycoplasma pneumonia and Valley fever. We are unsure if these were past infections or not. My 3 year old also had this illness at the same time, though less severe and recovered faster, but has lingering issues like a throat clearing tic that comes and goes since this infection (she’s also 4-3-53). She also had a positive mycoplasma pneumonia IgG weeks after she stopped coughing. So timing could be off since we didn’t get a test until weeks/months after the illness started (started mid May, I was tested for MP end of July, after several rounds of antibiotics and C was tested in August, she had a milder case also). It’s also possible we had several different things going on. We don’t know for sure.
Treatment: I had several treatments for this, none of which helped: 1. Augmentin; 2. Augmentin plus azithromycin; 3. Doxycycline (helped some, but not enough); 4. Buhner herbs for mycoplasma; 5. Nystatin orally; 6. Nebulized itraconozole; 7. Nebulized ampho B. A recent nasal swab showed no fungus. I don’t think this is fungal related for me. A few things I’ve implemented these past few months that I think has helped, are electrolytes (which I think were depleted from infection), iron supplements, NAC, extra vitamin C, L Lysine, glycine, L-glutamine (I think my gut was also impacted from many antibiotics), more binders to catch pathogenic toxins (CSM, charcoal plus bentonite clay), treating sinuses with xclear and silver (which I’m nervous about and don’t recommend but it is helping those symptoms).
Stephanie
Patient Number: 3
Current Condition: I feel somewhat recovered.
Severity Score: 84
Time Since Onset: 133 days
Onset Location: Raleigh, NC
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Somewhat
Acquisition: Live and work near airport doing grocery deliveries
Onset Date: 10/30/19
Lung Date: 10/31/19
Lung Symptom Lag: 1 day
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: 102-103 (usually normal range)
Bedridden During Illness: I already was mostly or fully bedridden before getting the Suspect Illness
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse. (Kept feeling like cough would go away and come back.)
Duration: Very severe – 14 days; Moderate – 1 month; Mild – 2 months
Initial Symptom: Scratchy sore throat; Diarrhea; Nausea; On second day, moved to lungs and caused bronchitis, dry cough, and inability to breathe.
Very Severe Symptoms: Dehydration; Joint pain; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing; Weakness; Tiredness; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Dry cough; Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Diarrhea; Feelings of nausea; Abdominal pain; Muscle aches; Pain when moving body parts
Moderate Symptoms: Severe/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Sore voice; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Bone pain
Mild Symptoms: Headache; Vomiting
Not An Issue: Wet cough; Loss of taste; Blue lips or face; Sleepiness
Additional Symptoms: Flared my Graves disease and was almost in a thyroid storm. Severely tachycardic Akastesia going into psychosis no sleep for days from viral illness flaring graves disease. Er tested graves numbers and it threw them out of range hyperthyroid. This happens to me with infections allergies viruses. Had to double meds and get saline IV’s to try to get body to calm down.
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe, harder to get over
Practitioner: Saw a practitioner. (Said it wasn’t flu but didn’t know what it was.)
Decade Born: 1970’s
Gender: Female
Living: Apartment
Previous Colds/Flus: One or two per year
Usual Blood Pressure: Low (no medication)
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune; Chronic/Post Lyme; Fibromyalgia; Food sensitivities; IBD; IBS; ME/CFS; MCAS; MCS; Toxic mold illness; Graves disease; Diverticulitis; Reactive arthritis
Worst Neurological: Moderately severe
ME/CFS: Very Severe – Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities; Severe – PEM, Cognitive, OI; Moderate – Headaches
Most severe activity level: Basically bedridden but participate in conversations
Recent activity level: I could work or be active for 20 hours a week or more.
Mold Avoidance: Made a big effort, improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Not clear at all
Medical treatment: Double up thyroid meds. Given 2 antibiotics, did not take. Given benadryl pepcid saline iv. Wanted to do steroids. I declined. Took Biocidin at home. It seemed to help some
Critically Important: Reduce stress; Rest; Stay out of moldy buildings; Take warm/hot baths
Very Helpful: Bathe and change clothes frequently
Somewhat Helpful: Berberines; Echinacea; Garlic essential oil; Oregano essential oil; Electrolyte beverages; Garlic; Acetaminophen; Cough drops; Stay warm; Sun exposure; Gargling; Rinsing sinuses
Don’t know: Other essential oils; Spend time outdoors in good locations
Other Very Helpful Treatments: Biocidin; Warm drinks
Danielle
Patient Number: 12
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 103
Time Since Onset: 112 days
Onset Location: Chattanooga, TN
Prior Locations: Nashville, TN
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 12/13/19
Lung Date: 12/18/19
Lung Symptom Lag: 5 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: Higher than 104F (usually low)
Bedridden: Totally bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse
Duration: Life-threatening – 3 days; Very severe – 2 days; Severe – 3 days; Moderate – 5 days; Mild – 14 days
Initial Symptom: During the first day, I just felt tired and like my brain was super foggy. It felt like my body was going to fight off something and be fine the next day. The second day was flu-like symptoms— a bad headache, fatigue, muscle pain and perhaps a slight fever.
Life Threatening: Headache; Elevated temperature; Weakness; Tiredness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Very Severe Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Wet cough; Dehydration; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Pain when moving body parts; Runny/stuffy nose
Severe Symptoms: Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Joint pain
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Lung/chest pain; Dry cough; Sore voice; Diarrhea; Abdominal pain;
Mild Symptoms: Lung/chest pressure; Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Vomiting; Nausea; Blue lips or face; Sneezing
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe, harder to get over
Practitioner: Saw practitioner.
Decade Born: 1980’s
Gender: Female
Living: Apartment
Previous Colds/Flus: Rarely or never
Flu Shot: Definitely not
Blood Pressure: Usually low (not taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune; Food sensitivities; ME/CFS; MCS; Toxic Mold Illness; Atypical Marfans; Chiari malformation with restricted CSF flow and severe scoliosis
Worst Neurological: Very severe
ME/CFS: Mild Problem – PEM, Cognitive, OI, Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities
Most severe activity level: Could be active 10 hours a week
Recent activity level: Could be active 10 hours a week
Mold Avoidance: Made big effort, health improved a great deal
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Mostly clear
Comments: I was adamant that I didn’t have the flu— that is was something else. I have had the flu once or twice and this was 10x worse. I think I caught it from my boyfriend’s nephew who has been sick for several weeks, so they assumed he was no longer contagious. The headache was absolutely unbearable and I get familial hemiplegic migraines… this was so much more painful. I got a negative point of care flu test at the walk-in doctor but at the ER an hour later I received a positive flu test. The ER doc would have down a spinal tap, but I have Chianti malformation and they didn’t know how to do the special kind of spinal tap I have to have. I would get a littler better one day then way worse the next. I was not the same for 2 months after that. It wasn’t until I started Dr Klinghardt recommended herbs for COVID that I finally felt a normal level of energy since the “flu”. I was certain I was going to die, it was so awful and bizarre.
Illness Course: Outside of the 2 week-long acute illness, a week or two ago I felt like I was having it all over again but extremely mild. Before anyone knew COVID caused loss or smell/taste, I was freaking out because I noticed I couldn’t smell or taste anything and I didn’t understand why. I couldn’t eat, either, but I’m ok with fasting so I didn’t get too concerned about loss of appetite. Then it ended with one day of flu-like symptoms but I didn’t even test my temperature. I just took more of the herbs Dr Klinghardt recommends and I was fine the next day.
Michelle
Patient Number: 17
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 82
Time Since Onset: 85 days
Onset Location: San Francisco
Prior Locations: Berkeley, SF, Santa Cruz, San Jose Airport, Koloa Kauai
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 12/27/19
Lung Date: 1/5/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 9 days
Lung Severity: Very Severe Problem
High Fever: 102-103 (usually lower than normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better and then had a substantial relapse. (I relapsed any time I exerted myself – cooking a meal, doing laundry, washing my hair.)
Duration: Life threatening – 2 days. Very severe – 6 days. Severe – 14 days. Moderate -5 days. Mild – 9 days.
Initial Symptom: Sore throat; Coughing; Headache
Very Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Wet cough; Pneumonia; Difficulties swallowing; Sore voice; Tiredness; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Bronchitis; Feelings of nausea; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Pain when moving body parts; Weakness; Sleepiness
Moderate Symptoms: Lung/chest pressure; Headache; Sore/painful throat; Dehydration; Diarrhea; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Abdominal pain; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Joint pain
Mild Symptoms: Loss of taste
Not An Issue: Dry cough; Vomiting; Blue lips/face; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Additional Symptoms: Swollen glands; Rib pain; Kidney pain; Vertigo
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Harder to get over
Practitioner: Diagnosed Mycoplasma pneumoniae.
Decade Born: 1960’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: Several per year
Usual Blood Pressure: Low
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune; Chronic/Post Lyme; Fibromyalgia; Food sensitivities; ME/CFS; MCAS; MCS; Shingles; Bladder infections; Candida; Lyme co-infections; Sjogren’s; Hashimoto’s
Worst Neurological: Moderately severe
ME/CFS: Very severe – PEM, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities; Severe – Cognitive, Headaches, Muscle/joint pain; Moderate – OI
Most severe activity level: I rarely could go out to shop or socialize but was not bedridden
Recent activity level: I could go out to shop or socialize a few times a wee
Mold Avoidance: Made some effort, Health improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Extremely good
Mold Exposure: Mostly clear
HH Member #1: 1996; Undiagnosed chronic Lyme symptoms, Fatigue, Migratory joint and muscle pain; Illness but without significant lung issues.
Medical treatment: Offered antibiotics – didn’t take. After nearly 7 weeks, I was treated by Auricular medicine. In less than 3 days, my cough was gone.
Critically Important: Vitamin C (3-5 g liposomal); Cough drops; Bathe and change clothes frequently; Rest; Stay out of moldy buildings; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths; Rinsing sinuses (Xclear with saline, xylitol and briotech)
Very Helpful: Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Monolaurin; Probiotics; Spend time outdoors in good locations; Stay warm; Nebulizer (Briotech and distilled water 50/50);
Somewhat Helpful: Vitamin E; Iodine; Selenium; Zinc (30-45 mg chewable optimal zinc by Seeking Health); Elderberry; Oregano oil; Colloidal silver (Argentyn nano silver, 3 tsp daily first few days then 1 tsp daily); Medicinal mushrooms; Electrolyte beverage; Cough Syrup (non-prescription); Reduce stress; Gargling (sprayed Briotech HOCL on tonsils and gargled 5 minutes twice daily);
No Effect: Quercetin; Berberines; CBD; Melatonin; Ginger; Raw honey
Harmful: Alcohol; Citrus fruits
Other Very Helpful Treatments: Infrared sauna with cold plunge
Additional Comments: This illness was prolonged. After the initial 4 weeks it almost disappeared. However, with the smallest exertion, the virus flared and a low grade fever and widespread body pain and fatigue returned. This went on for a couple more weeks along with the violent debilitating cough that wracked my entire body. I had to see my chiropractor once a week to have my ribs adjusted.
Brenda
Patient Number: 99
Current Condition: I feel a little better but not recovered
Severity Score: 44
Time Since Onset: 105 days
Onset Location: Orlando, FL
Prior Locations: Seattle, WA
Chronic Illness History: Mild
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 12/29/19
Lung Date: 1/1/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 3 days
Lung Severity: Very severe
High Fever: 100-101 (usually normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Not bedridden
Relapse: I felt like I was basically recovered but then had a substantial relapse. (Chinese herbs helped, then I ran out and symptoms edged back up.)
Duration: Severe – 10 days; Moderate – 20 days; Mild – 30 days
Initial Symptom: Runny nose; Drainage in throat; Extreme fatigue
Very Severe Symptoms: Lung/chest pressure
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Dry cough; Wet cough
Moderate Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Muscle aches; Runny/stuffy nose; Tiredness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Mild Symptoms: Headache; Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Diarrhea; Nausea; Abdominal pain; Fever; Feverish feelings; Chills; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Sneezing; Weakness
Not An Issue: Sore voice; Dehydration; Vomiting; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Blue lips or face; Bone pain
Additional Symptoms: Temperature regulation seems off; Word searching; Bronchials ache while lung X-ray clear; Holistic doc suspects fungal element
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Harder to get over, more severe
Practitioner: Saw practitioner. Said pneumonia and fungus (via muscle testing); Inflamed lungs
Decade Born: 1960’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: One or two per year
Flu Shot: Definitely did not receive
Blood Pressure: Low (no medication)
Chronic Conditions: Toxic mold illness; Suspected parasites
Worst Neurological: Mild
ME/CFS: Moderate – Unrefreshing sleep; Mild – PEM; Headaches; Muscle/Joint Pain; Sensitivities; Not A Problem – Cognitive, OI
Most severe activity level: Could be active 30 hours per week
Recent activity level: Could be active 60 hours per week
Mold Avoidance: Made a big effort, health improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Mostly clear
HH Member #1: 1990’s; Lyme/Mold; Moderate acute illness with lung symptoms
Medical treatment: Multiple antibiotics and steroids. Diflucan.
Critically Important: Stay out of moldy buildings
Somewhat Helpful: Vitamin C; Melatonin; Azithromycin; Other antibiotic drugs (Moxifloxacin with oregano oil capsules; levofloxacin); Antifungal drugs (Diflucan); Acetaminophen; Non-prescription cough syrup; Bathe and change clothes frequently; Reduce stress; Rest; Spend time outdoors in good locations; Stay warm; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths; Nebulizer; Rinsing sinuses
No Effect: Citrus fruits
Don’t know: Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Zinc; Elderberry; Garlic pills; Oregano oil; Colloidal silver; Probiotics; MCT or coconut oil; Garlic; Antiviral drugs; Gargling
Additional Helpful Treatments: Binders
Additional Comments: Doctor believes she treated another with Covid in December and didn’t think I had it. Long history of reactive airway. This illness like no other I’ve had esp aching lungs. Chinese doc says bronchials inflamed, not lungs. Herbs seemed to help.
Annette
Patient Number: 18
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 81
Time Since Onset: 96 days
Onset Location: San Diego, CA
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 12/30/2019
Lung Date: 1/1/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 2 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: 100-101F (usually low)
Bedridden: Totally bedridden
Relapse: About a month later, got sick all over again, mostly same symptoms
Duration: Very severe – 5; Severe – 8; Moderate – 15; Mild – 20
Initial Symptom: Fever; Cough; Sweats; Fatigue
Very Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Wet cough; Sore voice; Tiredness
Severe Symptoms: Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Pneumonia; Sore/painful throat; Nausea; Abdominal pain; Feverish feelings; Muscle aches; Pain when moving body parts; Weakness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Dry cough; Headache; Difficulties swallowing; Dehydration; Diarrhea; Loss of appetite; Loss of taste; Elevated temperature; Chills; Bone pain; Joint pain; Sneezing
Mild Symptoms: Vomiting; Loss of smell; Runny/stuffy nose
Not An Issue Symptoms: Blue lips or face
Additional Symptoms: Watery eyes; sores on arms and face
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe, harder to get over.
Practitioner: Yes, I saw a practitioner. Test did show virus. Advised rest, fluid, supplements
Decade Born: 1950’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: Several per year
Blood Pressure: High (not taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune; Fibromyalgia; IBS; ME/CFS; Toxic Mold Illness; Inflamed Ears; Lymph node issues; Optic nerve damage; Horrible menstrual cycle
Worst Neurological: Moderately severe
ME/CFS: Very severe – PEM, Cognitive, Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities; Not a Problem – OI
Most severe activity level: Basically bedridden but could participate in conversations
Recent activity level: Could go out a few times a week
Mold Avoidance: Made big effort, health improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Not that great
Mold Exposure: Very clear
Kimberly
Patient Number: 22
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 61
Time Since Onset: 84 days
Onset Location: Northern California
Prior Locations: San Francisco; Incline Village
Chronic Illness History: Mild
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 1/5/20
Lung Date: 1/8/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 3 days
Lung Severity: Very severe problem
High Fever: 102-103F
Bedridden During Illness: Totally bedridden
Relapse: Improvements without relapse
Duration: Life threatening – a couple of days
Initial Symptom: Fever; Joint aches
Very Severe Symptoms: Wet cough; Bronchitis; Weakness
Severe Symptoms: Dry cough; Pneumonia; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Tiredness; Sleepiness
Moderate Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Lung or chest pain; Lung or chest pressure; Loss of sense of smell; Loss of sense of taste; Abdominal pain; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Generally feeling terrible
Mild Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Headache; Diarrhea; Feelings of nausea; Loss of appetite; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Not An Issue: Sore/painful throat; Difficulties with swallowing; Sore voice; Dehydration; Vomiting; Blue lips or face
Practitioner: Said my symptoms sounded like the virus to him. But this was a month after the fact
Decade Born: 1960’s
Gender: Female
Living: House/Apartment
Previous Colds/Flus: One every several years
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms
Blood Pressure: Normal
Chronic Conditions: None of the above. Pneumonia after swine flu about 10 years ago.
Worst Neurological: Not experienced
ME/CFS: Moderate – PEM; Mild – Cognitive; None – OI, Headaches, Muscle/Joint, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities
Recent activity level: 30 hours per week
Mold Avoidance: Have made some effort, improved a great deal
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Somewhat Clear
HH Member #1: 1970’s; No Chronic Health Conditions; Very severe acute illness with lung symptoms
HH Member #2: 2000’s; No Chronic Health Conditions; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
HH Member #3: 1990’s; No Chronic Health Conditions; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
Critically Important: Reduce stress; Rest; Spend time outdoors in good locations; Stay out of moldy buildings
Very Helpful: Rinsing sinuses
Somewhat Helpful: Vitamin C (1000-2000 mg per day), Vitamin D; Zinc; Elderberry; Ginger; Acetaminophen; Bathe and Change clothes; Sun exposure; Gargling
Don’t Know: Curcumin; Alcohol; Citrus Fruit; Electrolyte beverages; Garlic; Hot peppers; Onions; Stay warm; Take warm/hot baths
Anna
Patient Number: 23
Current Condition: I feel totally recovered
Severity Score: 44
Time Since Onset: 81 days
Onset Location: Glasgow, UK
Prior Locations: Nashville, TN; Greensboro, NC; West Virginia; London, UK
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Somewhat
Onset Date: 1/10/20
Lung Date: 1/14/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 4 days
Lung Severity: Severe
High Fever: Moderately problematic elevated temperature
Bedridden During Illness: Not really bedridden but slept a great deal
Relapse: I have experienced improvements without substantial relapse
Duration: Very severe – 1 day; Severe – 1 day; Moderate – 7 days; Mild – 5 days
Initial Symptom: Exhaustion; Cough
Very Severe Symptoms: Wet cough
Severe Symptoms: Runny/stuffy nose; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Dry cough; Sore/painful throat; Loss of appetite; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Tiredness
Mild Symptoms: Lung/chest pressure; Headache; Sore voice; Dehydration; Vomiting; Nausea; Pain when moving body parts; Weakness
Not An Issue: Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Difficulties swallowing; Diarrhea; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Blue lips or face; Sneezing; Sleepiness
Additional Symptoms: Vomiting up phlegm; Coughing so hard that I couldn’t breathe
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe
Practitioner: Discussed. Given no information really. COVID-19 hadn’t really become a problem in the UK yet when I was there, so I was treated for my asthma and allergies since I had had a flu shot.
Decade Born: 1990’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: Several per year
Blood Pressure: Normal (no medication)
Chronic Conditions: ADD/ADHD, Asthma, Food Sensitivities, Allergies, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Hypermobility Sydrome
Worst Neurological: Moderate
ME/CFS: Very Severe – Muscle/Joint Pain; Severe – PEM, Cognitive, Unrefreshing Sleep; Mild – OI, Headaches, Sensitivities
Most severe activity level: Rarely could go out but not bedridden
Recent activity level: Could be active 50 hours per week
Mold Avoidance: Made some effort, not sure if health improvements
Mold Avoidance Skill: Not sure
Mold Exposure: Not sure
HH Member #1: 1990’s; No chronic illness; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
Very Helpful: Vicks VapoRub
Somewhat Helpful: Other essential oils; Acetaminophen; Aspirin; Cough drops; Advil; Take warm/hot baths; Rinsing sinuses
No Effect: CBD; Echinacea; Elderberry; Melatonin; Electrolyte beverage; Cortisol/cortisone;
Harmful: Non-prescription cough syrup
Don’t know: Vitamin C; Vitamin D;
Additional Treatment Comments: I also took over the counter cough medicine, but it made it worse, so that I would cough until I vomited.
Susan
Patient Number: 26
Current Condition: I feel a little better but not recovered
Severity Score: 61
Time Since Onset: 76 days
Onset Location: Tucson, AZ
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 1/16/20
Lung Date: 1/23/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 7 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: 100-101 (Usually lower than normal range)
Bedridden During Illness: Not really bedridden but slept a great deal
Relapse: I have experienced improvements without substantial relapse
Duration: Severe – 2 weeks; Moderate – 2 weeks; Mild – 2 weeks
Initial Symptom: Sore throat; Dry cough; Headache; Muscle/joint pain
Very Severe Symptoms: Lung/chest pain; Tiredness
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Lung/chest pressure; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Weakness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Dry cough; Wet cough; Sore/painful throat; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Pain when moving body parts
Mild Symptoms: Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Headache; Sore voice; Diarrhea; Nausea; Loss of appetite; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Not An Issue: Difficulty swallowing; Dehydration; Vomiting; Abdominal pain; Blue lips or face;
Additional Symptoms: Sudden congestion of upper lungs. Had to sleep 14-16 hours every night
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe, harder to get over
Practitioner: Discussed on phone or Internet. Diagnosis: Probable COVID-19
Decade Born: 1950’s
Gender: Female
Living: Apartment
Previous Colds/Flus: One every couple of years
Blood Pressure: High (taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: ADD/ADHD; Autoimmune; Chronic/Post Lyme; Diabetes; Fibromyalgia; Food sensitivities; Heart disease; Lung disease; ME/CFS; MCAS; MCS; Toxic Mold Illness; Seizures
Worst Neurological: Moderately severe
ME/CFS: Very Severe – Unrefreshing Sleep; Sensitivities; Severe – PEM, Cognitive; Moderate – Muscle/Joint Pain; Mild – OI, Headaches
Most severe activity level: Basically bedridden but could participate in conversations
Recent activity level: Rarely could go out but not bedridden
Mold Avoidance: Made big effort, improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Extremely good
Mold Exposure: Very clear
Critically Important: Citrus fruits; MCT or coconut oil; Rest; Stay out of moldy buildings; Take warm/hot baths; Coffee enemas
Very Helpful: Vitamin C (Vitamin Code, 3000 mg, plus juicing); Vitamin D; Iodine; Marijuana; Garlic; Ginger; Onions; Raw honey; Bathe and change clothes frequently; Reduce stress; Stay warm; Sun exposure; Gargling (hydrogen peroxide alternating with oil pulling); Rinsing sinuses
Somewhat Helpful: Spend time outdoors in good locations
Don’t know: Selenium; Echinacea
Additional Treatments: Rebounding (at least 5x daily for 5-15 minutes. Very helpful for my congested lungs. Performed postural lung drainage positions on my bed, chair and rebounder. Epsom salt/baking soda baths in very hot water for 60-90 minutes every other day.
Additional Comments: I started isolating myself in December 2019 due to my medical history. I increased my detox with CSM, charcoal, & GI Detox. I increased coffee enemas to twice a week, instead of weekly. I added whole food Vitamin C up to 3 grams daily. I increased my Vitamin B-12 injections to twice a week, instead of weekly. To drain my lungs, I performed postural drainage positions, using my bed, chair, & rebounder. To break up my congested lungs, I jumped on my rebounder about 5 times a day. It helped me to cough up some phlegm. My Dr only suggested adding the Vitamin C to my supplements. The other treatments I decided to do in order to stay out of the hospital. As an RN for 40 years who performed many respiratory treatments on patients, I know how contaminated hospitals are & wanted to stay away. There were 3 nights with severe lung pain, that I thought about driving to the ER, but I didn’t. I experienced about 4 weeks of illness, followed by 6 weeks of extreme fatigue. Worst symptom was the lung pain. I still need to sleep 11-14 hours every night. I’m thinking the Covid-19 might have reactivated the EBV?
Jennifer
Patient Number: 27
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 66
Time Since Onset: 66 days
Onset Location: Phoenix, AZ
Prior Locations: Washington D.C.
Chronic Illness History: None
Mold Avoidance: No
Onset Date: 1/20/20
Lung Date: 1/25/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 5 days
Lung Severity: Severe
High Fever: 100-101 F (usually normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse. (On one or two days, I felt well enough to move about the house and do some work. But then the symptoms came back strongly and the cough was worse.)
Duration: Very severe: 1-2 days; Severe: 7-10 days; Moderate: 7-10 days; Mild: 7-10 days
Initial Symptom: The initial symptoms (congestion and mild sore throat) appeared on the afternoon of 1/20/20. But, on the evening of 1/18/20, I started to feel some nondescript symptoms of illness like muscle pain, tired, and irritability. By 1/21/20, I was feeling more tired. On 1/22/20, the sore throat became significantly worse. By 1/23/20, I had a fever, sore throat, exhaustion, loss of appetite.
Very Severe Symptoms: Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Weakness; Tiredness; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Dry cough; Wet cough; Headache; Sore voice; Muscle aches
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Bone pain; Joint pain; Runny/stuffy nose; Sleepiness
Mild Symptoms: Dehydration; Pain when moving body parts; Sneezing
Not An Issue: Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Diarrhea; Vomiting; Nausea; Abdominal pain; Blue lips/face;
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe, harder to get over
Practitioner: The first provider diagnosed flu but did not do a flu test. The second provider (at the same medical facility) questioned the flu diagnosis but also did not perform a test. At that second visit, I did get a chest xray, which was negative.
Decade Born: 1960’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: 1-2 per year
Blood Pressure: Normal (not taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: None, but have had high stress levels over the past year.
Worst Neurological: Mild
ME/CFS: Moderate – Muscle/joint Pain; Unrefreshing Sleep; Mild – Sensitivities; Not a Problem – PEM, Cognitive, OI, Headaches
Most severe activity level: I could work or be active 50 hours a week or more
Recent activity level: I could work or be active 50 hours a week or more
Mold Avoidance: Not pursued
HH Member #1: 2000’s; No chronic conditions; Had acute illness without significant lung issues
Somewhat Helpful: Cough syrup (prescription), Cough drops,
No Effect: Antiviral drugs (Tamiflu), Vicks VapoRub, Rest, Stay warm, Rinsing sinuses (saline)
Don’t know: Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Echinacea, Elderberry, Probiotics, Citrus fruit, Garlic, Ginger, Onions, Azithromycin, Bathe and change clothes frequently, Reduce stress
Additional Comments: I have never in my life felt as sick as I did during my illness. The recovery took a long time. I still cough mildly a few times a day (over two months after the onset of the illness). At that time, no one suspected that it could be COVID19. But, now that we know more, I wonder if that is what I had. My teenager got sick about 1.5-2 weeks after I got sick, but her symptoms were more mild and looked more like a traditional virus. At the time, we thought that she had something different from what I had because the symptom picture was so much less severe.
Heather
Patient Number: 29
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 80
Time Since Onset: 63 days
Onset Location: Las Cruces, NM
Chronic Illness History: Moderate
Mold Avoidance: Somewhat
Onset Date: 1/27/20
Lung Date: 1/28/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 1 day
Lung Severity: Very severe problem
High Fever: 101-102 (usual lower than normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: Experienced improvement without relapse
Duration: Very severe – 6; Severe – 4; Moderate – 2; Mild – 7
Initial Symptom: Sore throat and cough
Very Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Dry cough; Bronchitis; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Weakness; Tiredness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Lung/chest pain; lung/chest pressure; Loss of appetite
Moderate Symptoms: Headache; Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Dehydration; Feelings of nausea
Mild Symptoms: Sore voice
Not An Issue Symptoms: Wet cough; Pneumonia; Diarrhea; Vomiting; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Blue lips or face; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Harder to get rid of
Practitioner: Teledoc first, then in person. The teledoc diagnosed me with flu based on symptoms and fever of 101.7. A week later my primary doctor diagnosed me with bronchitis. I was running a low-grade fever of 99.7.
Decade Born: 1970’s
Gender: Female
Living: RV with Plumbing
Previous Colds/Flus: Once every couple of years
Blood Pressure: Normal (taking medication to lower)
Chronic Conditions: Chronic/Post Lyme; Fibromyalgia; ME/CFS; MCS; Psychiatric Issues; Gastritis/GERD; Herniated Disks; Plantar Fasciatis; Seasonal airborne allergies; COPD; Major depressive disorder; Anxiety disorder; PTSD; Insomnia
Worst Neurological: Moderate
ME/CFS: Very Severe – PEM, Unrefreshing Sleep; Severe – Muscle/Joint Pain, Sensitivities; Moderate – Cognitive; Mild – Headaches; Not a Problem – OI
Most severe activity level: Could work or be active 30 hours a week
Recent activity level: Could work or be active 30 hours a week
Mold Avoidance: Made some effort, improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Mostly clear
HH Member #1: 1970; No health conditions; No acute illness
Medical treatment: I received a prescription for Tamiflu, predisone, and Symbicort. After seeing my primary doctor, I received Z-pack and started noticing improvement within about 3 days. He also provided me with a nebulizer treatment.
Critically Important: Azithromycin
Very Helpful: Nebulizer
Somewhat Helpful: Acetaminophen; Cough drops; Vicks VapoRub; Gargling (salt water and silver)
No Effect: Vitamin C (500 mg, 3x per day); Vitamin D; Selenium; CBD; Marijuana; Colloidal silver (gargled then swallowed); Melatonin (5 mg); Citrus fruits; Garlic; Ginger; Hot peppers; Onions; Raw honey; Antiviral drugs (Tamiflu); Cough syrup (non-prescription); Rest; Stay out of moldy buildings; Stay warm; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths
Additional Treatments: Symbicort provided temporary relief
Additional Comments: This was sickest I’ve been since Lyme disease and I never had that feeling of drowning in my lungs ever – not that severe.
Chris
Patient Number: 31
Severity Score: 65
Onset Location: Fairview/Nashville, TN
Time Since Onset: 65 days
Onset Date: 1/29/20
Lung Date: 1/30/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 1 day
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: Severely problematic elevated temperature
Initial Symptom: Pressure below chest; fatigue; Weakness; Projectile Vomiting; Chills; Fever; Eyelids aching; Ribs aching; Heart racing
Very Severe Symptoms: Nausea; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Feelings of lung or chest pressure; Headache; Dehydration; Vomiting; Abdominal pain; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Weakness; Tiredness
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Loss of appetite
Mild Symptoms: Dry cough; Wet cough; Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Diarrhea; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Not An Issue Symptoms: Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Sore voice; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Blue lips or face; Sleepiness
Shannon
Patient Number: 43
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 53
Time Since Onset: 41 days
Onset Location: Seattle, Washington
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Somewhat
Onset Date: 2/10/20
Lung Date: 2/28/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 18 days
Lung Severity: Very Severe
Bedridden Status: Mostly Bedridden
High Fever: Between 102-103
Relapse: I got somewhat better but had a substantial relapse (second time was much worse)
Duration: Very Severe Illness – 5 days
Initial Symptom: Fever
Very Severe Symptoms: Wet cough; Bronchitis; Headache
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung or chest pain; Lung or chest pressure; Sore or painful throat; Dehydration; Tiredness; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Dry cough; Vomiting; Loss of appetite; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Weakness; Sleepiness
Mild Symptoms: Difficulties swallowing; Sore voice; Runny or stuffy nose
Not An Issue: Pneumonia; Diarrhea; Nausea; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Blue lips/face; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Sneezing
Additional Symptoms: Choking on mucus
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms; more severe; harder to get over
Practitioner: Saw, didn’t provide much information
Decade Born: 1970’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: 1-2 per year
Blood Pressure: Normal (no medicines)
Chronic Conditions: ADD/ADHD; Food sensitivities; MCAS; POTS; Toxic mold illness; Toxic levels of lead
Worst Neurological: Very Severe
ME/CFS: Very severe – Sensitivities; Severe – PEM, Cognitive; Moderate – OI, Unrefreshing Sleep; Not A Problem – Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain
Most severe activity level: 10 hours/week
Recent activity level: 10 hours/week
Mold Avoidance: Made big effort (health had gotten worse)
Mold Avoidance Skill: Extremely good
Mold Exposure: Not clear at all
HH Member #1: 2010’s; ASD, MCAS, Lead load, PANDAS; Had mild illness with lung symptoms
Medical treatment: Two rounds of antibiotics (helped); inhaler (helped); muscle densensitization for airborne allergens (helped); prescribed cough pills (didn’t take)
Critically Important: Electrolyte beverage; Cooked onions + mushrooms; Azithromycin; Other antibiotics; Cough drops; Vicks VapoRub; Gargling (salt); Nebulizer (Arbutrol)
Very Helpful: Vitamin C (3000 mg/day); Ginger; Non-prescription cough syrup; Rest; Spend time in good locations; Stay out of moldy buildings; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths (Epsom salts); Magnesium
Somewhat Helpful: Raw honey
No Effect: Bathe and change clothes frequently
Harmful: Elderberry, Probiotics
Don’t know: Vitamin D; Reduce stress; Stay warm
Linda
Patient Number: 46
Current Condition: I feel a little better but not recovered.
Severity Score: 75
Time Since Onset: 37 days
Onset Location: Indianapolis, IN
Chronic Illness History: Moderate
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 2/14/20
Lung Date: 2/20/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 6 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: 102-103 (Usual temperature low)
Bedridden: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: Felt like basically recovered and then relapsed
Duration: Severe – 28 days; Moderate – 5 days; Mild – 2 days
Initial Symptom: Chest tightness; Shortness of breath; Depression
Very Severe Symptoms: Wet cough; Weakness; Tiredness
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Dry cough; Bronchitis; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Pneumonia; Dehydration; Abdominal pain; Blue lips/face; Pain when moving body parts; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing; Sleepiness
Mild Symptoms: Headache; Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Difficulties talking; Diarrhea; Feelings of nausea; Loss of appetite; Loss of taste
Not An Issue: Vomiting; Loss of smell
Additional Symptoms: It has been over 5 weeks. Still having chest pain, cough not as severe, weakness, fatigue, shortness of breath and rapid pulse.
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms; more severe; harder to get over
Practitioner: Was seen on three different visits. Given diagnosis of bronchitis, probable influenza but no swabs were done, abnormal chest X-ray. After seeing an integrative medicine doctor, was given an injection for my immune system which greatly improved symptoms within two days. Was told I did not meet guidelines for COVID-19 testing.
Decade Born: 1950’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: Rarely/Never
Blood Pressure: High (taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune; Fibromyalgia; Food sensitivities; Toxic mold illness; Common variable immune deficiency
Worst Neurological: Moderate
ME/CFS: Very Severe – Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities; Severe – PEM, Cognitive, OI, Muscle/Joint Pain; Moderate – Headaches
Most severe activity level: Totally bedridden, rarely could read
Recent activity level: 20 hours week
Mold Avoidance: Big effort, improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Fairly good
Mold Exposure: Mostly clear
HH Member #1: 1952; Kidney stones, IBD, Heart disease; Mild acute illness with lung symptoms
Critically Important: Reduce stress
Very Helpful: Vitamin C (2000 mg); Zinc (Zinc chelate 25 mg); CBD; Curcumin; Melatonin (20 mg); Rest; Stay out of moldy buildings; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths
Somewhat Helpful: Vitamin A; Vitamin D; Iodine; Elderberry; Oregano oil; Other essential oils (topical thyme oil; ingested oregano oil); Garlic pills; Marijuana; Colloidal silver (ingested); Probiotics; Garlic; Ginger; Onions; Other antibiotic drugs (Doxy 100 mg); Acetaminophen; Cough syrup (non-prescription); Vicks VapoRub; Coffee enemas; Gargling (salt water with oregano oil); Rinsing sinuses (sodium chloride with oregano oil)
No Effect: Stay warm; Nebulizer (Albuterol)
Harmful: Cortisol or cortisone
Don’t know: MCT or coconut oil; Bathe and change clothes frequently
Additional Treatments: I was given sub q Thymosin A to boost immune system week number four of illness
Exposure Suspicion: Went to a large medical center for a routine non urgent office visit on 2/10/2020. The nurse stated he was getting sick. His nose was dripping as he took my vital signs. He blew his nose multiple times and did not wash hands after blowing nose. He touched me to do vital signs.
Maria
Patient Number: 52
Current Condition: I feel a little better but not recovered
Severity Score: 43
Time Since Onset: 28 days
Onset Location: Tuscany, Italy
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 2/23/20
Lung Date: 2/25/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 2 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: 100-101 (usually lower than normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Almost totally bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse. (Some days I felt better, I had good energy, but then the next day I felt very tired again and had to sleep 12 hours or more. It seems to keep coming and going, but I know that is also normal for me with viral infections. It seems hard for my body to get rid of them completely and it usually takes me several weeks.)
Duration: Very severe – 2; Severe – 15; Moderate – 7; Mild – 5
Initial Symptom: First I was feeling extremely tired and had shortness of breath. I was sleeping 12 hours a day or more.
Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Loss of appetite; Tiredness; Sleepiness;
Moderate Symptoms: Pneumonia; Bronchitis; Headache; Feelings of nausea; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Weakness
Mild Symptoms: Lung/chest pain; Dry cough; Wet cough; Sore/painful throat; Difficulties swallowing; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Muscle aches; Pain when moving body parts; Runny/stuffy nose; Generally feeling terrible
Not An Issue Symptoms: Lung/chest pressure; Sore voice; Dehydration; Diarrhea; Vomiting; Blue lips/face; Bone pain; Joint pain; Sneezing
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms, more severe
Practitioner: Not seen. (Don’t have primary care provider; concerned about exposure to infections; concerned about exposure to mold/chemicals; doubt practitioner could help; avoid healthcare practitioners in general)
Decade Born: 1980’s
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: Several per year
Usual Blood Pressure: Very low (not taking medicine)
Chronic Conditions: Autoimmune illness; Fibromyalgia; ME/CFS; MCAS; MCS; POTS; Toxic mold illness
Worst Neurological: Very severe
ME/CFS: Very severe – PEM, Cognitive OI, Sensitivities; Severe – Headaches, Muscle/joint Aches, Unrefreshing Sleep
Most severe activity level: Basically bedridden but could read or participate in conversations
Recent activity level: Could work or be active 20 hours a week
Mold Avoidance: Big effort, had improved a great deal
Mold Avoidance Skill: Extremely good
Mold Exposure: Very Clear
Medical treatment: None
Critically Important: Zinc (Solgar Zinc Picolinate, 2-6 x 22 mg per day); Medicinal mushrooms; Stay warm
Very Helpful: Probiotics; Rest
Somewhat Helpful: Citrus fruits; Hot peppers; onions; Reduce stress; Rinsing sinuses (EM1 dissolved in water)
No Effect: Sun exposure
Additional Very Helpful Treatments: Staying earthed most of the time using an earthing sheet when in bed and an earthing band when up – seems to be critically important. Phosphatidylcholine and N-Acethyl.-cysteine also help to clear the lungs, but are not critical. I also took a multivitamin/multimineral which seems to help a little with energy levels but no major effect. I used a large dose of reishi mushrooms in the morning and in the evening, sometimes dissolved in lemon juice.
Additional Comments: I didn’t pursue changing my clothes and bedding often, though I think that would be helpful because I most often felt too tired and too cold to have a shower and do the laundry. Staying warm enough felt more important than showering and undressing was hard. Whenever I got cold for more than a few minutes my symptoms would intensify and I would enter a relapse stage (this also happened in the past with other viral infections). I have had a fever for nine continuous days so far, though it has never gotten past 38ºC. However, it is very rare for me to ever have high fevers (or fever at all). I have gotten a fever higher than 38ºC only once every 4 years or more, even when I have been extremely ill with an infection at other times. I don’t remember any time of my life when I have had a fever for so many consecutive days in a row. Usually, it lasts a day or two, then it goes away and comes back a few days later.
Andrea
Patient Number: 59
Current Condition: I don’t feel any better but the situation is stable
Severity Score: 65
Time Since Onset: 21 days
Onset Location: Kenmore, WA
Prior Locations: Seattle Area
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 03/2/20
Lung Date: 3/16/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 14 days
Lung Severity: Severe Problem
High Fever: 103-104
Bedridden During Illness: Was mostly/fully bedridden before getting the illness
Relapse: Got mostly better and then relapsed. Most symptoms were on and off.
Duration: Severe – 1-2 days; Moderate – 1-2 days; Mild – 14 days
Initial Symptoms: Very sore throat; Diarrhea; Fatigue
Very Severe Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Sore/painful throat; Sore voice
Severe Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Headache; Diarrhea; Feelings of nausea; Abdominal pain; Muscle aches; Runny/stuffy nose; Weakness; Generally feeling terrible
Moderate Symptoms: Lung or chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Difficulties swallowing; Dehydration; Loss of appetite; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Tiredness
Mild Symptoms: Pneumonia; Sleepiness
Not An Issue: Dry cough; Wet cough; Bronchitis; Vomiting; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Blue lips/face; Sneezing
Additional Symptoms: Insomnia
Practitioner: Discussed with practitioner.
Decade Born: (Blank)
Gender: Female
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: 1-2 per year
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms; more severe; harder to get over
Usual Blood Pressure: Don’t Know
Chronic Conditions: Fibromyalgia; IBS; ME/CFS; MCAS; MCS; Toxic mold illness; Sinus infection; MARCONS; TMJ
Worst Neurological: Moderately Severe
ME/CFS: Very Severe – Cognitive, Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities; Severe – PEM; Moderate – OI.
Most severe activity level: 20 hours/week
Recent activity level: 20 hours/week
Mold Avoidance: Made big effort, improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Extremely Good
Mold Exposure: Very Clear
Medical Treatment: Oxygen, supplements.
Critically Important: Quercetin; Cough drops; Stay out of moldy buildings; Stay warm; Sun exposure; Take warm/hot baths; Rinsing sinuses (NeilMed)
Very Helpful: Other essential oils; Probiotics; Electrolyte beverage; Acetaminophen; Bathe and change clothes frequently
Somewhat Helpful: Elderberry; Garlic essential oil (Allimed); Garlic pills; Colloidal silver; Raw honey; Reduce stress; Rest; Gargling (HOCl); Nebulizer (HOCl; Glutathione; Silver)
No Effect: Vitamin D; Curcumin; Melatonin
Don’t know: Vitamin A; Vitamin E; Zinc (Pure Encapsulations 30 mg); Spend time outdoors in good locations
Additional Helpful Treatments: Low histamine diet; Liver support supplements; Epsom salt baths with lavender and eucalyptus; Rebounding for lymph; Oxygen tanks when couldn’t breathe; Watching things that make me laugh to de-stress; Taking it easy; Made meals and froze them before illness got very bad; Diffuser in room with distilled water and HOCl to keep sinuses open; Grapefruit seed extract for sinuses; Sprayed HOCl in throat
Comments: I never had a flu/cold/illness feel like this. The pain in chest/lungs was most scary. Felt like a boulder on my chest. Scary because I have severe MCAS and can’t go to a hospital even if I needed it or my throat would close up due to MCAS reactions to fragrance, cleaning products, etc. What was weird was the on and off nature of symptoms. Sore throat and red swollen tonsils the entire time but others symptoms fluctuated. Seems never ending – I have been sick for longer than two weeks now.
Jason
Patient Number: 62
Current Condition: I feel mostly recovered
Severity Score: 30
Time Since Onset: 32 days
Onset Location: Clarksville, TN
Prior Locations: Franklin, NC (Spent 5 days in close contact with people from NC, TN, GA and Israel.)
Chronic Illness History: None
Mold Avoidance: Somewhat
Onset Date: 3/2/20
Lung Date: 3/4/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 2 days
Lung Severity: Severe problem
High Fever: Moderately problematic elevated temparature
Bedridden During Illness: Not really bedridden but slept a great deal
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse
Duration: Severe – 7 days; Moderate – 7 days; Mild – 7 days
Initial Symptom: Fever; Dry cough; Extreme sore throat; Headache; Sinus congestion
Very Severe Symptoms: Sore/painful throat
Severe Symptoms: Dry cough; Sore voice; Generally feeling terrible;
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulties swallowing; Loss of appetite; Elevated temperature; Feverish feelings; Chills; Tiredness; Sleepiness
Mild Symptoms: Shortness of breath; Runny/stuffy nose; Weakness
Not An Issue: Difficulty breathing; Lung/chest pain, Lung/chest pressure, Wet cough, Pneumonia, Bronchitis; Dehydration; Vomiting; Nausea; Loss of smell; Loss of taste; Abdominal pain; Blue lips/face; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Sneezing
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): Different symptoms; more severe; harder to get over
Practitioner: Saw practitioner. Strep throat test negative. Prescribed medication but did not help.
Decade Born: 1970’s
Gender: Male
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: One every several years
Flu Shot: Definitely not
Blood Pressure: Low (not taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: No chronic conditions
Worst Neurological: None of these
ME/CFS: Not A Problem – PEM, Cognitive, OI, Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep, Sensitivities
Most severe activity level: Could be active 60 hours a week
Recent activity level: Could be active 60 hours a week
Mold Avoidance: Made some effort, stayed about the same
Mold Avoidance Skill: Not able to do that
Mold Exposure: Not sure
HH Member #1: 1970’s; CIRS, Lyme, Hypothyroid; Moderate acute illness with lung symptoms
Relapse: About 5-6 days in, started feeling better and like recovery was near. Lasted for 1-2 days before relapsing into the same symptoms again.
Additional Comments: This person is a very healthy individual, no known health problems (had recent physical), not affected in a noticeable way by mold, chemicals, etc. Gets sick with something mild very occasionally, and usually recovers in a couple of days max. This was the most severe virus or illness he has had in 20 years. The first time he has ever taken off work due to being sick. The first time he ever went to a doctor for being sick (in his adult life). After 5 weeks he is mostly recovered, with only some coughing still lingering. Blue Jean is the healthy husband of Silver Star.
James
Patient Number: 93
Current Condition: I feel a little better but not recovered.
Severity Score: 73
Time Since Onset: 10 days
Onset Location: Syracuse, UT
Chronic Illness History: Severe
Mold Avoidance: Yes
Onset Date: 3/24/20
Lung Date: 3/28/20
Lung Symptom Lag: 4 days
Lung Severity: Moderate problem
High Fever: 101-102F (usually normal)
Bedridden During Illness: Mostly bedridden
Relapse: I got somewhat better but then had a substantial relapse. (Relapsing every other day for a week now.)
Duration: Severe – 2 days; Moderate – 12 days; Mild – 5 days
Initial Symptom: Nighttime fevers
Very Severe Symptoms: Sore voice; Tiredness; Sleepiness; Generally feeling terrible
Severe Symptoms: Lung/chest pain; Lung/chest pressure; Bronchitis; Difficulties swallowing; Dehydration; Nausea; Abdominal pain; Feverish feelings; Weakness
Moderate Symptoms: Difficulty breathing; Shortness of breath; Wet cough; Headache; Sore/painful throat; Elevated temperature; Chills; Muscle aches; Bone pain; Joint pain; Pain when moving body parts; Runny/stuffy nose; Sneezing
Mild Symptoms: Dry cough; Loss of appetite; Loss of smell; Blue lips or face;
Not An Issue: Pneumonia; Diarrhea; Vomiting; Loss of taste
Additional Symptoms: Occasional severe mood swings, anxiety or depression.
Suspect Illness (compared to colds/flus): More severe, harder to get over
Practitioner: Not seen (Concerned about exposure to infections)
Decade Born: 1950’s
Gender: Male
Living: House
Previous Colds/Flus: One or two per year
Flu Shot: Definitely not
Blood Pressure: High (taking medication)
Chronic Conditions: ADD/ADHD, ASD, Chronic/Post Lyme, Food Sensitivities, ME/CFS, MCAS, POTS, Toxic Mold Illness, TMJ, EDS
Worst Neurological: Moderate
ME/CFS: Severe – PEM, Cognitive, OI, Sensitivities; Moderate – Headaches, Muscle/Joint Pain, Unrefreshing Sleep
Most severe activity level: Basically bedridden but could participate in conversations
Recent activity level: Rarely could go out but not bedridden
Mold Avoidance: Made some effort, health improved somewhat
Mold Avoidance Skill: Very good
Mold Exposure: Somewhat clear
HH Member #1: 1960’s; MCS, bipolar; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
HH Member #2: 1980’s; ME/CFS, seizures, mood swings; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
HH Member #3: 1996; Autism, depression; Moderately severe acute illness with lung symptoms
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