COVID-19 Recovery Thread (playing related)

[Ltrain]

I had COVID-19 in early May, confirmed by a positive convalescent NAA test and 2 positive antibody tests... not to mention 2 weeks of misery.

I had a "mild" case: fatigue, 3-4 days of low-grade fever, aches, and pains, followed by a couple days dry cough, then about 2 weeks of lost sense of taste and smell (which sucked). I never had any of the really scary respiratory symptoms. As far as respiratory symptoms go, I've had much worse sinus infections/bronchitis in the past.

I've been playing more recently (including a recent socially distanced gig in a community garden). However, I am just finding myself getting winded and tired much faster than before I got sick. I also had a dry coughing fit a couple weeks ago after honking out some FFFF sousaphone rips. While this experience has taught me to slow down, back off on the extreme dynamics, and focus on long tones... I have some new fears entering my mind about the virus having caused residual damage.

I'm wondering who else out there is either recovered or recovering from COVID and how it has (or hasn't) affected your playing. This is such a weirdly nuanced illness. Everyone I know who has had it had a slightly different experience. I curious to know your experience.

PS - this virus is not fun. Wear a mask!

[brendanige]

Thread cleaned up. Got grossly off topic. Poster was COVID-19 negative before making sales. Sorry about the unwelcoming environment to the OP.

Brendan

[WoodSheddin]

well, that sucks. I have zero input on Covid affecting playing but in general the best advice I can think of is to be patient with recovery. Both the illness itself and the music. Take this as an opportunity to focus on fundamentals and keep the intensity down. As you recover it is really easy to form bad habits trying to compensate for new weaknesses. Don't force things to progress too quickly. That is when the bad habits start. Best of luck.

Get well.

[tbonesullivan]

Glad to hear you are doing better. Hopefully part of it is just lack of practice. Also like myself, many people have not been able to be nearly as physical active during this thing, so my overall level of fitness has declined.

I have been seeing many celebs who had it months ago still having issues. They are finding out new things about the infection every day, so hopefully they can find better solutions for the issues it causes.

[brendanige]

Maybe breathing exercises would help? It sounds trivial but taking it to the simplest form of what needs to be done and rehabilitated could be useful.

I hope you find answers/solutions. Keep us updated. This thread will be useful for other people going through the same thing presently, but possibly in the future too!

[Ltrain]

Thanks for the positive vibes, y’all.

Hopefully following my wife’s regimen of Peloton + yoga will help... and good old fashioned practice!

I don’t know if it’s related, but for the first time in my life of 37yrs, I’m having allergy symptoms too. It’s a strange new world ever since March.

Anyway, I’m not looking for advice (although it’s welcome and appreciated), more than anything I hope this thread can be a safe space for others who are sick with or recovered from COVID-19.

[tbonesullivan]

I don’t know if it’s related, but for the first time in my life of 37yrs, I’m having allergy symptoms too. It’s a strange new world ever since March.

Allergies are something I am VERY familiar with. When I went for allergy testing, the bumps are supposed to be gone in a day. Mine lasted a week. I'm allergic to pretty much everything except foods and fungus. Pollen is my BIG thing.

Currently with everyone staying indoors, we end up getting exposed to more of the same things, and allergen exposure can be cumulative. If you don't have one, I would definitely get an indoor air purifier.

Also there are a lot of things that can lower your allergic threshold, and recovering from Covid and other serious respiratory issues may be one of them. Diesel exhaust and other types of smoke are another.

[Renodoc]

I'm a family physician/Sports med physician and I'm dealing more now with post-COVID care than acute COVID care in my patients. There are definitely some studies showing COVID can cause some lingering heart and lung issues. You might want to talk to your doctor about getting a pulmonary function test along with and ECG and ECHO. I'm doing that for my patients with residual COVID symptoms to see where they are at. The BJSM just published a pretty good article on post-COVID rehab that I've found helpful. Since this is a novel virus, we're learning more every day.
Glad to hear you're on the mend. Playing the tuba is actually pretty good pulmonary rehab.
#wearamask

..https://bjsm.bmj.com/content/54/16/949" target="_blank

[ArnoldGottlieb]

Nothing to ad...
But, good vibes and thoughts going your way. I hope you’re recovery goes quick.

[Leland]

Ltrain, experiences like yours are exactly why I'm so hesitant to do anything out of the house. Got a couple friends elsewhere who don't play but would definitely classify themselves as "long haulers" with persistent symptoms that are similar or worse than yours.

[Ltrain]

Still happy to see the positive energy and support here!

Just had a physical and checked out fine. Although I definitely developed allergy symptoms that weren’t there before, doing extra cardio, yoga, and more time outdoors has helped clear up the lingering symptoms. Oh, and I’m totally out of practice, so that’s part of it for sure!

I just hope this winter is kind to all of us. We need a break.

[Fritztuba]

Hello folks,
I fortunately am recovering from Covid and feel really good. I had pneumonia caused by the Covid and tomorrow, I will finish my medication. I will continue to use an inhaler for at least 2 more weeks according to my Dr. I've been back for a few days now playing the tuba in Mexico City at 7,400 feet on my new 6/4 CC tuba and it's coming along quite nicely. I clearly am not where I was pre Covid and I know it will take time but my pulmonologist says with continued exercise, I should fully recover and have no long term side affects. I truly believe that being a full time tuba player and being someone who exercises on a regular basis absolutely helped me in my fight against Covid even though I am 54 years old. Of course, I am curious to see how I will feel in 2 months though I am very optimistic about my recovery and post Covid life. I wish you all well and please take care of yourselves.

[Renodoc]

Hello folks,
I fortunately am recovering from Covid and feel really good. I had pneumonia caused by the Covid and tomorrow, I will finish my medication. I will continue to use an inhaler for at least 2 more weeks according to my Dr. I've been back for a few days now playing the tuba in Mexico City at 7,400 feet on my new 6/4 CC tuba and it's coming along quite nicely. I clearly am not where I was pre Covid and I know it will take time but my pulmonologist says with continued exercise, I should fully recover and have no long term side affects. I truly believe that being a full time tuba player and being someone who exercises on a regular basis absolutely helped me in my fight against Covid even though I am 54 years old. Of course, I am curious to see how I will feel in 2 months though I am very optimistic about my recovery and post Covid life. I wish you all well and please take care of yourselves.

Glad to hear that. Again- we're seeing this really kick people's butts and especially at altitude it's tougher on people (my office at around 5000 feet). I do thing the pulmonary rehab that tuba playing brings does help out

[tbonesullivan]

I'm reading more on the recovery process, and it's really a virus that can attack and put stress on a lot of body systems. Some people have developed heart problems and/or murmurs after having Covid, so it's not just the respiratory system that can be involved.

[Fritztuba]

I'm reading more on the recovery process, and it's really a virus that can attack and put stress on a lot of body systems. Some people have developed heart problems and/or murmurs after having Covid, so it's not just the respiratory system that can be involved.

This is a very true and accurate observation. As tuba players, we obviously are most concerned about our lungs. However, what´s truly horrible about this virus is that it´s truly a silent killer. I had developed pneumonia and didn´t even realize it. So yes, it can set in on various other vital organs without any symptoms. Take care folks and blessings if you are fighting Covid.

[KL1997]

My fiancée and I both had it a month or so ago. The best thing is time and easy fundamentals. Ease your way back into it.

[barry grrr-ero]

I was sick all of January (no fevers) and I'm suspecting it could have been early Covid. I can't judge by fevers because I rarely get them. I usually have chills. I definitely lost my sense of taste and smell for a couple of weeks. My baseline was already low, because I had sarcoidosis in the 1990's. The sarcoid left a fair amount of scarring in my lungs. I used to take just one puff of Advair daily, but I'm now taking the prescribed two (I couldn't afford to refill the Advair often, prior to finally reaching Medicare age). I play a big B&S "Neptune", but have downsized to a copy of an original Helleberg (whatever that means) for my mouthpiece. I'm letting the bigness of the Neptune do the work for me, without it sucking all the air out of me (hopefully). Still, long, sustained notes can be a problem. I'm noticing a bit more fatigue; a bit more of a visual problem, and one or two other odd, minor symptoms. Without laborious and expensive testing, it would be difficult to sort out what might have been caused by a possible Sarcoid infection, and what's simply a case of getting older while getting less exercise over the months. Regardless, we have to keep living and doing things. Please scream at me to get out and walk more! Tomorrow is cimbasso practice day, going over challenging 4th trombone parts for the local community college jazz band. We play very distanced from each other.

Barry Guerrero

[Somarithedark]

Glad to have found this thread. I had a mild COVID case back in April: fever and chills, body aches, and shortness of breath got me pretty decently (luckily my asthma didn't play much of a part though). I have been generally fine since my recovery, but I have been recently noticing that I can't take as full of a breath as I used to anymore, and that was made apparent during my breathing exercises and tuba playing. Judging by this thread, I should try to do a lot of cardio to get my lungs working better again. COVID sucks!!!

[Ann Reid]

I had “mild” Covid in late January and I’m still working at getting over it. I was also vaccinated (Pfizer) as soon as I could get in line to get it. I remind myself to take deep breaths whenever I can, while standing on supermarket lines and while driving.

I had practiced an hour a day for months, and lost 5 weeks of practice time while sick. I’m spending a lot of my practice time now on fundamentals and basics. I’d been making a pretty good start on the Horovitz Euphonium Concerto before I got sick, but now I’m working more on band music.

I’m also seriously contemplating going from euphonium to tuba, to see if playing the tuba will give me more chance to play higher grade concert band music. I don’t have a problem with providing oompah if I can get into Grade 3+ ensemble rep.

I’ve never been much of a soloist but being part of decent ensemble sound is my strong preference.

Hope all of you make steady progress to recovery.