# Persistent Covid

**URL:** <https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/persistent-covid/14388>\
**Category:** Medical Q&A \[Moderated\]\
**Created:** [February 29, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/persistent-covid/14388 "2024-02-29T19:50:14Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 3\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![JimR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@JimR](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/JimR)\
**Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 7:50pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/persistent-covid/14388/1 "2024-02-29T19:50:14Z")

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I’ve had Covid for three weeks. I’m still testing positive, but the symptoms are quite mild and it’s been nearly a week since I had even a slight fever. I took a five-day course of Paxlovid starting on the fifth day of symptoms. My breathing feels totally normal, and my oximeter has been reading 95 to 99. When I do an antigen test, however, a dark T line still shows up within a minute.

I’ve been walking and lifting, with low intensity and maybe 20% of my usual training volume, in hopes of maintaining a little fitness and perhaps stimulating my immune system. These sessions feel every bit as easy as they normally would, but I usually start feeling sicker a couple hours later, making it seem as if I’ve overdone it.

Three questions:

1. Could mild post-exercise malaise actually be a positive sign that I’ve succeeded in getting my immune system to work harder?
2. As long as I keep testing positive, I should avoid contact with others even if I’m wearing an N95, right?​
3. Is there anything else I can do for this darn thing besides just waiting it out? (Pretty sure that’s a no! :p)

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**Author:** ![Austin\_Baraki](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/flex001/user_avatar/forum.barbellmedicine.com/austin_baraki/32/1095_2.png) [@Austin\_Baraki](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/Austin_Baraki)\
**Post date:** [February 29, 2024, 8:50pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/persistent-covid/14388/2 "2024-02-29T20:50:05Z")

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1. Unfortunately I don’t really know

2. I don’t think this is necessary, nor do I think you need to continue testing yourself repeatedly, especially since you have been fever-free for a week.

3. Unfortunately not – although it’s certainly fortunate that you did not get sick enough to require hospitalization

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**Author:** ![JimR](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/0ea827/32.png) [@JimR](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/u/JimR)\
**Post date:** [March 2, 2024, 7:05pm UTC](https://forum.barbellmedicine.com/t/persistent-covid/14388/3 "2024-03-02T19:05:44Z")

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Thanks, Austin. That’s encouraging!