One medical oddity that a lot of people might be overlooking in regards to running a fever...

[Lancero]

Is lower average body temperatures.

The general recommendations that you grew up with, that 98.6 is a baseline average? That was based on research done in the 1800s, back when people lived a generally more active lifestyle and when healthcare and diet were of poorer quality.

https://www.healthline.com/health-news/forget-98-6-humans-now-have-lower-body-temperature-on-average-heres-why

So yeah... If your temperature is 'average' or slightly above, then you may in fact be running a fever and should quarantine yourself.

[KentuckyWoman]

1. My norm is around 96.5

You read that right... 96's. 98 something and I feel pretty miserable.

[canetoad]

2. Was reading about this recently

I've bought an inexpensive digital thermometer, so I can monitor temperature during Covid.

Normal Range

Not everyone’s “normal” body temperature is the same. Yours could be a whole degree different than someone else’s. A German doctor in the 19th century set the standard at 98.6 F, but more recent studies say the baseline for most people is closer to 98.2 F.

For a typical adult, body temperature can be anywhere from 97 F to 99 F. Babies and children have a little higher range: 97.9 F to 100.4 F.

Your temperature doesn’t stay same all day, and it will vary throughout your lifetime, too. Some things that cause your temperature to move around during the day include:

How active you are
What time of day it is
Your age
Your sex
What you’ve eaten or had to drink
(If you’re a woman) where you are in your menstrual cycle

https://www.webmd.com/first-aid/normal-body-temperature#1

[Demonaut]

4. and I'm testing mine now

98.4, I'm usually around 96.5

[uppityperson]

3. Hence 100.4 vs 102, though some places advise 100.0

[dweller]

5. mines been consistently

98.2 for several weeks now, i have to take it daily

normal

✌🏼

[PoindexterOglethorpe]

6. I've been aware for decades that

the 98.6 was already a very slight fever. For some reason this information has been rediscovered.

[defacto7]

7. I wasn't aware that a person's average temp runs parallel to illness temps.

As a matter of fact, I'm still not. I don’t think it's a fact. If a person's average temp is 96 and a fever temp is 102 it does not mean that a person whose average is 98.6 has the same illness level at 104.6. Normal temps aren't directly proportional to the temp at illness. A body still shows illness at the same temperatures no matter what their average is. It just means a person with a lower average has more leeway.

[lapfog_1]

8. 96.3 or .4

recently it has gone up to 97.1 so I think I have a low grade fever.