Reflections on having Covid

In Mid June, I went to a Celebration of Life and I flew, when I returned home after a few days, I developed a severe sore throat. One of my friends reminded me that a sore throat was a sign of Covid-19. I had received all four of my vaccinations so I was pretty sure that I did not have Covid and so I did not think that I would have Covid. I thought I just had the beginnings of a bad cold. I was wrong, I tested positive for Covid-19.

So over the next five days, I had to isolate myself, which is easier said than done if you are living with someone else. The weather did not cooperate if it had been nice I would have spent more time outside. As it was a miserable Spring I had to stay inside. My wife relegated me to the upstairs bedroom and the living room, which was away from the kitchen and family room. She prepared my food and I ate in the dining room while she ate in the kitchen. If I wanted to watch TV I had to stay on the other side of the room and make sure I wore a mask. My wife has underlying conditions, and I was very worried that she would catch Covid from me. I was lucky that I did not give her Covid.

It was difficult to remember to stay isolated when I wanted to talk, I had to talk louder to be heard from a distance through a mask. With four vaccinations, my symptoms were very mild, and I was lucky. My sore throat went away in about four days but I was fatigued most of the time and was ready for long afternoon naps. I did have some trouble breathing for a few days, but I did not have the muscle aches and pains that many experienced. 

While I was sick, my daughter phoned from Australia to tell me that she had Covid as well, and her initial symptoms were severe. She has had only three shots so that could explain the difference. She said that she was at home isolated and her partner and her son were staying on the mountain at the apartment. She had to isolate herself for seven days, under different rules in her jurisdiction.  My brother also let me know that he had Covid at the same time, but he was having a more severe bout them I.

I am glad that I had my vaccinations or I would have had a more serious case. I thought about where I might have picked it up. It might have been at the Celebration of life or it might have been at a conference I went to for seniors on "Pathways to Better Health." I am not sure, but I do know that I was lazy about wearing my mask.  When I was at the airport and on the plane, I did not take off my mask. At the conference, I did not wear the mask as I assumed everyone who attended was vaccinated (which was one of the requirements for being allowed to attend). I also did not wear my mask at the Celebration of Life and I did not ask if everyone was vaccinated and I should have asked. 

Since Covid is still out there and I think you can get it more than once, I now wear my mask whenever I go out and I make sure that I socially distance myself from other people. I was lucky as I had a very mild case, but others in my family, my brother and my daughter were not as lucky and were very sick. Summer is here but we still need to be reminded that Covid is still here and still as dangerous to those who are vulnerable.