| The Progress-Index
There was no manner I didn’t have it.
I had been unable to odor even essentially the most putrid of smells for nearly per week. It was a battle for me to stroll greater than 50 toes with out feeling breathless. The complications had been nonstop. When one symptom started to subside, one other one flared up as an alternative.
Within the weeks earlier than my signs began, I used to be residing my life as an lively younger journalist, masking and observing Black Lives Matter protests within the Tri-Cities and statue removals in Richmond. I used to be monitoring the unfold of COVID-19 within the space and writing and modifying tales about what life could be like post-pandemic.
In public, I at all times had a masks on and stayed six toes other than others. I washed my arms usually and saved a mini bottle of hand sanitizer hooked up to my key ring. Someplace in taking these precautions in an try and regain some normalcy, nonetheless, I nonetheless managed to contract COVID-19 and change into one in every of Virginia’s (on the time) 67,000 circumstances.
It started with the muscle aches. I had simply began going again to the gymnasium, and it was clear they had been taking each recognized precaution there was. Machines had been socially-distanced, cleansing stations had been beefed up, and there have been by no means greater than a dozen folks there (whereas I used to be there, at the least.)
I continued my apply of wiping down machines and preserving my arms to myself, and using the hand sanitizing stations every time doable. I attempted a brand new pre-workout that made me really feel like Superwoman. I chalked the brand new muscle pains as much as a loopy train session and thousands and thousands of nerve endings firing off in response to the caffeine and beta-alanine in my system.
However these weren’t your common on a regular basis muscle aches. These had been debilitating. They had been all I may deal with for 2 and a half days. They even interfered with my means to earn a living from home, from the consolation of my very own eating room desk.
When the sore throat got here — that’s after I knew I used to be in hassle.
From denial to despair (to willpower)
The denial in me thought it was allergy symptoms. It was that point of the yr and I hadn’t taken Zyrtec shortly. I even have a light type of bronchial asthma (the type that flares up solely while you train). However for me, a scratchy throat is a telltale signal of an impending sickness. The remainder got here down like a cascade: the chills. Then the cough. Then the complications. Then the fatigue. Then the lack of odor.
And after I say “lack of odor,” I don’t simply imply, issues smelled bizarre, or my sense of odor was barely diminished. I imply, I couldn’t odor the home if it had been burning down.
For days I felt depressing as one symptom subsided for a couple of hours and one other popped up, whereas coping with bouts of dizziness, confusion, and shortness of breath. I by no means had a fever, however I oscillated between feeling subpar and feeling like I used to be in an upper-respiratory hell.
On a very unhealthy day, I jumped down a rabbit-hole of “what-if” information articles and worst-case situations. Studying in regards to the dying circumstances made me panic. My coronary heart charge went up, and my passing shortness of breath grew to become hyperventilation. In my freak-out, I had the particular person I used to be quarantined with take me to the hospital, for worry of the worst.
There weren’t too many individuals lingering across the ER at midnight on a Sunday. Simply being on the hospital gave me some peace: worst case state of affairs, I used to be already in a spot the place I may very well be helped. I used to be given a questionnaire and went by way of the same old check-in course of, and after some ready I used to be despatched to the examination room.
The preliminary unease I felt upon arrival was changed with ideas meant to distract me from actuality: “why is the decor so shiny? There are such a lot of cords and retailers. Wow, the man that got here right here after us doesn’t look so good, does he have COVID too?”
By far the worst a part of this complete expertise was the precise COVID-19 take a look at. It felt like Devil himself was sticking his lengthy fuzzy finger up your nostril to tickle your mind and steal your secrets and techniques.
After an x-ray (which got here again clear!) and a less-than-optimistic nurse (“Yeah… all indicators level to COVID. Sorry.”), I spoke to the physician, who principally instructed me the following steps and methods to conduct the aftercare. I gave myself the really useful 72 hours from the time of the take a look at to test my outcomes. They really posted to the affected person portal 12 hours after the take a look at, with a display that stated my outcomes had been “constructive” and in “irregular” vary.
The very first thing I did upon discovering out for certain was put up a humorous, lighthearted image to my Instagram story saying that I had coronavirus, partially as a coping mechanism and partially as a result of I needed to let my pals know {that a} (comparatively) wholesome younger particular person may get coronavirus, however not freak out about it.
I acquired messages from shut pals and those who I used to be as soon as near however have since misplaced contact with. My DMs ranged from “(laughing crying emoji)” to “Wait, for actual?” to “what!!! noooooo dude noooooo!” Household and church members and coworkers and managers all reached out to me displaying me assist in no matter manner they might.
My mother was particularly bummed, as she had been experiencing milder signs, regardless that I attempted my finest to restrict my contact along with her. She, too, later examined constructive, however fortunately solely suffered from a cough and a few fatigue.
I acquired calls from the hospital/COVID testing people and the Crater Well being District informing me of methods to correctly quarantine. I had self-quarantined for a while earlier than I truly obtained examined. Within the meantime, my quarantine accomplice additionally obtained examined (unfavourable).
And so my street to restoration started.
‘A slug with a relentless headache’
For me, the least annoying a part of quarantine was the precise quarantine. I’m a homebody, and regardless that I want with the ability to select whether or not or to not depart the home, the native/state/international suggestions to remain inside since March had been no large deal. Postmates, Grubhub, and DoorDash grew to become a lifestyle.
The employees on the native nook retailer didn’t need to guess the place all the additional candy tea and Talenti was going, as my quarantine accomplice made his look generally a number of instances a day. I began reveals I by no means thought I might begin. I watched films I in all probability wouldn’t have taken the time to sit down down and watch. Working remotely fell by the wayside. I used to be on this odd in-between state the place it felt like all the pieces stopped for me, however saved going for everybody else.
I didn’t really feel like a match, free, lively younger journalist. I felt like a slug. A slug with a relentless headache. Even when the vast majority of my signs started to subside by day eight after they started, the headache and fatigue had been inescapable.
The glimmer of hope, the signal that actually confirmed me that the tip was close to, was after I took a whiff of some significantly sturdy deodorant and I may truly odor it. I by no means realized how a lot I had taken my sense of odor as a right. With that, I used to be slowly popping out of my cage and doing simply advantageous.
I did my finest to obey as many tips as doable all through and after this complete ordeal. There’s a lot we nonetheless don’t learn about COVID — are you able to get it once more? In that case, how unhealthy will or not it’s? Is it actually the identical illness? What about antibodies?
What’s after COVID? Warning.
I’m actually no science professional so I can’t even start to reply these, however with having it and overcoming it, there may be admittedly a way of (ill-conceived) immunity. Upon getting it and beat it, you continue to have to be in your finest habits in public, masks up, preserve your arms clear, and never contact all the pieces in sight.
Think about this: you are available in shut contact with somebody who has COVID-19 and is asymptomatic, however you’ve already shed the virus. What if you happen to unwittingly are available in contact with somebody who’s immunocompromised? There are dozens of different situations that may very well be the results of a butterfly impact.
If you happen to’re feeling sick, keep house.
No actually — keep house.
Keep in mind in class while you had been coming down with a chilly however your mother despatched you to high school anyway? Don’t do this. There’s a cause the world is altering proper now and complete societies are fully revising their methods of life.
I’ve since returned to work(ing from house), attended seminars (just about), caught up with household and pals (primarily by way of FaceTime), and begun some semblance of a exercise routine once more (yoga in the lounge guided by an app).
I used to be symptomatic for slightly below two weeks, and in that point I used to be capable of do a whole lot of pondering. A few of it was fairly darkish; like ideas of what would occur to my mother (I’m an solely little one) if something occurred to me. You may’t assist however really feel hopeless when the charts present the variety of circumstances rising, then flip to your favourite social media channel and see the newest Karen anti-mask freakout, particularly with all the opposite information that’s happening in the present day.
However: I’m tremendous grateful. Grateful it wasn’t worse, grateful that I can return to a paying job, grateful that I had loads of household and pals to assist me. I wouldn’t essentially chalk all of it as much as luck, however there at the moment are lots of of hundreds of individuals worldwide who received’t be capable of share their tales. As a journalist, I’ve realized to look at info with a essential eye, however it’s vital to remain knowledgeable and take issues severely. I’m grateful that I can do my very own analysis and attempt to be secure, versus sorry.
And, as tacky because it sounds, I’m grateful that I’m capable of cease and odor the roses once more.
You may attain Leilia Magee at lmagee@progress-index.com. Observe The Progress-Index on Twitter at @ProgressIndex.
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