Three Things Thursday

~I have COVID~

Given that we are living through THREE global health emergencies (COVID, polio, and monkeypox), new vaccines are being approved, new outbreaks are occurring, and the reality that being healthy is truly a radical selfless act of loving others (read: we need to redefine what it means to be healthy), “Three Things Thursday” highlights three things I am paying attention to as an epidemiologist each week.

Hoping these posts help to educate and empower you to be healthy and create healthy communities.

Here we go… Three Things Thursday — the I have COVID edition.

The World Health Organization (WHO) is reminding everyone worldwide that COVID continues to spread and continues to cause illness and death. COVID continues to disrupt our lives. And for me – COVID made an unexpected and unwanted entry into our house this week for the first time since the pandemic began. We managed to avoid getting sick until just a few days ago.

On Sunday night/Monday morning my daughter woke me up around 3 am because she had a really sore throat. I gave her some Advil and put her back to bed. She woke up with a sore throat and terrible headache, and she was (uncharacteristically) tired. She tested positive for COVID before dinnertime. She did have to call one friend who was a close contact. Thankfully that friend has not gotten sick/tested positive yet. We have no idea where she was exposed to COVID. We guess she was exposed sometime late last week, but there is no clear exposure, and friends she was with have not gotten sick. It truly is a mystery — which is a reminder that the disease is circulating in our communities and we could be exposed at any time.

My throat became scratchy yesterday, and I tested positive for COVID this morning.

My first positive COVID test. A dear friend refers to the two-line result as the “COVID middle finger.” I find this to be quite funny and accurate.

I am experiencing all the COVID symptoms — sore throat, laryngitis, headache, fever, cough, nausea, and (a little) vomiting. It’s as if the virus wants me to know that it has invaded my body.

My husband hasn’t tested positive yet, but his throat is scratchy (that was my first symptom). And my son hasn’t tested positive yet, but he has a headache and is really dizzy. We were all together in the car for ~3 on Saturday when my daughter was contagious. When she tested positive, we knew we would all get sick. So we quarantined together. And now we are spending time together as we each experience symptoms.

I am glad we are all up-to-date on our COVID vaccines. Our symptoms (may be many) but they are mild.

In terms of our return to work/school next week. If our symptoms are improving by day #5 since the first symptom, we will take another COVID test. If that test is negative, we will return to work/school but will wear a mask indoors. If we continue to test positive, we will stay home through day #10 since the first symptom. After day #10, we will return to work/school and continue to mask for at least 5 days. I am preparing to go back to school masked or have to teach the first couple of days remotely. My son will likely miss the first couple of days of school (he starts on Monday).

What a bummer.

Getting sick definitely sucks.

We cannot take our health for granted.

For me, getting sick is a clear reminder that COVID is still spreading. Vaccines are needed. As are masks, improved ventilation, hand hygiene, good coughing etiquette, and clear communications between sick individuals and those who might have been exposed.

Take care of yourselves.

«I’m off to take a nap now.»