The following is a thread of tweets I posted on October 29, 2020, following my bout with COVID-19. I had a fairly mild case, but I gave it to a few family members and the whole thing dragged on for weeks. When I felt ready to discuss it online, I went to Twitter first. Naturally. I’m now ready to post it to this blog. Instagram? They can just come and find it. Such is the way of things these days.
I have yet to build a social network in my new town, so I’m home a lot. Life looks like work, grocery store, post office, church. I wear a mask for all of the aforementioned, and additional daily screening is required at work. I let my guard down one weekend, for a small staff retreat (husband is a worship pastor) with several couples I’d already been around for months. No hugging or close chats, but no masks in the house.
The following Friday, seven days later, I underwent my biweekly testing for work (long-term care facility). It is a state test, and results take several days. I had felt off all week, but there were several possible causes. This test (eventually) came back negative. But the next morning, Saturday, I received a call that someone had the staff retreat had later tested positive and was most likely contagious at the time. I couldn’t risk going back to work without a rapid test. I pushed for a rapid test at work and asked a physician colleague put in the order for me (this is a privilege). They didn’t want to waste a test just for exposure, when my other one was still pending and I wasn’t symptomatic. But we got it done.
The rapid result came back positive a few hours later, and I was symptomatic by then. Thankfully, everyone at the staff retreat agreed to get tested and I had no other contacts or exposures to disclose. I later learned about my previous negative test, which means I was most likely not infectious at work. My patients and coworkers all tested negative. Strangely, so did everyone else at the staff retreat, despite having closer contact with the other positive person than I did.
My COVID-19 symptoms, in order from terrible to tolerable: lack of smell/taste, fatigue, shortness of breath, body aches, cough, sinus burning, congestion. Today is day 20 and I’m better, but not feeling normal yet. Worse than the physical symptoms was the shame. I had to answer to Alaska’s state epidemiology department, hospital leadership, long-term care leadership, and public health. Everyone was gracious, but it was an emotional few days at the beginning. I just moved here. I haven’t made professional connections yet. It was hard to pick up the phone each time and not feel defensive or want to pass blame. But like I said, everyone was gracious.
My husband tested positive about a week after me. It hit him harder (same symptom profile), but he felt better faster. My daughter tested positive after him. She had a headache and fever for two hours one night; it spontaneously resolved and she hasn’t had a complaint since. The rest of the kids are negative. They didn’t want to test anyone in my family until they were symptomatic, but they eventually let me do the kids. I kinda wish they’d all gotten it. I’d love a family full of antibodies!
We’ve been in isolation/quarantine since October 10. Isolation is for 10 days, after positive test or first symptom. Quarantine is for the household, for 14 days. It starts after isolation for the positive person is complete. We never separated; too intense/unreasonable for us. I’m now back at work. My time off was paid for by the hospital (again, a privilege). I’ve been instructed not to get tested for at least 90 days. I’m curious about an antibody test someday. The kids’ school went remote as a result of our cases (plus a few – our small town had a small spike). We’ll hope for their return before Thanksgiving. We’ll continue to wear masks and socially distance, and follow recommendations. The science came to our house and it was real.
I made a joke at the beginning of this thing in March, that I’d volunteer to get sick if it could help build immunity in our community and spare an elder or vulnerable person. It wasn’t funny but hey, put down three more tally marks for our town’s “recovered” total! In conclusion, The Kincaids are glad and grateful to be on the other side of COVID-19.
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