We recently spent a week in Massachusetts visiting our families, taking care of some tasks around our vacation home back there, and helping my dad out with some stuff. It was my third trip back in the past year, and Debbi’s second. The flights were routine, we had some good meals, and got to experience a nice day of rainfall amidst the cool-but-not-cold temperatures. It was a pretty hectic time, so not exactly a relaxing vacation, and not quite as productive as we’d originally hoped, but I think we got enough done.
Our trip’s gift to us when we returned was COVID. Debbi had been feeling pretty blah for several days, and I started feeling it myself. We both tested – twice – and I tested pretty strongly positive, while Debbi tested negative.
Both of us are as fully vaccinated as we can be, given that the FDA hasn’t yet approved another booster for people our age; we had our latest booster – the bivalent variety – last September before our previous trip.
We’d both describe our symptoms as that of a cold. I’d call mine a moderate cold: It peaked Thursday evening with sneezing and congestion and a mild headache, but otherwise has mostly been some tiredness and coughing. I’d have stayed home from work for a couple of days if I’d had these symptoms before COVID. Debbi’s symptoms have been more severe and longer-lasting, but basically the same kinds.
By the time I tested positive, Debbi’s symptoms had been going on too long for her to qualify to take Paxlovid, but I contacted my doctor and got a prescription for myself. I’ve heard different things about its effects, the most common being that it gives you a bad taste in your mouth while you’re taking it. I’ve had this occasional sensation of something in the back of my mouth, like a bad-tasting chalky antacid coming back up, but it’s been pretty ignorable. Otherwise it seems to be doing its job, although it’s hard to be sure since my symptoms were not severe in the first place. If this had been a normal cold, this is basically the arc I’d have expected.
So we hunkered down for the long weekend. We did a pick-up order from Safeway, which went smoothly. I made Indian food for dinner, coffee chocolate chip ice cream for dessert, and scones for breakfast. I also mowed, and this morning went running for the first time since we got back. Debbi took Domino for morning walks. And we got plenty of sleep.
I spent a lot of the weekend playing Firmament, the new game from Cyan Worlds, the makers of MYST. It’s their first release since the excellent Obduction, and is very much in the same vein. I’m enjoying it, and will probably write it up once I finish it. It took me about 20 hours to finish Obduction so if Firmament is similar then I’m about 40% of the way through it.
I spent most of today sitting on our couch on the back porch, with Domino lying next to me, playing the game. It was pretty much perfect weather for it. Not bad for Memorial Day, all things considered.
We tested again this evening. Debbi tested very, very slightly positive, so faint we had to look closely. My line was still pretty clear, but not nearly as strong as last week. So it’s going to be at least a week of working from home. Hopefully by next weekend we’ll be clear.
As I’ve said before, I expect almost everyone on Earth is going to contract COVID multiple times in their life going forward (barring an unforeseen development), unless they are truly isolating from the rest of humanity. We’ve avoided it longer than most, but this starts our counter. Fingers crossed that neither of us have any long-term symptoms. No one I know who’s contracted it since the advent of the vaccines has any long-term effects that I know of. But check back in 5 or 10 years to see how everyone’s doing.
Just FYI, I’ve had COVID twice. Both times I was fully vaccinated with what was available at the time. The first bout (May 2022) I was very lethargic. Cold, coughing. My doctor told me to take zinc and Vitamin C. She offered Paxlovid, but I declined. About a week after I tested negative, my hands swelled . I could not wear my rings and could not bend my fingers into a fist. I had to figure new ways of managing things like holding a hair dryer, brushing teeth, prepping veggies, etc. Prednisone knocked it out while I was taking it but 3 days later it was back. It was about 6 months before I was totally okay. I still cannot wear my wedding rings, but I think it is because of arthritis. Don’t know if the arthritis has anything to do with COVID or if that would have happened anyway. A friend in Memphis had the exact symptoms after COVID. Both our doctors said this is not unusual after any virus. Mine told me initially that it could last months. Eve’s doctor was communicating with a physician at Vanderbilt who is focusing on Long COVID, but I haven’t heard more from her.
FYI, my second round was nothing. I would not have tested had I not been closely exposed to someone who tested positive. I isolated from Mike and of course everyone else. Gave me time to catch up on some tv that I like but he doesn’t and lots of time in the garden.
After our recent trip to the Netherlands, 5 of the 10 people on our trip got COVID, including Leigh (her first bout), but I did not. Probably due to my fairly recent (March) case.
Mike has not had it. Yet! Hope you and Deb recover soon!