Coronavirus Tales

Yeah sorry you are having to deal with that. Hard to not just say screw them. Is your union such that you have a local rep you can take this to and insist management give a five minute clean-up period or something for everyone each day? Or is this a situation where none of your coworkers care and makes fun of the people that do?

Better for your boss to be annoyed than you to be in the hospital or dead.

It took several weeks before I noticed my sense of smell returning. Even now, every time some food doesn't taste/smell quite as strong as I think it should, I panic.

I never got tested for it, as it was impossible to get tests when I was sick, but I also lost my senses of taste and smell during a 5-day illness near the end of March. I wasn't congested, but smell just... went away. Holding an orange to my nose, I could maybe, just barely, tell it was an orange.

However, in my case, everything came back on Day 4. I suddenly realized I could smell the box of oranges I'd dragged into my plague ward, from ten feet away. (posted about it at the time, I was pretty happy.) I was never very sick, although I was starting to get worried at the end of day 3, as it was kind of bad that night. But I felt much better on Day 4, and Day 5 was the last with any symptoms.

Do your absolute damnedest not to get this bug if you can, and follow all the rules. But if you do actually get it, you have an excellent chance of making a full recovery. You're probably not going to be one of the really bad cases.

Note also that having it is not a guarantee of not getting it again: they just had the first person with two definite cases. A Chinese man had a low-symptom illness back early on, and when transiting the border back into China just recently, tested positive again. He'd been exposed to a slightly different strain in Europe, and had an asymptomatic case. He never developed symptoms, but otherwise looked infectious. And they were absolutely sure, from genetic testing, that it wasn't the same strain he had the first time.

So it's important, even if you know you've had it, to keep wearing masks. It might even be more important, because if second-strain infectees show a pattern of greatly reduced symptoms, that might make you an asymptomatic carrier. You might not know you need to stay home.

One week to the day from my exposure that work refuses to believe was exposure because they think masks are a replacement for distancing, I've developed chills, even outside in 90 degrees, despite currently no measurable fever, a sore throat, a mild (so far) cough, an a general sense of feeling crummy. I still have smell and taste, though.

Was supposed to get my test today, but they closed at 3:00, and when I told my doctor's office who was giving me a referral that I would do it after work, they didn't mention that they'd be closed. Had they said so, I would have left work early. So now, it'll be tomorrow morning at the one place within reasonable distance that does tests on Saturdays.

I'm isolating in the basement and will be saying goodnight to my kids over FaceTime. Results won't even be likely until Tuesday now. Though I think I'll have a pretty good idea over the next two days based on what these symptoms do. My poor daughter, just old enough to really understand that this is a scary thing, and still young enough to not be able to understand that it probably won't be bad for very long and more than likely not lasting.

So I guess, into the breach I go. I'll update, so long as I stay coherent.

Oh my god!! That f*cking sucks! What a nightmare.

Ok. Sending you good juju... feel better soon.

Break a leg Anti.

Test turnaround was crazy fast, I was super surprised to check the app they had me install and have my results waiting today. Maybe 30 hours total? Anyway, results came back negative. So that's a good thing. And deserves a moment to just be a good thing.

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Of course, my sore throat has persisted the entire weekend, and there's the caveat in my results about false negatives and treating any ongoing symptoms as if you're actually positive. But with the struggle it's been for my wife to basically be on her own with the kids and the less than cautious response of my job, I don't feel justified fully isolating another week over a sore throat. Especially with how often and regularly I get a sore throat. So I'm back to just being extra careful at home and at work. At least the negative test gives me reasonable confidence that I don't have it.

But that's the truly pernicious nature of the whole situation; it's hard to ever really be certain.

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Anyway, at least it was good news!

That's great! In my case, I gave myself the 48 hours after my fever came down (which ended up being 3 days by the time I returned to work). With having to use my own accrued leave and no particular support from my company or the medical establishment, I felt that was the limit I could afford. I'm sure it will be a load off at least.

That is good news that it came back negative. There is always a chance for a false negative, but it is a small enough percentage. If you are concerned keep your distance from everyone and wear a mask if you can't. You probably don't need to quarantine though it never hurts to.

This is cold season so you probably are experiencing the common cold. The person who got the positive COVID test probably took the test because they started experiencing the same cold and happened to also have COVID (two viruses can attack the body at the same time).

I’m so happy to hear that you don’t have COVID. Take care.

I'm very happy to hear this result, Anti!

Today Mrs Rawk and I played a drinking game. We were watching the dog agility championships which was broadcast live from Huntington Beach, CA. Its just a 45 minute drive from my house. As the camera panned the bleachers I noticed that only 2 people were wearing a mask.

I said, “I’m going to pause it every time they show the crowd in the bleachers. We have to take a shot whenever we see someone wearing a mask.” No shots were had.

I had to soft block a friend on social media, a friend I used to have the utmost respect for, but who has gone deep into the camp of masks infringing on freedoms and "how dare they" say getting a Flu vaccine is an urgent and important matter. True colors coming out, but man am I sad.

Antichulius wrote:

I had to soft block a friend on social media, a friend I used to have the utmost respect for, but who has gone deep into the camp of masks infringing on freedoms and "how dare they" say getting a Flu vaccine is an urgent and important matter. True colors coming out, but man am I sad.

I need to turn it all off, but I seem to have that addictive need to pick fights with people aren't trying to discuss but just sh*t post.
The one that drives me most nuts is a guy who is a coach/mentor type in the community. He at least has some level of shame and will pull stuff down if I can point out something he posted is fully made up.

I've been muting people on Facebook for 1 month for a while now. Then if they come back with that nonsense again, unfriended. I just can't anymore.

Saturday morning my family of 4 is taking a trip to our favorite urgent care doc to all get flu shots. Huzzah!!

I usually just get them at the pharmacy, in and out in under 15 minutes. Planning to get ours near the end of the month.

Late Tuesday afternoon my throat started to hurt, my chronic cough got more chronicy, and I started to feel lightheaded and tired. Figured it was just a head cold but did the responsible thing and went to the walk-in test centre first thing Wednesday morning. Got there and was turned away told they aren't taking walk-ins. This is not consistent with their website and the doors of the building. Call drops or I can't reach a person while trying to book. Eventually book an appointment for Thursday at 10:50am. I'm told I will get results (via text message) in 24-48 hours. Luckily I can work from home for the time being. Hell, I even made it back to my home office to join our 11:30 Health & Safety Meeting. After some technical difficulties (coworkers couldn't remember the password and I handle all our simple IT stuff) finally start the meeting. Power goes out at the office.

A couple hours later my Mom calls and we have a chat. Turns out my Aunts had placed my Grandmother in temporary care home on Tuesday. I had been trying to make the time to see her and my Grandfather for the last month. Hand finally set a time for this upcoming weekend. With all the restrictions and my Grandmother's rapid decline there's a very good chance I won't be able to see her again.

I'm living in our basement and my wife is looking after our 4 year old and 1 year old. I can hear them screaming and am getting messages from my wife at how exhausted she is. If my wife was able to take the kids somewhere, I'd be in a lot better frame of mind but she's stuck as well. I've been feeling fine since Wednesday.

48 hours have passed. No results. Called the hotline. All that does is transfer me to another hotline and says it's too busy. Maybe they'll call me back. Maybe I'll get a text. Who knows?

Sorry to hear it Vector. Good luck with the test!

Came back negative yesterday at 1pm. Packed the family in the car and had a nice dinner at my parents. Left the 4 year old there and all is calm again.

Excellent.

Why couldn't this pandemic have more specific tells? Staying on top of this is annoying and stressful.

I’ve just learned that mask wearing is now considered to be the most effective way to prevent the spread. Physical distancing is a close second, and almost as effective as masks.

Hand washing and not touching your face are now #3 and #4 when it comes to preventing Covid-19 spread, but are still incredibly important strategies for preventing the spread of all viruses, and harmful bacteria.

RawkGWJ wrote:

I’ve just learned that mask wearing is now considered to be the most effective way to prevent the spread. Physical distancing is a close second, and almost as effective as masks.

Hand washing and not touching your face are now #3 and #4 when it comes to preventing Covid-19 spread, but are still incredibly important strategies for preventing the spread of all viruses, and harmful bacteria.

All of those behaviours are critical in limiting the spread of the virus - it's not a really a situation where 'ranking' applies. It's the combination that makes the difference. Washing your hands is incredibly important for a whole host of reasons that have nothing to do with Covid!

Sorbicol wrote:

All of those behaviours are critical in limiting the spread of the virus - it's not a really a situation where 'ranking' applies. It's the combination that makes the difference. Washing your hands is incredibly important for a whole host of reasons that have nothing to do with Covid!

I read an article that said America's problem is we keep looking for the one magic bullet; we only focus on one mitigation at a time. For some reason we just can't grasp that we have to do a lot of imperfect things together to get a strategy that's good enough.

Americans, it appears, have real trouble chewing gum while walking.

Vargen wrote:
Sorbicol wrote:

All of those behaviours are critical in limiting the spread of the virus - it's not a really a situation where 'ranking' applies. It's the combination that makes the difference. Washing your hands is incredibly important for a whole host of reasons that have nothing to do with Covid!

I read an article that said America's problem is we keep looking for the one magic bullet; we only focus on one mitigation at a time. For some reason we just can't grasp that we have to do a lot of imperfect things together to get a strategy that's good enough.

I don’t find any problem with ranking them. I like having accurate data. If you think I’m going to stop washing my hands or ignoring face touching protocol just because it’s ranked #3 for effectiveness then you obviously don’t know me.

I never said that we should only do one form of prevention. I honestly can’t understand why you would assume that at all.

Edit: Removed link to bad mask.

I thought those masks with valves are not useful for preventing spread since they just let your exhalation out into the air?

LeapingGnome wrote:

I thought those masks with valves are not useful for preventing spread since they just let your exhalation out into the air?

*Sigh* Well that's no good.

I have a mask with a port on it, but it's for breathing in, not out.