The only positive thing.........is my ART | Experience getting Covid

As I am writing this, my throat is sore and swallowing my saliva hurts so badly. So yes, I have jumped on the bandwagon and caught Covid. I never really thought I would catch it considering it being some time since the huge outbreaks, going overseas to the US where I barely wore masks and also having exposure to some who caught it. I thought I just wouldn’t get it but I was wrong.

I think I got it over the weekend when I went out to eat as I currently still work from home so my largest exposure should be through eating outside but it could be from anyone. So far, in my family, I am the only one who tested positive and am isolating in the room and doing ART daily.

Symptoms

I guess I felt very tired and had a super scratchy throat on the first day when my symptoms presented themselves, when I woke up, I had a fever, sore throat with phlegm and muscle aches as well as a headache. I went to the clinic as I thought it might be dengue? considering the uptick of cases in my neighbourhood.

The doctor did an ART and it came out negative, so I thought it might be dengue but the doctor told me to isolate and just test myself again the next day. On the next day, waking up with a bad sore throat, I did an ART and a faint line appeared together with the other control line. OMG, I got Covid, it is a shock to me as I really thought I was immune to it after so many months but I guess the virus won.

Different from other illness

I think I can understand why this pandemic was felt so differently. From when I was young, every time I was sick or not feeling well, my mum was always around to make sure that I am feeling ok, the occasional checking ang touch of he forehead to ensure no fever.

However, getting covid meant having to be isolated and eating alone, sleeping alone and really just doing our own things as my mum had to make sure she is well and not infected by me. I think it’s definitely different from when getting it at the beginning of this pandemic, even visiting the doctor and getting the medication, the feeling is a lot different.

I would think that for those who got it earlier on had stricter rules and also needed to make sure that they are very much isolated (eg, quarantine in a hotel or hospital) due to not having vaccination. Below are now the updated rules:

Anyhow, I will just be working from home and making sure that I test negative before going out and feeling better is my priority. It really is becoming endemic but a lot of extra expenses, medicines for the symptoms like fever, sore throat, cough and even having to buy the ART kits for routine testing. All these does add up but ultimately, this has made me realised that HEALTH IS WEALTH!