2020 Gets Last Licks In

Just when I thought we were through with this annus horribilis, 2020 proved it was still capable of causing mischief. The last week of 2020 brought me some bad news. But it wasn't all bad news. The good news is that by the time my test results came back confirming my suspicions, my symptoms were already disappearing or already gone.

Symptoms, you ask. Symptoms of what? That's the bad news. I've been tested for COVID-19 and the test results came back positive. It was a nasal swab PCR test. It was irritating, but not intolerably so. What was more irritating is feeling that Ellen and I have been good at wearing facemasks, social distancing, avoiding gatherings, etc. And yet I still caught it. It's a nasty disease.

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Despite not attending any holiday gatherings with family and friends, despite not eating inside a restaurant since March, I woke up the day after Christmas with a sporadic fever, chills, fatigue, and general weakness. By the third day, when I went to be tested, I was already feeling better. On the fifth day, I received my diagnosis.

According to CDC, "For most persons with COVID-19 illness, isolation and precautions can generally be discontinued 10 days after symptom onset and resolution of fever for at least 24 hours, without the use of fever-reducing medications, and with improvement of other symptoms." I'm closer to the end of that isolation regimen than the beginning.

More bad news is that we now think Ellen also has COVID-19. The day before my test results came back, she had a slight fever. It broke overnight. She hasn't had the fatigue and general weakness I had. We're keeping our fingers crossed that her 30-year-young immune system (ask her) will get her through this even better than I seem to be doing. Not trying to tempt fate or anything, but we are confident we've already been through the worst.