COVID19 PART 2: THE PLOT TWIST

Good morning! I’m reporting straight from the hot zone. It is day 7 since my exposure to Corona 1 and Corona 2, aka Mom & Dad who tested positive for COVID the day after I arrived after a long and difficult eight month separation.

Forgive my humour but there are so few cheerful things about COVID, we have to snatch up small moments of laughter where we get them. 

At around 3 am On Tuesday morning (aka exposure + 4 days) I found myself in a half-crazed delirious fit of shivers. I took my temperature from an admittedly questionable digital thermometer. 99.8.

Shit.

Till now I was only worried about transmission. I forgot about that part of getting the disease that involved me actually getting sick. 

I took a crocin but found myself unable to sleep for the rest of the night. In the morning my fever just grew more intense, and spiked especially after (most ironically) waiting an hour in cold polluted Delhi air for a COVID test. 

I peaked at about 102.2 day before yesterday, and felt weakness and fatigue I cannot explain to you. I found it difficult to eat – both from not having an appetite and for finding the simple act of eating really exhausting. 

There was no way I’d be negative right? 

Although I did think positive (in a covid19 sort of way) my result was negative.

Doctors have told us there are two possibilities:

1. We tested too early – apparently it can take up to ten days to show up
2. It is a completely unrelated viral infection that I have contracted from somewhere else

In my head there’s a number #3 – that I’m having sympathy fever – because I am truly that weird.

The good news is, if I am negative again when I test on Saturday, I can fly back to Mumbai without worry. 

But still I’m anxious. What if it is somehow undetectable inside me and I do transmit it to others. What if I carry it back to my partner because of some technical failure of the test?

Is that even possible?

And how is it possible to be negative when I’m in a house full of COVID positives AND develop symptoms that are COVID like?

I guess it could be just another viral. But what a coincidence!

By Wednesday, having slept ten hours at night and one hour in the afternoon, I was almost starting to feel human again. 

Maybe this is just a coincidence I found myself thinking.

But I woke up at 5 am today with fever over 100, an upset tummy and a splitting pain behind my left eye, ear and side of head. Moving my head hurt and looking at bright lights hurt. 

I found myself without the willpower to find myself a snack to have the very strong fever medication that has been suggested to me from a dear friend who had covid recently – well I guess everyone has had covid recently. (and works!)

I slept some of it off and this morning it came down to 100. I was able to eat something and take my next dose of fever medicine. 

My family’s symptoms are still very much there but they’re not getting worse thankfully. Everyone is taking steam regularly and trying to keep themselves nourished and rest – all the things the doctor has ordered! 

I’ll keep you posted on the latest developments from my plot twist! Till then, stay safe, wear masks, and be responsible!