I Survived COVID-19
Well, I figured this day would come, but my ego REALLY wanted to make it to the end of 2020 without getting it…
I’m here to answer questions, give insight on how the events occurred, an inside scoop on what 10-14 days of quarantine does to a person/people, and everything in between. What’s important to note, if you end up getting COVID-19, get it with your friends or family because it makes the time pass faster. DISCLAIMER: I do not wish COVID-19 upon anyone obviously, but doing it alone would have sucked.
REMINDERS
*Everyone’s experience is different - where they’re quarantining, with who, symptoms, etc. just keep in mind that this is just my own opinion:
FOOD/GROCERY
allow family/friends to drop off groceries for you
purchase groceries online and set a time for curbside pickup
if local to the Milwaukee area, use GoPuff - snacks/candy, quick meals, medicine, cleaning supplies, etc. (except produce)
WEAR A MASK - whether you’re taking the trash out or walking around the block, if you leave your ‘quarantine space’ for any reason (which you shouldn’t in the first place), wear a mask and social distance for the safety of others
DISINFECT AREAS - disinfect door handles, cabinet, outlets, furniture, etc. regularly if you’re living in a space where others around you are negative
DAY 1 - 5
Having COVID-19 wasn’t the scariest part, it was NOT knowing if I did or not. Being in the midst of flu season, colds swarming, and living in an ongoing pandemic calls for a ton of confusion when it comes to feeling under the weather.
The first couple days you have to essentially ‘guess’ that you have it while waiting for your test results. So, we packed a couple bags and picked a place to quarantine!
Ultimately, my boyfriend + I quarantined at my apartment with our two friends who ironically got it at the same time we did.
For me, the first couple days were the worst. I had pounding headaches, hot/cold flashes, and a very mild cough. Over the course of five days, I also received a minor stuffy nose and was constantly tired. I typically cannot nap, but when having Covid, I napped 1-3 times a day + slept 10-12 hours/night.
DAY 5 - 7
Some people wake up one morning and just feel back to normal, but I didn’t get that feeling. From days 5-7, I definitely woke up every morning feeling a little bit better- either nose stopped running, cough was gone, I didn’t wake up with a headache, etc. However, it was typically in the later afternoon where things would flare up a bit until I went to sleep.
I think what really got me and the rest of my quarantine crew through it was making ‘plans’. My friend thought it would be a good idea when picking up curbside groceries to include some cookies to decorate. So, we had a ‘Corona Christmas Cookie Contest’ which was a blast.
Some other activities that I recommend doing/we did during our long days are listed here ↓
COVID - FRIENDLY ACTIVITIES
Ideas on making the time fly by:
Lots of movies, tv-shows, film, etc.
Game night - virtual, board games, card games, video games, etc.
Cook / bake a new recipe
Go on walks! - helps get fresh air, allows space to clear your head, and gotta get those steps in
Work from home (if company/position allows it)
What I wish we could have done more was cook, but one of my friends lost their taste and smell so it didn’t really matter what we ate. We ate lots of takeout for dinner - O’Lydia’s wing Wednesday, Culver’s, Pizza Man pizza.
DAY 8 - 10
By day 8, I was pretty much back to normal along with the occasional headache. Only difference is that now I was going CRAZY. I was extremely antsy to go grocery shopping, go to the mall, eat at a restaurant. Anything seemed more appealing to me than staring at the same four walls and watching yet another chick flick. I’m not complaining by any means, I was just ready to see the world again. The safety of others though was my main priority so…we wait.
In the last couple weeks it seemed to me that company higher-ups, politicians, news reporters, doctors, or anyone else that essentially gives the ‘ok’ on how long to quarantine, changed the number of days from the strict 14 days (two weeks) now to 10 days. In my personal opinion, it should be 14 days, so, that’s what I decided to do. Thinking back to where I thought I was infected was from seeing someone on their ‘11th day’ of quarantine.
In my humble and not medical professional opinion, I recommend either getting tested again on your 10th day or continue to quarantine through the full 14 because you never know how long it could be lingering in your system.
Please stay safe, stay healthy, wash your hands/sanitize, and lastly, wear a dang mask people!! Let’s stop the spread of Covid-19 together :)