Grateful Dad #24: A Year After Getting COVID-19
It’s exactly one year (May 10, 2022) after I got COVID-19. More specifically, it’s already a year after I found out that I was COVID-19 positive. Looking back, it was one of the most panic-inducing moments of my life that I hope would never happen again. In the end, I was thankful for having survived it.
Grateful Dad #24: A Year After Getting COVID-19
So, what really happened during the days leading to my discovery that I had this dreaded disease? Nothing out of the ordinary, actually. I wasn’t feeling anything weird or unusual. It all started with a simple allergic rhinitis.
After putting Miguel to bed, I began sneezing but it soon stopped after about three sneezes. The following day, I was feeling a bit heavy but I attributed it to allergic rhinitis because I would always feel that way during such attacks.
By the third day though, I was feeling the onset of fever but I wasn’t concerned at all because the thermometer kept registering a normal temperature. Plus, I could still smell and taste food. However, as part of our protocol at home, I immediately wore a face mask when my allergic rhinitis didn’t go away.
On the fourth day, I wasn’t getting better so I had to call in sick at work. I felt better during the succeeding days, in fact, I was even able to report for work. Then again, the following weekend, I relapsed and felt worse than before.
That’s when I decided to have myself tested. I took a rapid test and yielded a positive result. I was COVID-19 positive. I couldn’t think clearly and my head was in a spin. I called Mommy Khris and informed her of the result. I was panicking because I was afraid that I infected my wife and kids since I slept with them in the same bed in the last seven days or so.
I quarantined in our bedroom while Mommy Khris and the kids slept in my mother-in-law’s bedroom. The funny thing was I immediately felt better as soon as I knew that I was COVID-19 positive.
Naturally, there were a lot of questions in my head. First, where did I get it? We were strictly following health protocols at home and, outside our house, I only went to the office three times a week. The office is obviously the only place for me to catch COVID-19.
The next question is, how did I get it? I was wearing a face mask at all times in the office except to eat a quick lunch. I also wore a face shield whenever I was in common areas. I also washed my hands whenever I can and sanitized them with alcohol when I went away from my desk. With all the precautions that I took, I couldn’t help but think that the virus was in the air that we were breathing.
Of course, it was really hard to pinpoint the exact cause especially because I was cautious at all times. I just had to focus on finishing my quarantine and recuperating. Speaking of getting better, I never really had the classic COVID-19 symptoms. For a time, I thought that I was asymptomatic but that wasn’t so since I felt sick and feverish. I was told that I had mild COVID-19 symptoms. One effect of COVID-19 that I still feel is shortness of breath. When I reach for something on the floor, I feel that I have to catch my breath.
As for Mommy Khris and the kids, I was just glad that their test results were negative. Beyond all the panic and the chaos, I was just glad that our practice of wearing a face mask at home paid off.
After my quarantine last year, Mommy Khris asked me if I wanted to write about my experience. I said that I’ll think about it but I was hesitant because of the stigma that COVID-19 brings to its victims.
Now that restrictions are easing, I hope people will still not take COVID-19 for granted and continue to practice health protocols such as proper distancing and good hygiene. Those who have dodged COVID-19 this long are lucky and they should be grateful for that.
I was also grateful for having been vaccinated a few months after my COVID-19 infection. Just the same, I think we should also respect the individuals who choose not to get the vaccine.
Do you have a similar experience? Do you know someone who was infected with COVID-19? Feel free to share your story in the comment section below.