Data Report

This is going to be a bit of a rant. I am a Global Moderator here; I am going to try to self-censor myself as best as I can at the moment.

So my Dad now has Covid... My Dad, who hardly ever went out in public with a mask even during the 'prime Covid years' (to the public at large at least)... Has Covid. I can hear him coughing right now. He had cold-like symptoms yesterday and I told him to take a test. We've got at-home tests in the house. 'Take a test,' I told him, 'take it now.'

[NOTE: Not exact quotes verbatim but these were the sentiments relayed in more diplomatic terms.]

'No, no, it's just a cold,' was the reply. And then it was, 'I think I'm coming down with something.' And then, he took a test.

I'm so upset right now that I don't even want to type anymore. I have to take an at-home test now because I'VE been directly exposed to him prior to his positive at-home test. I'm going to try to get my Mom to take one as well.

Fortunately, we are all up-to-date with our shots. That fact is the only thing that is giving me some hope at this point. A lot of people get Covid and most recover after some time. But not everyone.

WEAR. A. MASK.

WEAR. AN. N95. MASK. WHEN. YOU. ARE. IN. PUBLIC.

It's not that hard.

Anyone who wants to use this thread to share their feelings about their family members getting Covid because they were less-than-vigilant can do so.

I am so sorry to hear that your dad tested positive for covid. I hope he has a full and speedy recovery.

Thank you for your thoughts.

I am, obviously, a bit calmer now than when I wrote the initial post but still no more disappointed about the situation than before.

My Dad is currently mobile, lucid and active; For him, the outward appearance has been no different than if he had been suffering from a moderate to slightly-severe cold. My interpretation of how he looks is that he is on the rebound.

My Mom, though, most likely has it now (and probably has had it for at least the past two days) and her condition is a bit more concerning. She may be currently at the worst point of it and, if I had to categorize it, the outward appearance would be a moderate to severe cold.

As for myself, I must assume that I have it. If I did "get it," I have not felt any significant symptoms. Perhaps the one symptom that could be deduced is a slightly runny nose early on but that I have also experienced that condition previously because of using new masks (which dries out the nose). I am not experiencing that symptom currently.

I think that it is important to report and display this situation rather than hide it despite the personal nature. This could be anyone's family, anyone's grandparents, anyone's neighbors. I don't mean to preach (especially on this board) but it is important to remember that Covid is not over. What is occurring to my parents can happen to anyone else exposed to this virus.

Thankfully, so far, I can report that there has not been no need for medical intervention, such as an emergency trip to a doctor or a hospital.

I can not stress enough, though, the cost of this entire situation. Regardless of the holiday timing, I hope that people take away from my family's struggles with this infection to better protect their own by wearing N95 masks in public, getting the necessary vaccinations and limiting their social interactions.

To those reading this right now: This could happen to your family no different than my own. I hope that it doesn't but, if it does, be prepared to encounter what we are experiencing or even worse.

Here is my daily report on having Covid.

I bottomed out yesterday from 2 PM to 8 PM local time. I think that, after I made the last post, I climbed into bed and that was it for any activity.

Sleeping was 'touch-and-go' and my appetite for the remainder of the day was non-existent. I could move my limbs just fine but my enthusiasm to get out of bed was very non-existent. Mentally, my bed was The World's Most Comfiest Place in the World That I Did Not Want to Leave and I was very adept at finding a reason to stay in bed, to the point where I didn't even turn off my computer or lower my shades (which I normally do).

I did not have brain fog and I still don't have brain fog which truly amazes me because, each time I have taken the Covid vaccine, I have had brain fog of some kind.

I finally forced myself to shut my window shades and turn off my computer; When I did so, I was very shaky and trembly. My body most definitely did not want me to move. I can't remember when I did so but it was before 1 AM and after 8 PM.

At a little after 1 AM, I recognized that I needed to eat something since I had completely skipped dinner. I walked very slowly to the kitchen and got some crackers, I ate a few of them along with drinking some water. I wasn't as shaky but walking was very slow and measured.

By around 5 AM, I wanted to try to eat as much of a normal breakfast as I could (I tend to eat breakfast very early due to my work schedule). I ate maybe 1/4 of what I would normally eat and, although I probably could have eaten more, I didn't want to push it. I never felt as though I was forcing myself to eat but I also never felt overly hungry, either.

My movement has greatly improved throughout the day. I have battled a bit of a runny nose and my throat feels a bit irritated. I have been coughing sporadically but never any coughing fits.

I was able to eat a full lunch which amazed me. Again, I wasn't famished but I was able to eat it without forcing myself to eat it. Tomorrow, I will attempt an 'expanded' lunch, which is what I typically do on weekends and on days off.

I will attempt to eat most of a typical (but 'light') dinner tonight. I will probably not exercise although some very, very light walking is not entirely out of the question.

My parents, in my opinion, continue to improve. My Dad claims that Paxlovid has really helped him. My Mom is also improving but she got Covid later (and is not taking Paxlovid) and so her improvement is harder to judge. I am very confident that both of them will make a full recovery but the timeline is yet to be determined.

I can not stress these points enough: Use my family as a cautionary tale. There are consequences for getting Covid. Our Christmas plans are in great flux; Although we were going to have a quiet (and isolated) Christmas to begin with, it is likely now that we won't even have it on Christmas Day and will have it on a day when we have all fully recovered (New Year's?).

Wear an N95 mask when you are in public.
Limit your social interactions as much as you can.
And GET VACCINATED.

Finally, I moved this topic to a more appropriate section.

This is my daily update on my effort to recover from a Covid infection.

The overall trend is promising and I currently see no reason why I can't go back to work on Wednesday. I could even go back to work on Tuesday (tomorrow) but I'm not sure if my sleep schedule is entirely back to where it should be. As an example, for most of today, if I been sitting at my desk instead of at home, I could've performed my job without a tremendous amount of additional effort.

I have not had throat irritation as I have had in the past. Has it entirely gone away? No. Is it to a point where I am thinking about cough medicine or other remedies at any given time? No.

I had about 2/3rds of a normal breakfast this morning and had a slight bit of appetite for it. I even had a bit of orange juice which was a gamble given the prior history of throat irritation. However, the orange juice did not lead to greater irritation.

Lunches are completely normal and have been normal for both this day and yesterday. For today, though, I did not even think about appetite or if I was going to finish it... I just ate lunch as I would have any other day.

Yesterday's dinner was a bit of a fluke; The can of soup I had seemed almost jam-packed compared to normal and felt as though there were TWO cans of soup squeezed into one can! Considering my condition, I ate it anyway but definitely trailed off during the final 1/3rd. Even if I was feeling perfectly healthy, that still would have been a big meal. I did eventually finish it and I did not take my slowing down to finish the meal as being an indication of my condition.

I've already taken showers without any issues. I've accomplished all of the elements from my morning and evening routines without any significant setbacks or concerns. Today, for the most part, (to poach from Winston Churchill) was not the end but felt like, to me, the beginning of the end. Today was the first plausibly "normal-ish" day.

That is not to say that there aren't ongoing issues.

Most important of all is sleep. While I slept better yesterday, I did not sleep sufficiently. I still woke up way too many times. I still felt, at times, overheated when under the blankets and not warm enough when they were off.

I'm getting chapped lips from all of the water that I've been drinking. I've even consciously cut back a bit on the water just as a precautionary measure.

I think that my walking in the morning is still a bit too stiff and 'shuffly' but, for the most part, throughout the rest of the day, it's been perfectly fine.

My voice is still very groggy at times. Don't ask for me to talk for any more than a few moments unless you turn 'subtitles' on.

For the past 36 hours, I've been prepping myself to get back into my normal daily routine with tomorrow being a 'dress rehearsal.' A full morning routine no different than normal with very little modification to gauge just how close I am to normal again.

I can not stress this enough: There was cost to this infection. Christmas, for my family, was called off. Work has been postponed. Schedules reshuffled. There hasn't been a single moment yet since Friday afternoon where I have felt "OK, I'm past this."

I am fortunate that I can even write that Wednesday is a realistic date for returning to a normal work schedule (4 full days since the onset of significant symptoms). A lot of people infected with this can't write that.

Please, get vaccinated. Wear an N95 mask in public. Limit your social interactions to only what is absolutely necessary.

I am hopeful that these posts will end soon. Until then, stay safe.

Thank you for the daily updates, Glad to hear that you are starting to feel better.