Since the mods gave me a cool badge and I am bored as hell in isolation thought I would give a more detailed version of what I did before getting the coronavirus, how I got it, and what it’s like for me personally. I realize everyone will have a different reaction to the virus but it might help or at least calm some fears.
I live south of Kirkland Seattle; I was pretty much taking the virus as everyone else was ignoring it for the most part until the nursing home not to far north of me started reporting deaths and the death toll rose. That immediately not only changed the way I was looking at the virus but I could tell from people in my circle, work, neighbors, and residents in the area it had a big impact on the psychic and changed everything.
I am 37 years old and work in the I.T. sector. The I.T. industry opportunity is what brought me to Seattle from Brentwood Tn after I finished college, I first worked in Tokyo for six months and then in Germany for six months both internships which I have talked about on this forum before. After which I got a good opportunity here in Seattle working with and affiliate of Microsoft. Anyways after the Life Care center deaths my company allowed us to work from home, unfortunately for me and a few others we were still required to be at the office on Thursday and Friday for the first two weeks after the Life Care center deaths. I had mentioned on a different thread that I had already started prepping after the Life Care tragedy I went out two-three times and stocked up on water, canned foods, medicine etc. Going to give everyone a tip here switch to a bidet and you don’t ever need toilet paper again, I had spent six months in Japan after college and fell in love with the efficiency of the bidet and both my restrooms in the house have them installed. It’s worth it, you don’t need the whole toilet just the seat.
I felt I was doing everything by the book, not going out hardily at all unless it was for supplies or work, and then after we went full time working from home, I was already mostly self-isolated. My one mistake was going to my neighbors they are good friends with my fiancé and me and it was pretty much my only means of social interaction yet, that’s all it took. I think it was last Tuesday my neighbor texted me he had a fever and was being tested for the coronavirus (Great). The next day he texted me he got the results back by email that he tested positive for Covid-19. After which his wife and two children got tested that day and the next day the test showed she had it and one child had it. The other child managed to dodge it and went to their Aunts to live for two weeks, which has to be hell for the wife I know her.
I had posted here I think on Thursday that I might have the coronavirus because of hanging out with them watching movies and eating at least for three days before he texted me that he was being tested. I went through some mental gymnastics between “Why should I get tested, if I have it they will just send me home to get better” to “Crap I need to get tested and at least know”. That got me in the end to get tested even though I had zero symptoms at the time with the news cranking horror stories 24/7, the Life Care nursing home deaths, and the fact that I needed to let my fiancé know before she came down I had to get tested. Lesson one it isn’t easy to get tested at least when I was trying. I have read they are ramping that up and politics aside let’s hope they get a better system of testing. I drove around that day to at least four different places before I found one that would test me all the others either asked me If I had just gotten back from a trip from China or Italy? Or running a high temperature. I don’t feel good about it but the last one I went to I lied and told them I felt horrible just had a high temperature that broke and both my neighbors had tested positive (That part was the truth). After a little hesitation they tested me, and I found out by a phone call the next day which is what I wanted that I tested positive.
The only symptoms I had until 24-32 hours ago was an itch in my throat. When I woke up this morning, I was running a temperature of roughly 101.8 (Not so Bad) and had a compressed feeling in my chest. Which is the only thing that has had me worried. I have no cough as of yet but I think the itch in the back of my throat will probably be a sore throat by the morning.
The chest compression has been different than previous viruses which I would rate for me personally (So Far) a typical virus with chest compression. The best way I can describe it is it feels like I am wearing something that weighs about ten pounds on my chest. I took some Sudafed D earlier and it actually helped a bit. So this bitch definitely hits the lungs. I am a non-smoker by the way.
At this moment my temperature is 100.2 the lowest it’s been all day which is good and I have just binge-watching Netflix texting with my fiancé who is still waiting for her results (I have a feeling she will have it). If tomorrow this chest feeling eases, I am hoping I will be getting close to out of the woods. As of now if the chest pressure eases and I start feeling better I would rate this roughly as a mild flu, again I am just stating how it’s affected me and who knows maybe tomorrow will be worse but I am hoping as long as the temperature doesn’t spike and the chest compression eases the worse will be over within 2-4 days from what I have read on people who have mild symptoms.
My neighbor who got it first is already doing much better and his wife has a low-grade fever, and cough but she didn’t get the chest compression she said it just hurts when she coughed. The husband did have the chest compression like me. The kid is doing great didn’t even run a fever he’s 10.
So my thoughts the social distancing can’t be overstated this ■■■■ hits fast, I thought I was doing everything perfect but all it took was hanging around one person who had it who at the time didn’t even know he did have it for me to get infected. Get a bidet lol put the toilet paper down, and get a real nice in ear digital thermometer these things are nice and when you are by yourself isolated with some messed up virus from China (Thanks China) it comes in handy being able to get a 3 second temperature read out when your freaking about your temperature. I also recommend some type of decongestant. I have mild seasonal allergies so I had some Sudafed D and a lower grade allergy medicine that didn’t have the Decongestant. That didn’t help me but the Sudafed D did help the chest compression somewhat.
So between 24-32 hours
- Temperature reduced from 101.8 to 100.2
- Chest compression easing a bit probably from the Sudafed D
- And I feel a sore throat coming on.
- Breathing seems normal
- No cough as of yet
Will update tomorrow without all the text, just bored and needed a break from watching Lost. Thanks again to everyone with kind words and the mods. Times like these I feel honored living in a great country surrounded by great people offline and online, politics seems so distant and mundane to me atm. I don’t want to jinx myself but unless things change for the worse tomorrow this isn’t as bad as the panic which to me was much worse. I felt more scared thinking I might have the virus after my friend texted me saying he had the virus than I do infected with the virus.
37-year-old male, work out twice a week not overweight 6’2” 195 pounds, not ripped 
handsome wait that don’t count 
, none smoker. Hope this helps if it does, I will continue updating my journey through corona-land. Again thanks to everyone for the support and kind words, on a side note my poor mom is so great I am an only child and she has been calling me every 15 minutes she was even wanting to drive and pick me up and take me back to Tennessee, of course I am not going to let her do that but she’s the best.
