On Getting Sick During Covid-19
There's a lot of anxiety out there, about getting sick, getting Covid, and how to avoid it all. I wanted to share my story of getting sick during the Covid-19 pandemic. Let me first start off by assuring you that I was tested and I do NOT have Covid-19. However, the past few weeks have been filled with anxiety as we muddled through this.
Let's go back. Back to before the world shut down and life was "relatively" normal. The first case of Covid-19 was announced in Alberta on March 5th. Even by that point, we had heard news from around the world and I was starting to feel worried. The next week I rode the train to work daily, covered with a scarf across my face and did not touch a thing. Dan ordered me a N-95 mask, but I didn't wear it yet. There was an eerie feeling all around, as if "IT" was coming, and everyone was on edge. On March 12, the kids came home from school not feeling great. That night they started coughing and both came down with a low-grade fever. That was it. I stayed home from work the next day, and started self-isolating then. Over the next few days, everything did end up shutting down, including workplaces, school and church.
We scrambled to adjust to the mayhem, and I started working from home, but on Tuesday I was run down and exhausted. Then I got the scratchy throat... which turned into a chest cough quite quickly. Of course I was alarmed and called our nurse line 811. At that time, they were only testing travellers, so I was told to self-isolate and call if I got worse. Over the next few days it DID get worse, to the point where I was wheezing and coughing non-stop. I waited it out though, thinking that there are people worse than me. Finally, on about day 10, I called 811 again. The nurse heard me coughing through the phone and told me I should see a doctor right away. I was sent right to an Urgent Care center. At that point, Alberta had started testing health workers and the nurse said I qualified for a test as a mental health worker.
It was 9:00pm and I bundled up out of the house with my mask on. I arrived to the Urgent Care, and I was literally the ONLY person there. I have never seen it so empty. It must have been referral only, or everyone else is staying away from hospitals. I was brought into quarantine quarters and asked questions by workers from behind screens. I didn't have to wait long, and I was brought into a checking room. The room was almost stripped bare, apart from a bed, a chair, and the vital equipment. The nurse who entered had to suit up into fresh clothes to come in, and strip them when she left. She stood a meter away, except for when she had to hook up my blood pressure. The door was closed when she left and I was fully quarantined. It was so surreal.
The doctor arrived and was so friendly and nice. She came right away with a test kit, and I was tested then and there for Covid-19. It was an uncomfortable long q-tip wayyyy up the nose, and it stung, but it was over quickly. She listened to my cough and did not like what she heard, so she tells me she wants an x-ray to rule out pneumonia. I went for the x-ray, and again it was done in record time. I waited. The doctor came back to the room (new gown and gloves and mask) with a sad look on her face. She told me she had hoped she was overreacting with the x-ray and that nothing was there, BUT she saw early signs of pneumonia So, she prescribed antibiotics and inhalers, and told me I could go home but that I had to continue self-isolating. It was such a good process and the nurses and doctor were so nice. I am so grateful for such a positive experience.
At this point, I was convinced it must be Covid-19. Why else would I develop pneumonia out of the blue? My husband canceled his plans and we all stayed in quarantine waiting for the results (we were mostly isolated anyways at that point). Thankfully I didn't wait too long and 3 days later I got a call from the doctor. He confirmed that the Covid-19 test was... NEGATIVE! I was a bit shocked, but grateful. He told me I have a different respiratory infection called hMPV, which is like RSV. It is likely I got it from the kids. My pneumonia likely developed because my immune system was down (having just come through 2 rounds of strep throat - thank you children). He cautioned me to stay home for another 10 days still, and be careful because I was now at risk if I were to develop Covid-19. And the whole thing was done.
I am still recovering, and Covid or not, pneumonia is a long, slow recovery (I have had it in the past). I am home, though, with my family, and we are safe and together. My worst fear was to be separated from them in the hospital alone. At least so far, it has not come to that.
I share this story because I know many people are worrying and wondering what to do if they feel sick, or get sick. In my experience, the medical staff handled things so very well! We have to remember that Covid-19 is not the only respiratory virus circling right now. If you need medical help, you will get the help. If you can manage your symptoms from home, DO! We do not need to leave in fear, but we do have to be smart. I know that there are hundreds of people who are suffering much right now. I pray for them, and I pray for the health staff, and I pray that this will all be over soon. Let's all do our part!
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We scrambled to adjust to the mayhem, and I started working from home, but on Tuesday I was run down and exhausted. Then I got the scratchy throat... which turned into a chest cough quite quickly. Of course I was alarmed and called our nurse line 811. At that time, they were only testing travellers, so I was told to self-isolate and call if I got worse. Over the next few days it DID get worse, to the point where I was wheezing and coughing non-stop. I waited it out though, thinking that there are people worse than me. Finally, on about day 10, I called 811 again. The nurse heard me coughing through the phone and told me I should see a doctor right away. I was sent right to an Urgent Care center. At that point, Alberta had started testing health workers and the nurse said I qualified for a test as a mental health worker.
It was 9:00pm and I bundled up out of the house with my mask on. I arrived to the Urgent Care, and I was literally the ONLY person there. I have never seen it so empty. It must have been referral only, or everyone else is staying away from hospitals. I was brought into quarantine quarters and asked questions by workers from behind screens. I didn't have to wait long, and I was brought into a checking room. The room was almost stripped bare, apart from a bed, a chair, and the vital equipment. The nurse who entered had to suit up into fresh clothes to come in, and strip them when she left. She stood a meter away, except for when she had to hook up my blood pressure. The door was closed when she left and I was fully quarantined. It was so surreal.
At this point, I was convinced it must be Covid-19. Why else would I develop pneumonia out of the blue? My husband canceled his plans and we all stayed in quarantine waiting for the results (we were mostly isolated anyways at that point). Thankfully I didn't wait too long and 3 days later I got a call from the doctor. He confirmed that the Covid-19 test was... NEGATIVE! I was a bit shocked, but grateful. He told me I have a different respiratory infection called hMPV, which is like RSV. It is likely I got it from the kids. My pneumonia likely developed because my immune system was down (having just come through 2 rounds of strep throat - thank you children). He cautioned me to stay home for another 10 days still, and be careful because I was now at risk if I were to develop Covid-19. And the whole thing was done.
I am still recovering, and Covid or not, pneumonia is a long, slow recovery (I have had it in the past). I am home, though, with my family, and we are safe and together. My worst fear was to be separated from them in the hospital alone. At least so far, it has not come to that.
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