Hi, my name is AJ, and I will be sharing my experience with the Novel CoronaVirus.
My day started like any regular Monday for me. I woke up in the morning, did my morning routine, cooked some amazing breakfast, and got ready to start my day.
Throughout my morning routine, I realized that I was more fatigued than usual. I just thought it could have been my sleeping posture the night before.
As the morning routine commenced, I realized when I brushed my teeth; I noticed that the toothpaste I usually use to brush my teeth tasted different. I did not care to pay much attention to it that much because sometimes you just need some time to wake up before you start your day to notice things.
As I poured a fresh glass of orange juice, I noticed something was different about that morning, I could not smell the amazing breakfast that I had cooked, and when I took the first sip of my orange juice, it tasted like cardboard. What usually happens after you brush your teeth, the orange juice will taste pretty bad. So out of inattention, I just blamed it on the toothpaste.
When I came to taste my food, it also tasted bland. So I thought that I needed more seasoning. I went to check my cupboard for seasoning. I realized that I had none, so I put the food in my fridge, turned on the TV, and watched my favorite show, Brooklyn 99.
Throughout the show, my body felt weak. I was extremely fatigued and was not able to sleep. So I rested well on the couch and thought to myself I might need some vitamin D. So I got dressed up and hopped in my car. As I am on my way to grab a coffee from the closest coffee shop, I have noticed that it became harder for me to breathe.
Once I noticed that it became difficult for me to breathe, my anxiety levels started to peak. I immediately drove back home and went on the internet to search for my symptoms. On the government health website, it said that if you have difficulty breathing, you have lost your sense of smell and taste, feel fatigued, that there might be a chance that you could have the Novel CoronaVirus.
I immediately took the self-assessment test online, and the government website recommended me to book a COVID test.
Upon getting my self-assessment results, I booked the test for the Novel CoronaVirus the next day. I made sure not to get in contact with anybody until I got my results for COVID.
While my day was progressing, I was waiting to get the test done and get over with it while hoping the results would end being a Negative result. My anxiety levels at this point were killing me more than the Novel CoronaVirus. I was trying to understand how I might have got it and what would happen if I tested positive. I started to get stressed, and I felt like I got the flu all of a sudden. So I took medications to help with my blocked nose and the brain fog while trying to bring my breathing level back to normal.
While taking the medications, I took one with melatonin to put me back in bed and get me out of this nightmare.
I woke up in the evening feeling much better; my breath came back to normal, but still extremely fatigued with a blocked nose and brain fog. I ended up making some dinner that I did not finish because it tasted like cardboard and went back to bed.
The next morning I woke up, masked up, and drove myself to the testing center where I had a nose and mouth swab done. At this point, I went back home and made myself some food while waiting for the results. I still had the same symptoms I had the night before. As my night progressed, I made sure not to leave my bed because of how tired I was.
I woke up in the morning to a phone call from the government asking about my ID details. As the phone call progressed, they, unfortunately, told me that I have tested positive for the Novel CoronaVirus and that I will receive a phone call today for the next steps, including contact tracing. When I hung up the phone, I felt neutral. I had no emotions at all and just thought to myself who did I see in the past fourteen days and who might I have got it from.
I realized that I had not seen anyone I know for the past 20 days as I was away from my hometown. So I started to trace my steps. I opened up my phone and went straight to my Google maps application and checked the history of the locations I have visited. Apparently, in the past fourteen days, I have just gone to Wal-Mart and McDonald’s.
So I thought to myself, the only way I could have gotten it would have been in either those two locations.
My Tuesday progressed with the same symptoms: blocked nose, fatigued, no sense of smell and taste, and brain fog.
I end up getting a phone call in the evening from an unknown phone number. A representative from the government who is working in the sector for positive COVID patients to inform them of the next steps to take.
As the phone call progressed and the contact tracing was completed, I got informed that if I experience difficulties breathing to call 911. I was told to take flu medications and isolate for 14 days and get tested again in 14 days.
One week progressed, and I have started to feel hopeless and scared to tell anyone that I had the Novel Coronavirus, so I kept on coming up with excuses not to see my friends and staying isolated.
Social media has changed people’s thinking a lot. It has even changed the way I look at life when it comes to COVID. The media likes to over exaggerate COVID, in the matter of testing positive would be worse than committing a crime.
With many people being uneducated about COVID, I told myself it would be better to keep it to myself until I test negative, then I would tell people I had the Novel CoronaVirus.
Having little to no social life, my mental health started to affect me. I would have days where I would not want to wake up just because of how useless I felt in life. I told myself what if I never test negative, and all these worst-case scenarios started rushing in my head at a thousand kilometers an hour. That night I took more melatonin and slept.
As ten days progressed, I woke up and felt amazing. As if I was a new person. So I told myself, maybe I beat this virus. So I kept on isolating, but that day I went to my backyard and did a workout. It felt amazing to see the sun again. After my workout, I felt hungry and made myself some food. When I started cooking, I began to smell a little bit of my food. I was surprised by how we take things for granted. But I still could not taste my food.
After fourteen days of isolating, I booked another test for the Novel CoronaVirus. I hopped in my car and drove myself to the testing center while taking extreme precautions to not spreading the virus. It was very great to see other people and vehicles on the road. I arrived at the testing center, got the test done, and drove myself back home.
While waiting for my results I noticed that I overcame the blocked nose symptom. That was a good sign for me because I was finally able to breathe again normally.
Sixteen days have progressed. I woke up in the morning and did my usual morning routine. While I was doing some house chores, I found an old perfume that I have not used for a while, so I opened the cap and took a sniff. Right away, I had a smile on my face. I noticed that I had regained about most of my smell. Right away, I ordered some delicious American food. I waited until I got the food and tasted the first bite of my burger, and I could taste it. I wanted to celebrate. Knowing that I could not leave the house until I got a negative result back, I made myself a cup of Joe and watched some movies.
As day seventeen is commencing, I get a phone call from a private number. I thought to myself, that was it. The moment of truth to know what is my life for the next 14 days. As I still felt too tired, brain fog, and still did not regain 100% of my sense of smell and taste, I did not have any hopes.
The representative of the government who is responsible for reporting the results to patients, he informed me that I tested Negative for the Novel CoronaVirus. I wanted to jump out of my seat because of my excitement. I had so many things to do, go out for a run, grab some food at a restaurant, see my friends that I have not seen for months, and etcetera.
When I hung up the phone call, I started to question myself. Like, how come I tested negative for the Novel CoronaVirus, but I still have the symptoms. So I figured I would go on the internet and ask my doctor. He informs me that the result of having COVID in my system, it will never leave the body, but it does not mean I would be able to spread it as the testing when it’s done they would check if you can transmit the virus and I have tested negative.
As being informed that the symptoms I have would be long term and that the antibodies in my system would not last for long, and I am predisposed to get the virus easier than people who do not have it because I already had the virus, and I am less immune to it.
When I got informed with the news about my long term symptoms, I was not very happy because the virus changed the way I look at life. Feeling fatigued and having brain fog, felt like I was out of it all the time.
The things I learned about the virus is how it affects people changes from one person to the next, and how some people with medical conditions have it worse than I do. I learned that the virus does not care who you are and where you came from. I learned that the virus is prone to killing people with asthma as I had difficulties breathing, and people with asthma would have it worse as it’s a respiratory virus. I learned that physical distancing is important always to wear my mask and wash my hands every once in a while.
I wanted to share my story to tell people how bad the Novel CoronaVirus has affected me and that it is no joke. I am glad that I was healthy when I had the virus because I could have spent those 17 days in the hospital breathing from a ventilator or, even worse, dead.
I now have to live with these symptoms for the rest of my life, and I do not recommend it to anyone.
Stay safe out there and remember to mask up and wash your hands often and practice physical distancing.
