
Not that I feel there is anything to say that hasn’t been said already but Coronavirus has finally caught up with us and I feel I need to acknowledge that here somehow. Having kept a bit of a diary during the early days so I could look back on it in years to come it only seemed right that two years after we first learned about Coronavirus, and now that we have caught it I document that too.
For me it started with crushing exhaustion that made me sleep for 16 hours. To be honest though I put that down to the menopause, because, well because it could well have been. Along with the headache that followed. I am at the stage of perimenopause where I blame it for everything and anything because I generally have no way of proving otherwise normally. Except this time I did, a lateral flow test taken when I realised I also had a sore throat. I have done the tests before, never surprised to see they were negative as I didnt ever really feel I had it but was generally doing the test as a precaution to ensure I wasn’t asymptomatic and about to pass it on unwittingly. This time though I was sure as soon as I said “I need to do a test” that the second line would appear, and lo and behold as I finished drying my hair there it was. Conclusive proof that two years after this started it was my turn to say “I have Covid”.
To be honest I always knew I would get it eventually, it is only a matter of time before we all do. I didnt feel like it was a badge of honour to be able to say “nope, never had it” but that it really was more through luck than judgment. We had been very cautious, still not attending mass gatherings, only really socialising with family or a small group of friends, and not flying anywhere or really doing too much travel at all. But somebody somewhere was in close enough proximity to us for us to catch it.
I say we, because despite testing negative on the day I tested positive Bruce then got his second line the following day when he realised he was sounding more and more like Barry White.
Weirdly I havent lost my sense of smell or taste, despite that being one of the symptoms we were told to look out for in the early days. That feels like so long ago now though that I dont really know what the recognised symptoms are any more or what the rules are about isolating. From what I can tell there are no rules, we are free to wander around amongst everybody with no care for the fact they may be vulnerable.
That feels morally wrong and so I have been camped out in the spare bedroom, working from the heated airer (how very middle class) and all plans are cancelled until we have a negative test. Thankfully Deliveroo is on hand to bring essential supplies (balm tissues and dog food so far) and I am grateful of a regular food order once a week that will bring the rest in a few days.
How people managed to deal with the virus, and look after children is beyond me. Seriously. How did you all do it? If you did, you are a superhero. Bruce and I are tag teaming on making the tea and even that is a stretch that results in him needing a rest in the garden and me a lie down.
Reports suggest that we are about to be hit by another wave (this is an interesting read in yesterday’s Guardian about another wave being imminent), and if my DM’s on Instagram are anything to go by then more people certainly seem to have it now than at any time before, many for the second or third time.
All I will say is stock up on tissues and paracetamol and get ready to binge watch all the box sets you can handle.