Earlier in July, I tested positive for the 2019 Coronavirus (COVID-19).  I didn’t get tested for curiosity. I got tested because I had developed a fever that would not go away.  I’m going to go through my COVID-19 experience and the things I learned along the way.

COVID-19 is Unpredictable and You Should Continue to Be Safe

On a Saturday, I took a trip to a crowded Wal-Mart, masked up, and hand sanitizer in the car. I was doing all the right things and had been since the pandemic started for us in the US. I never went out without a mask. For the first few weeks, my husband and I stayed inside and did not socialize with anyone.  We both worked from home, used Instacart for our groceries. We had no contact with the outside world that much. And if we did have to go out to the store, etc, we made sure to social distance and wear our mask.

I personally stayed away from those who did not have on a mask in public.

We would connect periodically with two couples who were doing the same things we were doing. They worked from home and stayed inside.  This was our “Quarantine Group.” Needless to say, we were careful.  We have not sat down in a restaurant in several months now. I can’t remember the last restaurant we dined in at.

How did I turn up positive for COVID-19?

I think it was the large crowds at Walmart. At first, my symptoms felt like a stomach bug. I had bought a deli sandwich from Walmart on Saturday. On Sunday I woke up and I felt okay, but later that morning, I got sick and vomited. I didn’t think much of it, outside of just feeling like I had a bad sandwich.

Two days later, I started with a low-grade fever that hung around 99.5. I started to show the classic symptoms of a stomach bug. I set up a doctor’s appointment and based on the symptoms, he too thought it was a stomach bug.  He ordered me to take a COVID-19 test just to be sure.

I took the test the next day which was a Thursday. Lucky for me, Kaiser does throat swabs and not the dreaded nasal dig that I’ve heard so much about. It took 48 hours to return with the results.  In the meantime, my fever got worse and reached its highest by Friday at 103.  I did not have any other symptoms outside of diarrhea and a sinus headache that had started to set in. I was never congested during the whole ordeal.

I had another doctor’s visit on Saturday where we went through my symptoms once more. Because the sinus headache had started as well as some ear pain, the doctor determined I had an ear infection. He still did not feel it was COVID-19 because I was not displaying the common symptoms of it.  He gave me a round of antibiotics, told me to take Tylenol around the clock for the fever, stay hydrated, and sent me on my way.

The Positive Test Result.

Later that Saturday, I got my results back from Kaiser that my COVID-19 test was positive. I had begun my antibiotics which actually cleared up my ear pain by the next day, but it gave me horrible irritable bowel syndrome.  I would find out on my next doctor’s visit, which was a couple of days after the last, that the antibiotics aggravate the gut.  I was told to stop taking them since the ear infection was gone.

The fever was still persistent at about 100.  The Tylenol did not seem to help break it, but at least it was not at 103 anymore. I had a 100 fever for about 8 days before it finally began to break. The total number of days I had a fever of any kind was 13 days, from Tuesday of week 1 to Sunday of Week 3.

I had about 7 or 8 virtual doctor visits during the whole time including a doctor from my job who checked in periodically to monitor symptoms. This was comforting because although there is not much that can be done for someone fighting COVID-19 unless they develop pneumonia, it was helpful to get the amount of insight I was getting from Kaiser and the employee doctor I was in contact with.

By the time I was at the end of the 14-day period it takes to go through a COVID-19 infection, I was experiencing a lot of fatigue and exhaustion and I found it exhausting to move around a lot.

Although I did not develop many harsh symptoms from the COVID-19 infection, the fever alone had me tied to the sofa for about two weeks. Not only that, my appetite was little to nonexistent.  I barely ate during the sickness time and lost a few pounds as a result.  I ate plums and oranges, frozen “fruitcicles”,  Boost shakes, Gatorade and water most of the time.  I never did lose my taste or smell, but the food I would prepare, I could not finish it often. I could take a few bites and would get exhausted from eating.  This symptom actually still exists to a lesser degree post-COVID.

I still am not able to finish a whole meal. I get exhausted from eating, and my appetite has not returned fully.  There were days where a  simple shower was exhausting and I’d experience shortness of breath afterward. Sometimes, I get shortness of breath when eating. For that reason, I sometimes declined large meals because they were just too tiring to eat.

How I Managed My Mental Health While Having COVID-19.

Being put in a position like this leaves you with a lot of time to think about the worst that could happen. I protected my mental health by not watching CNN and haven’t really watched CNN since the sickness started. I did watch a lot of doctors on YouTube and took in their knowledge and recommendations about how to manage the virus at home. I did not, and still do not want to hear the hysteria from the news, but I am very much interested in the science behind the virus and how different bodies respond to it in various ways.

This helped me to remain practical and focused on my recovery.  My biggest fear was developing pneumonia and acute respiratory distress syndrome which typically puts you in the hospital, but even if that had happened, only 20% of symptomatic cases end up in the hospital and 5% end up on a ventilator. In other words, 1 out of 20 COVID-19 cases end up in ICU.  This also means that 80% of symptomatic COVID-19 cases are mild which means these cases never see the hospital and recover at home as if they have the flu. This does not consider those cases where a person does not have symptoms at all. If we include these, then that means the number of people who contract COVID-19  and end up on a ventilator is much less than 5%.

These are the numbers I played around with within my quarantine time where I had no other activity going on but watching day time TV, the Golden Girls and YouTube doctors talk about COVID-19.  This helped me not to freak out.  I do want to make the disclaimer that I am in no way minimizing those who have suffered a great deal or even loss their lives due to COVID-19. My aim here is to not allow the media frenzy to take things out of perspective.

But still, I purchased an oximeter from Amazon so I could monitor my oxygen levels, which always remained in the normal range.  Although I had educated myself about my risk of developing pneumonia, I found my anxiety levels increase towards the end as I exhibited signs of anxiety like psycho-motor reactions. I determined my anxiety was the result of the disruption COVID-19 did for my life, it being put on pause for two weeks as everything that was moving suddenly came to a halt – having to sleep on the sofa for two weeks and quarantine in our home, not working, not doing school, not eating – It was all a bit traumatizing for an active and routine guy like myself.

I was not able to focus on much during the period of recovery. My mind was not too coherent. I discovered it took much more effort to focus on things like reading and comprehension. Rest was the only thing that my body could do.

What if COVID-19 Happens to You?

My biggest recommendation for anyone managing a COVID-19 infection at home is to remain calm, educate yourself on the statics of the virus, and make sure you are resting and taking care of your body.

The biggest challenge for me was low energy from not eating enough. The best thing to do is to drink plenty of fluids if you are not strong enough or don’t have the desire to eat.

Someone turning up positive for COVID-19 is not a reflection of their responsibility. A take away for me from the experience is that COVID-19 is real and it’s out there and honestly, no matter how much anyone will try not to get it, the chances of getting it are still pretty high, even with masks, even with social distancing.

You will have to determine how you want to handle the risk factors.  You must not allow COVID-19 to cause you mental anguish, anxiety and depression. Be sensible and develop a plan to help you stay healthy and to help you heal should you get exposed.

Eat healthily and exercise often. There is so much I studied and learned about managing infections in the body during this time. Make sure you are getting adequate nutrition.

Although everyone will respond to a COVID-19 infection differently, studies are showing that those who have adequate nutrition have a better chance of not having any severe complications. Those who are not obese have a better chance of recovery without major complications. This is not to suggest that healthy people do not have major issues from a COVID-19 infection.

Coronavirus Does Not Mean Life Stops

You should use your wisdom with this pandemic. Does it mean that you have to lock yourself inside your house for the next several months? I say no. I say use your wisdom and make sound decisions about your risks.  Keep in mind that life is full of risk and instead of allowing yourself to panic, evaluate your risk factors, and move accordingly.

Stay away from large gatherings. I recommend to remain around gatherings of 10 people or less where you are able to keep adequate space from those you suspect are not as safe as you are.

I also recommend you establish a quarantine group so that you are able to have your social needs met. This is good for your mental health.  Make an agreement with a group of friends or family members that are able to socially distance, work from home, and commit to staying out of crowds that increase their risk for contracting COVID-19.

Allow these to be the people you are willing to be around without having to mask up and stay six feet apart.

Let’s say you like to treat yourself to a pedicure. Don’t go to a nail shop that’s known for being busy.  Find one that is not busy. Go on a day that is not busy or at a time of the day where they have fewer customers.  I feel comfortable going to the nail shop around the corner from me. They typically have no more than 2 clients in the whole shop at one time. The workers wear masks and use shields, and I’ve gone twice since March.  Space the # of times out if you have concerns.

My point is a COVID-19 experience does not have to ruin your life. Put measures in place to protect yourself. Make connections with people you trust so that you don’t feel like you are losing your mind from having to stay home so much.

Wash your hands often, wear masks, and keep them disinfected. Wipe down the surfaces in your home and car often with a disinfectant. You can buy an ozone sanitizing machine that you can use to sanitize items like your cloth masks, cell phone, keys, etc. These products are even made to be portable to take with you on the go.

This is our new normal and who knows when this will end, but you cannot allow it to kill your mental health in the process.