Life over the last 2.5 years has felt a lot like a game of dodge ball. We’ve managed to avoid getting hit for almost 2.5 years, but we finally got COVID.
How We Were Able to Avoid COVID for So Long
From the beginning, our family has taken COVID seriously. In the first wave in March, 2020 I had two relatives end up in the hospital; one died. Later, I had a friend in college who ended up in the hospital for several days for COVID pneumonia, and my high school best friend’s little brother died of COVID in December, 2021. He was only 44.
Masks
We have always been staunch mask wearers. When the American public was told to upgrade to KN95s and N95s, we did so. And we wore those masks EVERY WHERE, and I do mean EVERY WHERE. We wore them to the grocery store and when visiting our elderly neighbor outside. We wore them to the girls’ horseback riding lessons and to circus practice.
But in addition to wearing masks, we changed our behavior. We
- haven’t eaten in a restaurant for 2.5 years.
- avoided activities with large crowds.
- tried to make more of our activities outdoors.
- switched medical providers to ones who required patients and staff to wear masks even after the mask mandates lifted.
- were often the only ones wearing masks at rest stops when we traveled across country.
- brought an air purifier and let it work for a few minutes before we took off our masks when we stayed in hotels.
- wore masks when we met the realtor to look at houses.
Vaccines
While some people are opposed to vaccines, we’re not. All of us are vaccinated and boosted, and my husband and I are double boosted.
How We Finally Got COVID
Honestly, I’m not sure exactly how we got COVID.
The Movers?
However, my best guess would be from the movers. The first day they came to pack up our kitchen, I asked them to wear masks in the house. They did, but they were none too happy about it.
The second day, when they were loading the truck, they said the would not be able to do that physical job in Arizona’s 100+ degree heat while wearing masks. I get that. So, our entire family wore N95s, we opened all of the windows in the home, we ran our air purifier, and the ceiling fans. We ate outdoors.
Bookworm Went Down First
But, becaue of his allergies, Bookworm took off his mask repeatedly to blow his nose while the movers were there He was quick, and that’s the only time our masks were off. However, since Bookworm was the first to come down with COVID, I have to think that’s how it happened. Yet, he was never within 6 feet of the movers, so this must be a highly transmissible virus.
Exhaustion from Moving
My mom believes, and I agree with her, that we likely got COVID because we’re so run down from traveling across country several times, buying a new house, selling our house, and packing and moving. When I think about that, I tend to agree.
- My friend from high school whose little brother died? She, herself, got COVID less than two weeks after his death.
- Another relative lost her husband to cancer, and within a week, she, her kids, and her parents all got COVID.
I’m guessing, just like any virus, COVID preys on those with weakened immune systems.
How We’re Doing
I’m so grateful that we got COVID after everyone has been vaccinated and boosted. We’re all under the weather, but I’ve had one bout with the flu 15 years ago that was much worse than this, and I’ve also had two colds in my life that were worse than this.
I don’t underestimate the virulence of COVID, and I do worry about long COVID, but I’m grateful that the vaccines have helped defang the virus.
We’ve all had different symptoms.
- I’ve had cold like symptoms, a fever, and fatigue.
- My husband has a headache, fever, fatigue, and joint pain.
- Bookworm was only sick for two days and had cold symptoms and vomiting.
- Cuddle Bug just has a painful sore throat.
- PB & J Girl has so far managed to avoid infection. She’s currently isolated and hopefully won’t get it.
My Mom has cold like symptoms, a lot of coughing, and fatigue. I’m most worried about her because she’s in her 70s and has also done her best to avoid this virus by masking everywhere. I’m sad because Bookworm got symptoms 12 hours after we arrived at my mom’s house. If he would have been symptomatic just a bit earlier, we could have avoided giving it to her.
However, she’s on Paxlovid and seems to be improving.
We’ll still get to New York, just more slowly than we originally anticipated.
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