Surviving Coronavirus
I recently had a conversation with my friend Tiffany – we will call her Tiffany in this story. I had not heard from her in about two months. That is not strange at all; that is the norm with us. We are both married, have children and businesses to run, so we understand how busy life can get. Our friendship is low maintenance. I have known Tiffany for approximately 38 years.
The Spread of the Virus
When we call, we chat like we usually do. We exchange pleasantries, ask about each other’s families, and talk about whatever is on our minds at that time. This time we spoke about her family surviving Coronavirus. Her youngest had taken it home from school. He was lethargic for about 24 hours, and that was it for him. He was never bedridden; her other two children in the home contracted the virus as well. Her eldest had mild flu-like symptoms, and her second never felt ill. Tiffany and her husband were not that lucky; the virus completely consumed them.
Weight loss
Her husband – we will call him Gavin in this story – lost 30 pounds in 10 days. They kept taking him to the emergency room, and the nurses kept sending them away in a carefree way. The nurses assured them that what they were feeling was the norm, and nothing more could be done. They had to return home, stay hydrated and ride it out.
COVID is not the flu
Tiffany gets angry every time someone who has never experienced the virus makes the statement, “it is just like the flu.” She strongly advises it is nothing like the flu. It is ten times worst. Tiffany and Gavin are both healthy individuals, but whatever strain they got almost won the battle. She started to prepare her children for their demise; she discussed financials to let them know where everything was and how to handle the situation.
Lack of appetite
They lay on the couch for the entire time they had the virus. Thankfully, Tiffany’s children were able to take care of themselves during that period. Tiffany and Gavin had no appetite but forced themselves to eat because they knew their bodies needed nourishment. She could not lift her cell phone because it felt that heavy. After all, she was that weak.
Loss of smell and taste
Her entire family lost their sense of smell and taste. The whole ordeal lasted about three weeks. One day, their house nearly caught fire. They were cooking, the food was burning, and no one smelled it burning. They heard the smoke detector and then saw the smoke and fire.
Lethary, painful breathing, fatigue
She described other symptoms such as painful breathing. She detailed having to take shallow breaths since deep breaths felt like fire in her lungs. She and her husband experienced energy loss, fatigue, and indescribable pain in every area of their bodies. They were unable to walk. Her husband had to use a wheelchair. Trips to the bathroom were the worst; it required them to drag themselves along the walls, panting for breath. If they had to shower, they had to sit on the bathroom floor due to exhaustion.
Road to recovery
After they had received their positive COVID results, doctors assured them that it would take ten days for them to get back to normal but those ten days turned to three weeks. After those three weeks, they were still exhausted but were much better. They are now fully recovered, and having survived that ordeal, they advise that we continue to follow guidelines: social distancing, staying at home unless we have something important to do, washing our hands, and all the information that was provided to us over the past year.
The Vaccine
The vaccination exercise has started, and she indicated that she would be taking the shot. She is worried about contracting the virus again or maybe a different strain than she had the first time. She is of the strong opinion that vaccination is a sure method of surviving coronavirus.
What’s next?
At this point, I know we are all a little tired of the constant shutdowns, but we must continue to be patient and hope that this virus will be gone sooner rather than later. Getting impatient and not following guidelines are not advisable. Many people treat the virus as though it does not exist; some people are going with statistics and survival rates; some depend on the vaccine. Based on my family’s age and health, even if we contracted the virus, our survival rates are high but based on Tiffany’s experience, I rather not. My family and I will continue to social distance and follow the guidelines and take all steps to ensure our safety. Each of us has our right to decide what’s best for our family. Let’s hope we choose wisely.
Beautiful. I had a very close encounter with the virus as a close family member contracted it. Thankfully he was the only family member to have it. And it is only because of God’s grace and mercy and safety measures that no one else in the household or bubble contracted it. His experience was not as bad as your friend Tiffany but had two hospital trips just to ensure that he was not developing pneumonia or anything else.. Six weeks after his positive result and he sometimes experiences the cough. Thankfully it’s few and far and nothing like the stories I have heard.
Thanks for sharing and reminding us of the importance of maintaining the guidelines and getting vaccinated.
I took my first dose two days ago. I have a slight internal fever and a very sore arm but it’s all worth it for my protection and others around me like my nieces and nephews who cannot take the vaccine.
Thanks again Rhonda for your continuous support.
I am happy to hear that your family member has recovered and that no one else was infected. I have heard mixed accounts about the vaccine, from no symptoms to extreme nausea and vomiting, I am glad that your experience was not too extreme.
I am not sure of taking a vaccine which will not prevent one from getting infected again. Previous vaccines have done this.
Yes, this one is a little different. It’s a toss-up.