My Covid Diary

My Covid Diary

Jan 8: Day 1

Crap! Just got my Covid test results back ... POSITIVE! I have followed all the guidelines - social distancing, small social bubble, frequent hand washing, wear a mask in public, only go out for essentials. I only got tested because my friend Kyle had a positive test yesterday. We’re both single and formed a small social bubble last year. My Mom will have to be tested since I have visited her to help out.

Bright side? I feel like I have a sinus cold. Coughing, some nasal congestion. Usually, I would say I have a minor head cold.

Dark side? I can't leave my home for the next 10 days. Sigh.

I see lots of movies, TV shows and books in the next few days. I got out my little Black book to keep a diary of these 10 days of isolation. This black notebook has been so handy.

Jan 9: Day 2

Symptoms: still recovering from a sinus cold

Today I had my follow up phone call from the Public Health (PH) nurse. I've learned quite a bit. She thinks that my sinus cold over Christmas was really Covid-19. She is checking my test results for the viral load information (a CT rating). My isolation period (apparently) should have started on Dec. 20. Update coming tomorrow.

If you have a sinus cold/cough this year - get tested! My sinus cold was no different from any other cold I've had most winters for the past few years. I had a flu shot back in November - maybe that shot prevented me from getting any of the other flu-like symptoms that can show up when you have Covid-19?

If my viral load is low, then I don't need to isolate any longer because I'm no longer contagious. Get this: once you have tested positive for Covid-19, subsequent Covid tests can be positive for up to 3 months! Some people will show negative after 2 weeks, but not everyone.

That's what I've learned today.

Jan 10: Day 3

Symptoms: cough is getting better, no fever and I still have my senses of taste (LOVE books) and smell (I will shower today). LOL

I was hoping that this would be my last entry ... but not so.

The follow up call from the PH nurse today was not encouraging. Yesterday, she thought this started with my sinus cold before Christmas and isolation would be over by January 4. The CT value (how infectious I am) in my Covid test was 27. Below 25 is very infectious. Above 35 is less infectious. The nurse checked with the doctor - now they think I had a sinus cold and that Covid is a new infection. My isolation starts with the day of my positive test (Jan 7) and goes to Jan 17 (10 days later).

I will have follow up phone calls on Jan 12 and then later in the week. If symptoms get worse, I can phone my doctor or go to ER (alert them that I am Covid+ so they can go into safety mode).

Jan 11: Day 4

Symptoms: continuing to clear up, sinuses clearing

Nothing exciting or new to post today. Didn't learn anything new about Covid. Can’t go out. Big thanks to my nephew Joe who picked up groceries for me. I'm set for the rest of the week - and so are my cats. I’ve been video chatting with Mom each day. Great to get out of my head. Started phoning my friend Kyle. He’s doing OK and working from home, but not really talking to anyone else.

Jan 12: Day 5

Symptoms: cough, sinuses clearing up

Spoke to the Public Health today. They're just checking in.

My question: would another Covid test later this week show I'm no longer contagious by that CT count?

My friend Kyle had a definite start to his infection – with definite symptoms. His 10 day isolation period has a definite start/end. My infection? We don't know when it started. Was it Dec 20? Was it a sinus cold or Covid?

Based on the CT value of 27 in my Covid test on Jan 7, PH is treating my infection as more recent. But was it? The PH rep today (not a nurse today) - she had never heard about the CT value. The rep was not sure and will ask the nurse I spoke with previously. I would like to know that I'm no longer infectious when that isolation period ends.

My friend - they only contacted him once. They're assuming that he's no longer infectious as of Jan 13 at midnight when his 10 day isolation period ends. Should I just assume that I'm no longer infectious and go out in public after 10 days? With the CT value, I'm surprised that anyone with Covid doesn’t have a follow up test to check they’re not still contagious.

PH just phoned back - no follow up test. They don’t usually give out the CT value. Perhaps my family doctor could give me that result? According to government guidelines, patient isolates for 10 days after a positive test. Then the patient is considered no longer infectious. Interesting. PH has such a high load of cases that such an assumption is necessary. They don't have the ability to do follow up tests. I will talk to my family doctor and see what he thinks.

Jan 13: Day 6

Symptoms: decreasing each day

Kyle phoned today - Public Health phoned him to confirm his last isolation day. They said as long as he is feeling better, a little cough and loss of taste and smell senses doesn’t mean he must isolate further. Now? He’s no longer infectious. Assumption made. Hope it’s true, huh?

Made an appointment with my family doctor for a phone consultation. During the call, he told me that he got my test results yesterday. He was going to call me today anyway. Great minds think alike.

About that CT value: Turns out, my family doctor only gets the result of the test (positive or negative). That's all - nothing more. We talked about Covid-19 (SARS-2) vs SARS from 16-17 years ago. The symptoms for SARS were much easier to diagnose. Covid-19 is much harder to pin down from visible symptoms.

We talked about my sinus cold which started just before Christmas and whether that could have been Covid. Not sure and will have no way of knowing. He wanted to make sure I was doing usual things to help keep my sinuses clear. It helps to prevent post-nasal drip from going down my breathing passages into the lungs.

Turns out that nasal infection can spread to the lungs causing Covid pneumonia, infection. For me, using my prescription daily nasal spray was a good idea. It helped to keep one symptom from becoming more serious. Many patients in ICU on ventilators or oxygen have a lung issue (whether or not it's pneumonia).

We also reviewed the sinus medications that I have been taking. He agreed that I have been doing the right things. He also knows my medical history and that this is not unusual for me in the wintertime ... or even summertime. Don't we all hate a summer cold? LOL

Conclusion: unless more serious or new symptoms start, my isolation ends Jan 17, at midnight.

Jan 14: Day 7

Symptoms: improving each day

Guess what? After the phone consultation with my doctor yesterday, there's nothing more for me to learn about Covid unless I develop different or more severe symptoms. I am grateful for my family doctor. He is well-read and up to date.

Now that everyone else is locked down just like me - from an emergency alert that the Government put out today -everyone around me is also locked down (just not as rigidly as I am). I must stay inside at home until Sunday at midnight. It's all good here though. Good news – my Mom’s Covid test came back negative.

My doctor said that most Covid cases are like mine or Kyle’s. Non-severe symptoms. In the media, we mostly hear about more severe cases. Thankfully, that is not most cases.

Some exciting news? I found a Lottery scratch card I missed. I WON $20,000!!! WOW! I can’t go out to celebrate, but I will – someday soon. How exciting!!!!

Jan 16: Day 9

Symptoms: almost gone

Well, it's the second last day. Yesterday I was feeling fine. I spoke with my nephew. He checked in to be sure that everything is OK and that I don't need anything. He's such an awesome guy. ❤

Then ... suppertime. Pork chops and perogies. Sounds great, huh? Took my first bite and one gland in my neck swelled up right away. Problem with the pork? Apparently not. Took a bite of perogies – pain, more swelling. Drank water or cola - no problems. Strawberry yogurt - pain and swelling. Vegetable juice? No problem. An article on a med site talked about trying pickle or lemon juice, so I tried lemon juice. HORRIBLE NOT! Major pain and swelling!!

Spoke to Telehealth. The nurse determined it's not an allergic reaction or Covid-related. She recommended phoning my doctor's weekend number tomorrow morning if the swelling doesn’t end overnight. Before bed (I was so hungry), I tried a simple cheese sandwich. I could eat that without pain, but the gland did swell. This morning I could eat a banana - no pain, but the gland swelled up.

I slept fine (a nice surprise). Spoke with a doctor this morning - could be a salivary gland infection. My friend Kyle told me last night that this happened to him when he was a child. This doctor phoned in a prescription for antibiotics. Kyle is picking it up for me now that his isolation is over.

Tomorrow, I hope I can post that the swelling is going down ... and that I can eat more than cheese sandwiches and bananas. LOL

Jan 17: Day 10

Symptoms: sinus cold – pretty much gone. Salivary gland? Still swollen but starting to go down. Pain has stopped!

The last day!

PH phoned this afternoon to check in. Big Brother is watching me! Their big concern: any new symptoms? Fever? Nope. Since I'm feeling better and any cough, congestion is 98% gone, I'm free from my isolation at midnight tonight.

You can look for me at 12:01am, driving around the block looking for some excitement. If only I could go claim that lottery win!!! I’ll probably wait 2-3 days just to be sure I’m clear.

During my talk with PH, the subject of 10 days isolation versus 14 days isolation came up. Kyle and I were told to isolate for 10 days. My Mom was told to isolate for 14 days. With a positive Covid test, you isolate for 10 days because that's how long Covid is infectious. As long as the symptoms are decreasing, gone or almost gone, isolation ends after 10 days.

If exposed to Covid but no positive test, you isolate for 14 days because that's how long it takes for Covid symptoms to start. After 14 days, if no symptoms, isolation ends. If symptoms start, get a Covid test and if positive, you isolate for another 10 days.

That swelling I talked about yesterday - got my horse-pill-sized antibiotics. The pills are HUGE. The swelling is starting to reduce, so it looks like the antibiotics are working. What a weird thing to come up during Covid! Have no idea where THAT came from. Before this week, I’d never heard of such an infection!

I hope everyone is staying at home, being safe, careful and following the health recommendations: wash/sanitize your hands. Social distance from strangers. Wear a mask. I still have no idea how I caught this blasted thing.

Avoid others like the plague.

Because in a way, this is the plague of our generation.