COVID Strikes At Home

After more than 2-years, the covid virus finally caught up with me.

What a difference a couple of years makes. After masking, keeping bottles of hand sanitizer in cupholders, and being cautious around large groups, the virus bit me as suddenly and angrily as a pissed-off wasp.

But today, I’m better – and I am thankful.

No fun was the best way to describe my experience. The virus slammed me with the wallop of my head shoved in a trash can and someone keeping time with an AC/DC tune. And my body demanded sleep like a lost caravan searching for water in the desert.

Full disclosure, I am fully vaxed and boosted. And according to medical advice, I do not have any known underlying risk factors. I was advised to expect a bumpy ride, but over-the-counter remedies should offer relief.

Covid continues to be a part of our lives, with hundreds of people passing each day due to the virus. And I’m sure we all agree that to the family impacted, one is too many.

We’ve come a long way in the past couple of years. Rewind to March 2020, when we knew more about Batman’s backstory than how the new virus would impact us. Then, deaths were rampant, especially among the elderly and those with pre-existing conditions. And the reality of an effective vaccine remained an elusive wish for many.

The CDC links more than 1 million deaths to covid-19 and its variants. Current rates point to 357 deaths per day and 59,000 new cases per day. Fortunately, due to vaccinations, behaviors, or recent versions of the virus being less lethal, hospitalizations are below 4,400 per day. Simply put, we are getting better at managing the risk and understanding the best course of action.

But considering I am fully armed, at least as the CDC would recommend, covid is one nasty and unpredictable virus. Some get a fever, and others do not. Many get head colds, others long-term exhaustion. For me, a day or so of fun-house dreams and 18 hours of sleep in a 24-hour window seemed the worst. But my body knows it’s been in a train wreck of a battle. A short walk around the neighborhood on the third day sent me scrambling in retreat for a nap.

A friend told me he knows of more friends getting covid now than ever before, but they are – fortunately – getting through it.

Therefore is the challenge: the virus is still with us and will most likely be around for the long term. Those with the highest risk factors will likely remain at more risk of the more dangerous outcomes from the virus. But our medicine, knowledge of treatment, and self-awareness of managing risk are at an all-time high.

So yes, I admit I am fortunate. I thank those who worked tirelessly to understand the best medical and behavioral way forward. And I will continue to pray for those who least need this in their lives.

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