My Experience Testing Positive For Covid19

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I have been a careful person, I wear face masks. I sanitize regularly. I try to avoid bigger crowds and try to not place myself in situations whereby covid could be spreader in a faster or rather, easier manner.

But I ended up getting it regardless of my best efforts being put in place.

On Monday 28 December 2020 I woke up feeling quite ill, I went to work but after a few hours there I opted to rather go to the doctor. My regular GP was unavailable so reluctantly I saw someone else. He assured me that it’s more hayfever and sinuses acting up since I have a history with being horrible when it comes to this I pretty much accepted it. He had no need or saw no indication that would make him suggest that I go for a covid test.

So off I went on my home where I spent the rest of the week feeling miserable, with extreme fatigue gradually setting in combined with some body aches. On Saturday the 2nd of January 2021 late in the afternoon I realised that I could not smell. at all. nothing. I took out a tub of crushed garlic and took in a massive whiff hoping to smell something but alas, nothing. My taste followed shortly thereafter.

On Sunday I went to around 6 different covid testing centres in Johannesburg near my home. All of them were closed. During a time when the second wave was properly kicking off and alarm-bells were being sung by everyone I was honestly taken back at how I could not test on a Sunday… but it was a new year and South Africans well, sometimes we are a bit lazy. We know this.

So the Monday morning I decided to drive early to the NHC Bryanston testing Centre as they have a drive-thru and it would be super convenient. – I ended up waiting for 2Hours and 45Minutes in my car to see the one nurse that was on duty. Again, second wave, pandemic, crisis, but one nurse… for about 30 + cars waiting to be seen.

After the longest wait of my life in my car, It was finally my turn and the nurse was not happy or smiling or kind. Honestly, I could not blame her. People have been shouting and screaming to be seen the whole morning. I kept the conversation to a minimum and had the dreaded nasal swab done that gets pushed so deep that you start remembering your old school day memories from grade one again. After whipping away some involuntary tears and feeling horrendous i drove back home.

The next day, I got an SMS stating I was positive with a message of links and numbers to phone for advice. Ignoring all of that I contacted my own Doctor who already received my results, she sent me through a script for asthmatic medication, antibiotics and a bunch of other vitamins, that I luckily already bought.

During the next week I struggled with breathing, my chest felt so heavily congested that one night I was close to taking myself into the local hospital emergency rooms. Breathing… I could not do it. But with some steaming with Vicks, and doing some breathing exercises and trying to honestly just rest as much as possible I got through it.

Covid19 was and is not fun. People say its like a flu when you get it. My covid was classified as a mild case, and the mild case felt to me like more than an extreme case of bronchitis than a little flu as people say. I am now officially recovered. Two and a half weeks later. I still have some body aches, headache, tiredness. I also still cannot smell a single thing. Taste is little bit better but barely there at the same time.

During my positive period I would fall asleep like its nothing and be out and not aware of what’s going on or the other uncomfortable part like waking up middle of the night because I ran out of oxygen to breathe and I repeatedly have to try and ‘swallow’ the air to be okay.

Don’t get me wrong here. It was not being on a ventilator and being rushed to ICU bad, but the mild case was struggling to breathe at random moments and feeling like someone is sitting on my chest bad. Which is still… bad?

I am thankful that I recovered from the actual Covid now and I am trying hard to remain positive in getting my sense of smell and taste back to normal. (if you have any advice on that please let me know) but the full experience of headaches, body aches, coughing, soreness of my chest, breathing difficulties and extreme fatigue was unlike anything I have experienced before and truly hope to never experience again.

Covid is not a Joke, it is not a hoax. Wear your masks. Stay Safe. Avoid the vulnerable. I am healthy and I was shocked at what it did to my system so fast. I could only imagine what would have happened if I had a pre-existing condition.

BUT – next time you go out to the shops, check at how many people do not understand how to wear a mask. Think about how many infected people are touching and coughing items that are inside the shops. Do the right thing, take care of yourself. You might survive it sure, but the next person you give it too might not.

Wear those masks. Over your nose. Not under your chin. Its a piece of cloth. If you cannot breathe through it then i am sorry to say but you are weak and should not be outside in the first place if a piece of cloth can hinder your breathing ability. That’s the truth. If you cannot breathe through it you are extremely vulnerable and should not be outside!

So that is my experience with testing positive for Covid. It was not fun. Everyone becomes a doctor with advice on how to handle it and bombard you with a million ‘natural cures’ and remedies. Everyone suddenly wants to know how you are doing even people that never speak to you but once you get healthy again they vanish instantly too… nosey people folks. simply nosey. Be better than that. Listen to your doctors. Listen to the scientists.

…and get the upcoming COVID VACCINES! You are worried about what’s in it so you don’t want to take it? Okay, explain to me what’s in an antibiotic that you normally take when you are sick. Explain to me what is vitamin D and how does it come in pill form and what does it do. Explain to me your processed meats or that beverage that is a juice dairy combination with preservatives or that line of coke you did last week at a strangers house, what was in it?

People fear what they don’t know. I fear that next time I will stop breathing completely or that I would give it to someone else. Sure I have temporary anti-bodies now inside of me, but no one knows for how long and with all the new strains and variants coming up… who knows what is next?

Also, check-in on your neighbours and people living alone. I was truly grateful for the messages of people offering to buy me supplies and assist where possible. Sometimes a message of kindness can go a long way. Be kind. Spread kindness. Spread love.

***Update: I was able to regain my taste after 4 weeks with the help of eating a massive amount of pickled ginger (what you get with sushi). Chewing on it somehow cleansed my pallet to the point of regaining my taste almost instantly. If this works for anyone else please let me know!

Thank you for reading… #TheSomethingGuy #SouthAfrica #Blog