So I got COVID. Not exactly any headline material right now but still felt like a trip through hell to me.
Day 1: The Fever#
I was looking out a day before the feast of Stephen. There was no snow laying roundabout, deep and crisp and even. But I felt a chill crawling all over my body. My wife got a fever 2 days before and tested positive just before Christmas Eve. I knew I must've had it.
The fever felt okay to me. Not that it was any kind to me but I just felt, well, like I was high. I think it was partly because my brain was overclocked by that 1 or 2 degree increase in body temperature so my mind was gallavanting around every corner in the universe. I even had several breakthroughs , not that I could remember any of them.
I measured 38.5 degree celsius (101.3 degree farenheit to all the infidels) that night so I took some ibuprofen and went to sleep.
Day 2: The Fever: Returned#
I woke up a new man the next day. The fever was gone, though I still tested overwhelmingly positive. I thought maybe I was the Chosen One (I had the same thought just before I got COVID), being able to beat COVID in just 1 day.
I started working (since it was Monday) and 2 hours later, the fever returned. I measured 38.5 once again and started feeling high, once again. I may have had several breakthroughs but once again, I couldn't remember any. Just hours later, the high wore off a little but the fever persisted.
I credited this morning's good condition to ibuprofen so I took some more before sleep.
Day 3~5: The Cough: Enhanced Edition#
I was acquainted to upper respiratory infections since I was just a kid. It then became a recurring role in my life, checking on me once several years. During each infection, I would have a fever for 1 or 2 days before coughing like I was about to spew out my lungs. Unfortunately (or fortunately, if you were the virus), COVID was no different.
It was 3 years ago, just days before the pandemic began that I had my latest infection and this time, COVID hit me harder. Not only did the cough returned, it returned with a bang. I knew drinking water would make me feel better sooner but my respiratory system felt parched all the time. No amount of water could quench that thirst. I started drinking water anyway and frequented the bathroom every 20 minutes or so.
On day 5, the cough seemed on a leash. It didn't stop. I just wasn't coughing my inside out all the time.
Day 6~10: The Blocked Nose & The Fatigue#
I felt somewhat difficult to breathe since day 3 but it was eclipsed by the violent cough. Now that the cough was reduced to a nuisance, the nose became a menace.
Don't get me wrong. I could still breathe. It just felt like my nose was filled with cement (and many others felt the same way). My throat still felt parched so every breath felt like a battle.
I also felt tired all the time. Even folding clothes became an uphill struggle. I found myself resting from all kinds of activities all the time.
Day 11~Now: The Aftermath & The Conclusion#
The symptoms were almost gone, other than the occasional phlegm in my throat. I still feel tired whenever my heartrate elevates.
My review on the COVID-19 (unknown variant) so far is:
The Fever: 4/5. Would have it again just to experience the high (as long as it doesn't last longer than 2 days)
The Cough: 1/5. Wouldn't have it no matter what.
The Fatigue: 2/5. Didn't expect I would mind it but ended up a hindrance to most of my daily activities.
The Blocked Nose: 2/5. I studies structural materials and had a Master's degree in Civil Engineering. I can tell you as a fact that it's not funny having cement in your nose.
The rest: 3/5. Didn't have other symptoms so I couldn't say for sure.
Overall rating: 2/5. Just don't have it. If you catch it, try to drink as much water as possible and have as much rest as possible.