Oh so sorry to see this! Hoping you heal and are better soon.

FWIW, we had a moment of panic this morning, hubby woke up with a fever (100F) and feeling achy, and thought he might have it, but a rapid test showed negative. He'll test again as recommended, but if he had a fever and symptoms already, I think the test would have been positive, wouldn't it?

We're both triple vaxxed too, and wear KN95s everywhere - I cover mine with a medical mask as well.

Now I'm fervently hoping I don't get whatever he does have...

Deb, I hope you get well soon, and have no lasting effects.

Symptoms started by last Tuesday and your first day off was Friday? That means you were at work for the period where you were likely most contagious.

I’m not saying that to be accusatory in the least, but rather to show how a very conscientious, well well-intentioned person can inadvertently be a spreader. Needn’t be a selfish person.

I’m sorry to hear about your aunt-in-law; a stark reminder that this is still a serious disease even as the country relaxes.

Hope you’re feeling better and can get back to work on Monday. Losing pay is tough for anyone.

Deb, so sorry you're ill and hope you feel better very soon.

I'm so sorry, hope you feel better soon. I think when I go get a few things from the store tomorrow I'll also get my second booster.

Carol, no, he may have tested too early for a positive result. He should stay away from you and other people in the meantime.

I'm glad I'm 2x vaxed and 1x boosted.

This to me is the scary part. Hope you get to feeling better soon. Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water.

Oh, so sorry to hear - especially since you are being responsible and doing all the right things. Hope you are mended soon with no lasting effects.

Even tho numbers are down and mask mandates are ending (in places that had them) one of my doctor friends said he is seeing a huge uptick in patients seeking care with covid in this past week. He suspects that people have been testing positive at home, but are not reporting the results unless they need medical care. So the numbers being shown/reported of covid cases are really being skewed by home testing and we are feeling overconfident about our risk of exposure.

Deb-ab, thanks for keeping us apprised. I hope you Continue to improve. My condolences on the loss of your aunt. She did everything she was supposed to do to prevent infection from Covid.

I appreciate your posting your symptoms because I’ve often wondered how somebody might feel with the symptoms even after the vaccinations and booster. Of course everybody is different.

Take good care.

Edit

Deb - Sorry to hear this and hope you're feeling better soon. Take care.

A friend of mine texted me last night to say she has tested positive as well. Same symptoms as Deb and the thing she feels the most is super tired, just bone weary fatigue. She is so careful as she has a compromised 18 month old granddaughter. She was born very early and continues to have lung function issues but she babysat her on Monday so hopefully all will be well for her.

I'm still wearing my mask and to all of you people who are looking at me sideways because of it - I don't care.

I had to go out for a few appointments yesterday. Then I went to a Whole Foods Market in one of the high income suburbs of Boston. I wore an N95 mask that I always wear But I was surprised at how many people in the market were not wearing any mask. I can’t remember if the cashiers and workers at Whole Foods were masked.

The Northeast US has seen an uptick in hospitalized patients with Covid in the last month or two and it has been detected in sewerage. It’s difficult for me to understand the complacency of so many. It’s easy to wear a mask and distance a bit. And even if the person has been vaccinated, without knowing it they may carry the virus to a person who is unable to be vaccinated.

I hope you feel better soon.

Hardly anyone is wearing a mask here anymore. I wear one inside anywhere because it's still around. I do go mask free outside, like at the garden center.

Deb so sorry! This virus can creep up and around and at you from every angle! I sincerely hope you recover quickly and without excess incident! Sending you good energy to do so.

Thank you for posting. Hope this is short-lived and you'll be back to normal FAST! Keep us posted, will you?

Chicagoland officials say not to worry yet, but they are working off numbers that no longer include sponsored testing. I'm also looking at school reports where testing results are in-house, although CPS isn't known for its transparency. Hospitalizations aren't bad yet, but as you've said, just having Covid can be no walk in the park, whether you need to be hospitalized or not.

Hope you're feeling better, Deb. Most people around here are complacent although the statistics are going up not down. I don't care if you look at me when I wear my mask. I don't want to get sick even with four vaccines now.

Apparently, a significant number of folks believe the pandemic is now over 😳

Heaven help us all 🙏🏽

I tested Tuesday last week with no symptoms it was negative. started with symptoms on Wednesday. tested negative. tested again Thursday still negative. Friday had a fever and did teo tests. one in the nose another the throat. faint line showed positive in both. If you have symptoms, assume you are positive.

This was Friday as soon as i saw I had a fever

These are from Saturday, Monday amd today

It is all but over. No masks or warnings of any kind in the tri state area. COVID is burning itself out. Every variant is weaker than the one before. Those vaccinated with or without boosters are covered.

arcy_gw

It is all but over. No masks or warnings of any kind in the tri state area. COVID is burning itself out. Every variant is weaker than the one before. Those vaccinated with or without boosters are covered.

.

I bet they will sure be surprised when a new stronger variant pops up.

I was just hearing on the radio today that the rapid tests are proving inaccurate with Omicron. They don't know why.

Arcy, that may be true where you are but here we are going through another strong wave. Yes, for some it is mild, but many here are still being hit hard by it and lots of deaths. The difference is that our local govt has stopped reporting numbers, so many think it is over.

Does anyone else get the feeling that some adults have a very limited knowledge of how biology works?

And what about symptoms that go away? Hubby's fever (100.3F) was gone by the end of the day - it only lasted a few hours - and he feels fine now. I'm presuming that what he experienced wasn't COVID.

And I read that rapid tests will certainly pick up Omicron - just not as early as PCR.

I understand my state is also not reporting to the CDC - I'm not sure they're even keeping count.

Ha! Remember when the former guy suggested we shouldn't be testing so much because it made the numbers too high?

Hope you're feeling better Deb.

@arcy_gw, The new variants are only weaker because more and more people are vaccinated. The new variants are more and move contagious making businesses actually have to close because all their staff is out sick.

@carolb_w_fl_coastal_9/10 my fever didn't even last the day either, but my other symptoms lasted longer. I still have some congestion today and a bit of coughing, but I started taking Vicks DayQuill yesterday. My headaches are finally gone too and I'm less fatigued. According to our province, I should have been able to go back to work last Wednesday as long as I mask and social distance. I will go back Monday along with the provincial guidelines website. I can eat in my car. According to what I've read, a positive RAPID test is a positive test. A positive PCR test may be negative for up to 3 months. But I question if I'm contagious still. According to the website, I only *have* to mask for 10 days after my 1st positive test, which will be Monday. I mask at work regardless.

I am feeling a lot better, but again, I'm taking DayQuil so who really knows. hahaha I am a lot less sleepy. Coughing a lot less. Hardly sneezed at all today. Sore throat and ears are gone. I'm sleeping well at night. I didn't have any body aches or pains.

I just want this all to be over already. I want to see my parents (88 and 90) this summer without worrying about killing them with a virus that should have been gone already.

Happy to read that you seem to be rounding the corner on this.

We could be DONE with this before now if people had just paid attention to getting vaccinated as soon as vaccines were available. Think how fast we ended smallpox, polio, etc. My DM couldn't get me immunized fast enough! I only wish there had been a vaccine against chicken pox when I was a kid, yet today parents are refusing even that vaccine for their children. (Bet those same kids will get vaccinated against Shingles when they are older.)

Deb, I'm glad you are feeling better.

Deb, did you apply for the $500 per week from the government? If you miss 50% of work in a week, your entilted to it. They do take 10% off for taxes, so you get $450. I applied when i got covid and it for 3 weeks. Are you unionized at work? If so, the union can also help with loss wages.

Deb, I hope you're feeling better.

Thank you for being so responsible ❤️

Carole, when I was positive in January I only a temp of 100 for a few hours. Length of time doesn't change anything, it can still be Covid.

So husband didn't go to work and has a sinus headache and sniffles. We were over to daughter's house where he and our grandson spent hours in the living room watching the Masters and the Phillies. Grandson was sitting behind him about four feet away. He took a covid test and it was negative but I know he has it although daughter said colds are going around. He doesn't mask anymore and I do. They are freaking out because they all are heading to Boston on Friday -Tuesday because grandson is running the marathon. They have spent about $2000 for accommodations and I feel their pain. For you who have had covid, doesn't this sound like the symptoms?

I recenlty had a sinus headache and sniffles. I tested negative on both rapid test and PCR. It lasted awhile and finally I had to take an antibiotic for a sinus infection, but I did not have Covid.

DD was sick a few weeks ago. She went to her doctor. It was a sinus infection. Colds, sinus infections, allergies and other conditions are still around. Not everything is Covid.

Son and his wife had a cold at Christmas. Theyand my grand daughter came over, spent the day here, and later she was tested and found that what they thought was a cold was in fact Covid. (They were all vaxxed). I came down with it some days later, not the best Christmas gift. (I was vaxxed too).

@liira55 I'm going to check into government benefits today.

I'm still home as my employer won't let me back until my RAT test is 100% negative. A line is still faintly showing on mine! I still have symptoms: coughed up a lung twice yesterday, sinuses still not clear, and very tired all the time. I'm taking Dayquil every 4 hours today to stop the coughing mostly. And apparently I did lose some of my sense of smell. I thought my Vicks Vapo Rub was off because I could barely smell it. But today I took a whiff and well, no: it was me.... It's smelling stronger today. LOL

I am disinfecting my bedroom this afternoon. I'm washing all of my bedding. My husband has been sleeping on the sectional downstairs since my first test came back positive. He cannot get sick but I think he's good to go now. I've read you are most contagious for 2-3 days BEFORE symptoms appear and odds are you were infected about 5-6 days before symptoms appeared so there's no way my son gave it to me. I'm 100% sure it was co-workers. They still party and go to the bars and have friends over. Our lunchroom has two offices in it: cash office and store owner office. Plus the staff washroom and customer washroom. And masks are not mandatory. And how do I eat my meals with a mask on?

Part of me says, toss the masks, it didn't help me but then again, the mask doesn't protect me from you, it protects you from me so do I keep it on? Ack! In all honesty, I don't mind wearing it because it covers my mouth and nobody can see my teeth. hahahaha

I guess husband has a cold as his second test was negative. Phila is mandating the indoor wearing of masks again.

Hang in there, Deb. I hope your hubby stays virus free. don’t overdo it cleaning. Rest. Gentle exertion.

Masks protect the wearers as well.

For everyone who said they had symptoms and did a RAT test which came back negative: I tested

Tuesday night: negative. No symptoms, just did one because my son tested positive and thought I should test

Wednesday morning: negative - symptoms started shortly after: sore throat

Thursday morning: negative - still had sore throat symptoms, coughing started early afternoon

Friday morning: positive

you are MOST contagious for 2 or 3 days BEFORE symptoms even start! And average person takes 5-6 days to get those symptoms after being exposed, which is why I firmly believe I got this from work.

What made you start testing? Known exposure or feeling ill?

@petalique for three reasons:

1. sh*ts and giggles (for a few weeks after Christmas I tested weekly)
2. my son tested + Tuesday night
3. I visited my husbands dying aunt in the Covid unit (n95 + surgical mask +gown +gloves + eye shield worn) the night my son tested positive. He messaged me the photo as we were leaving the hospital.

That was why on Tuesday night. On Wednesday, I started to feel a sore throat. Because my son tested positive, I thought I had sympathy symptoms. LOL The sore throat was still there Thursday. By Thursday night when I was still negative I assumed strep throat. and Friday morning when I had the fever and fatigue I assumed I was right about the strep but tested again as I had to go to work in the afternoon and being the responsible person that I am, tested again. This time it was positive and super faint. I did two tests: one nasal, one throat. both came back with a super faint line.

As for exposure? I work in a drugstore. Sick people shop in drugstores. They hang out in the aisles I work in. They touch EVERYTHING! Nobody has stopped touching EVERYTHING. 98% of our customers do not wear masks at all. They hang out in the aisle I work in. I am exposed DAILY. By people who say, "it's not covid, it's a cold. I tested earlier". Well, I had symptoms for 2 days before testing positive on the third day, it's wasn't strep as I suspected finally. And it was phantom symptoms. And most of the customers buying cough and cold meds are not masked when they are at my till and not standing behind the shield. And touching everything.

We allow random people to come inside our lunchroom without a mask on to walk through to use our restrooms while we are eating our lunches and dinners. The staff I work with are mostly younger people who go to bars and parties. A few don't believe covid is a bad thing. And it certainly didn't help when one of them thought it was pregnancy symptoms and worked almost the whole time with Covid. She only tested because we had a staff meeting and everyone had to do a RAT test as there would be too many people in a small area. Even though I suspected she had covid before she tested (nausea, chills, sore back pain that ran down her leg), I didn't argue with her. A lot of people don't realize that pain is a covid symptom.

While *I* did everything possible to avoid getting sick, or to passing it to someone else, the same wasn't done for me. Am I angry? yes and no. I was going to get it eventually. BUT, I shouldn't have gotten it from co-workers. Why we are not mandated to wear masks is beyond me. we are in healthcare and we don't have to wear a mask at work. I'm one of the few who does. And the three of us who are off right now always mask at work. But NOT in the lunchroom. We can't eat with a mask on and I"m not missing out on eating because people can't do what they're supposed to do.

I'm a little angry right now. Can ya tell?

Thanks for the details, Deb. Science is in the details (even if they may vart for individuals).

I don’t blame you for being ticked. You behave responsibly, and co-workers who take the virus lightly, spread cooties around. I wish I could barricade and UV light blast and micro filter that lunchroom for you and your co-workers. I’d like to buy you a beer, or lunch, or a box of N95s. You are a smart pistol.

I’m probably in FOAS’s corner — stay away from people!!! I think I’m going to bow out of a E sunday dinner because too many people and kids (daycare attendees), one person exposed to covid, still testing. But I cant afford down time for testing waiting or quarantine. Darn it. Just too many variables with regard to the habits and masking (N95), hobnobbing of 14 others. Boo hoo :-( I’d welcome the company, laughter and good food, BUT….

So I guess it’s dh and I and the grill and songbirds, rabbits and turkeys. Maybe we’ll splurge and buy organic tofu or salmon.

Are you still tired? Upper respiratory symptoms? I hope you are feeling better.

I hear you about the pharmacy job — lots of people. people with cooty infections. People who use a tissue and jam it into their pocket for later. People who use their hand to wipe their nose or eye, then handle everything in sight. Alarms should blast. The Navy Sub alert sound should blast (“Dive! Dive!”).

Can you get outside, look at spring blooms, get shrimp gumbo delivered?

Keep taking good care and thank you so much for going into detail*

pet

* why my house is a mess. gotta delve into detials. I’m working om my Jr Sc degree

@petalique I get really sleep mid to late afternoon. A bit of sinus headache which comes and goes still. Today I took a Claritin to see if it helps with the congestion which I actually also feel in my neck! I googled, and sinuses can also cause neck pain. I get the odd sharp pain across the top of my head, which I take tylenol for. I haven't used this much tylenol in YEARS. I don't like taking pills at all.

My son's asthma has gotten really bad now since he got Covid. He went to the doctor at my urging on Wednesday and now had THREE inhalers. He used to only have one. And his asthma usually only bothers him during forest fire season.

I can't find an N95 mask to save my life, but still wear my black paper masks and try to stay back from anyone not wearing one. While my mask does not protect me, it does help stop me from spreading any potential viruses I may end up with. And while the mask is not 100% effective, it is a simple layer of protection for the people around me. There were two other staff members off work while I was off and they're much younger and only had 8 days off. But two other women are off now, one for the FOURTH TIME! I would like to know what she does in her spare time because it took me 27 months to get it once.

And if you're ever in the area, let me know! I would love to do coffee with you too!