To be clear--I did NOT choose the name for our social. We (the zone leadership) had made jokes about the whole Covid thing, because we were the one zone who was able to have a Christmas social (in November) in person and did not have any problems with Covid. Some of the other zones had to cancel their Christmas plans due to Covid or one had an outbreak after their social. So we were pretty proud of our "success" in the winter. We decided after the recent outbreak in January and February that we should take the current drop in numbers and try another gathering in person. Of course, we have been meeting together for devotionals and other meetings for several months and haven't been wearing masks since the beginning of March. It seemed like an ideal time.
Sister Dixon, when she announced the social on our website, called it the "Between the Covid Spikes" Social, so I used it in my flyers, etc. Surprising, no one even commented about us "predicting" another spike of Covid. It is the world we live in and we are rolling with the punches. Everyone was happy for a chance to gather and be together.
The evening before the activity, I started getting a scratch in throat and my nose started running. I slept fine but woke up with the general sense of a cold coming on. However, well aware of the world we live in, I did my due diligence and took a Covid test before I headed out for the day of activity to get ready for the party that evening. It was negative so I decided I was good to go. I took some allergy medication for the runny nose and actually felt fine throughout the whole day. Did the party thing, came home unloaded the car, and piled everything up on the counter, and took a nap at 8:30 pm.
I slept okay during the night but was aware that I was getting a sore throat and woke up the next morning with literally NO voice at all. A definite cold had arrived! I headed back to bed, Gary headed out to the Go Forth Meeting to meet our new missionary from Peru. Fortunately, the Deckers were in town and we had arranged for them to provide translation for us for the day of training for our new missionary so it would work out for Gary to go somewhat solo for the day.
Then things got interesting. Saturday night, a missionary from my table called to say he had tested positive for Covid. He had had a raspy voice on the evening of the party, but had assumed that it was allergies. We sent out a notice to all who had attended the party and on Sunday four other missionaries were also positive---his wife, another missionary who rode with them to the party, and another couple---all five of them sat at my table at the social!!
I tested for Covid again with a home test on Sunday but it still came back as negative. I went three days with no voice and all of the fun symptoms of a bad cold and sore throat. No fever until Tuesday morning when I decided that I should see my doctor and try a more accurate Covid test. How could I not have Covid when five of the other seven people at my table did? The other couple at my table had Covid in January of this year. All of us have been immunized and boostered as well.
He diagnosed me with bronchitis and started me on the usual treatments. He also redid the Covid test--the rapid one again came back negative, but they also did the more sensitive one that should come back on Monday. It has not been a fun week of coughing, not talking, and not sleeping! Poor Gary has had to manage all of the missionary stuff by himself. He has been a great sport. Jena is a champ taking care of me and we have watched a lot of movies and TV shows over the past week.
Still coughing but able to talk now without too much trouble and getting better sleep. Not sure when I can go in "public" again--coughing in public seems almost against the law these days!! Google tells me a cough from bronchitis can last up to 4 weeks. I might have to get a shirt that says "I don't have Covid!"
So, that is a long story to say that unfortunately, we did "create" our own little spike in Covid numbers as a result of our social! Prior to this, 3 missionaries at the same time with Covid was our highest number and there had been no known transfer of Covid between our missionaries in our zone.
Life in a pandemic!!! Or maybe, "Pride go before the fall...."
1 comment:
Oh my goodness. It is so not fun to be sick. I have always hated coughing in Sacrement Meeting. Even before Covid/Pandemic.i feel like people think I'm contagious even if I just cough a little bit. These days since my surgery in January I can go all day without coughing but will cough a lot at night. Or I will cough a lot in the morning but then won't cough for the rest of the day. It can really be annoying at times. I have a friend on Facebook that had Covid about a year ago. The Fever etc. Held on for a month then she had a cough for about 3 months after all the other symptoms went away. I felt so sorry for her. She was so sick for so long and has little kids.
Post a Comment