Friday, September 16, 2022

The Road goes ever on and on ... Day 414 (914)

I looked for covid news; I really did. All I could find easily were numbers of cases, hospitalizations, and deaths in various geographic entities (states, countries, etc.) or things that were so medically technical that I could not explain what little I understood of them. So, let's fall back on "my negative test two days ago may have been positive." Son #1 looked at it this morning and said he would have read it as positive. The Professor held his position that it had been negative. (The question has to deal with was it a straight "positive" line or a line left behind by the flowing liquid.) I tested myself this morning thinking that if I tested negative, I'd have the two negative tests 48 hours apart that the CDC likes. You saw this coming, right? Very clearly positive. 

I sent a message to my doctor's office and asked whether another course of Paxlovid might be called for. They informed me rather quickly that they did not give second courses of Paxlovid and I should treat the symptoms I am still having with OTC medications. Given that those symptoms are primarily fatigue, chest congestion, and a sore throat, we'd be talking OTC cold medicines. They also noted that symptoms could last for a month and that I might test positive for 90 days. That's one I hadn't heard before. Ninety days?!? They offered no guidance on whether I should consider myself contagious and stay in quarantine for those 90 days if I continue to test positive. I just know that the activities planned for the beginning of next week may need to be shifted. If I test negative tomorrow, the second negative would have to come on Monday. She throws up her hands in a futile gesture.

One interesting point before I retire to a napping position. I had noticed during the first week of the covid that my emotions were closer to the surface than usual. My eyes would tear up watching something on TV or reading an article. It seemed somewhat hormonal, as when I went through menopause. I had not read anything about this being connected with covid until I read the Facebook post of someone who had recently tested positive. They mentioned feeling very emotional as their case progressed. I guess there's something going on after all.

1 comment:

Caroline M said...

You can be shedding virus for weeks but not be contagious. That's why they say you can resume your life after ten days (or whatever it is there or even whatever it is here and now, we don't have room in the news for covid)

If you need a test to tell you whether you are ill, you don't feel ill. Wait out your quarantine period and then go about your business.