My experiences with covid

A little personal update

• Got tested positive for CoViD-19 this week
• No definitive source of infection that I know of
• Writing this journal to document my symptoms and experiences
• Will be WIP till I fully recover
• Since the course of infection to different people is different:
  • Do not expect to have the same experiences as me
  • Please take advise from trained medico or nurse or health advisory body such as the Ministry of Health, WHO, CDC, etc.

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Month update and some personal notes

A month since I tested positive and I am not almost back to normal with my daily schedules and tasks. This post was initially just to track my personal symptoms just incase. Fortunately, I had it easy with symptoms and I am really grateful for that.

This post is probably lost its initial purpose now. To check possible symptoms and to understand what to expect if anyone catches covid themselves, I’d recommend more authentic source like WHO, CDC and not this post as it is only an anecdotal experience and may not (and probably will not) be true for most of other people.

I am still publishing this post. I hope this post will at least help making conversations abut covid in communities more normal and reduce stigma surrounding the diseases. Yes the disease is bad and can transmit with such ease. Yes everyone needs to be careful at all times and confirm to health guidelines. But at the same time may this be a reminder that anyone can get covid and even when you get it or anyone you know gets it, it can be defeated. There is no reason to stigmatize them. It is time for communities to come together (following all guidelines to keep yourself safe) and help each others and defeat the virus.

Also, if you are feeling sick, self isolate, get youself tested and follow all health guidelines.

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Daily Updates

• Date of infection: Unknown
• Source: Unknown
• Day 1:
  • Low Fever throughout the day (Didn’t take measurements as they were not troubling)
  • Got probably higher on evening (based on subjective feeling of discomfort)
  • Fatigue started in the evening
  • Pain: head, back and feet
  • Pain and fatigue so high that could not sleep at all
  • Consumed an OTC paracetamol at 4 in the morning, was finally able to sleep
• Day 2:
  • Same symptoms continued from day before
  • Fever measured at max of 101.4 degrees Fahrenheit (38.5 Celsius) during mid-day
  • During morning and evening fever was generally at a range of 99.5F (37.5C) to 101F (38.33C)
  • Fever did not subside despite consuming one more paracetamol during the day
  • Pain: back and feet slowly getting better as the day progressed.
  • Lost sense of taste: food was rather tasteless
  • Reduced appetite
• Day 3:
  • Temperature: min 99.5F (37.5C) and max 100.5F (38.1C)
    • No paracetamols taken anymore
  • Fatigue
  • Pain: little, when standing/sitting in a single position for a long time.
  • Lost sense of taste as well as reduced sense of smell
  • Reduced appetite
• Day 4:
  • Temperature: max of 100.5F (38.1C)
  • Throat ache and sore throat
  • Back and feet pains: only when standing/sitting in same position for long time.
  • Saw a doctor:
    • prescribed some antibiotics and
    • suggested some tests
  • Started the prescribed antibiotics
  • Lost sense of taste as well as reduced sense of smell
  • Reduced appetite
• Day 5:
  • Sore throat and fever
  • Temperature measured at normal 98.6F (37C) for first time since Day 1.
  • Got tested for COVID (nasal swabs collected for tests)
  • Fatigue, tiredness and general sense of unease
  • Lost sense of both taste and smell completely
  • Reduced appetite
• Day 6:
  • Sore throat: less troubling than days earlier
  • Temperature: mostly normal
  • Tried to get some work done but eyes watered and could not concentrate for long.
  • Covid RT-PCR test results came back positive
  • Tiredness, fatigue and felt sleepy through the day
  • Smell and taste senses still not back.
• Day 7 to Day 15:
  • No smell or taste until day 15
  • Tiredness, feeling sleepy all the time.
  • Could not concentrate at anything for more than 5 minutes
  • Watery eyes on exposure to screen light.
  • Same Symptoms through out the second week but intensity of symptoms lowered progressively.
  • On day 13 blood pressure dropped significantly but was back to normal level after intaking OTC rehydaration salts.
• Day 16:
  • Got a second COVID test which came back negative 2 days later.

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2 weeks update

• Second COVID test have come back negative and most symptoms have completley subsided.
• General sense of tiredness and feeling sleepy still happens but is irregular and less frequent.

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Image at the start of the post was downloaded from the CDC website

October 8th, 2020 by Bipin Lekhak