My Personal Experience: Getting Diagnosed With COVID-19

First, I never thought I'd have to write this story because during the pandemic, I've done everything that health experts and doctors have advised to avoid getting infected with COVID-19. I've worn a mask, practiced proper hygiene, sanitized, and everything else.

On Friday, November 20, I came home from work excited to watch the new episode of The Mandalorian on Disney+. It was also my last day of work before a week long vacation. I had planned to go elk hunting during Thanksgiving week to take advantage of the last few days of regular season. One thing I hadn't planned on was getting diagnosed with COVID-19.

I'll get back to watching The Mandalorian, but I'm going to fast forward to Tuesday briefly. On Tuesday, November 24, my roommate left the house early to go to work. Shortly after, he returned home. He said that he felt really sick, had a fever, and had gotten tested for COVID. I asked when he first started feeling sick, and said he was feeling a bit congested on Saturday. After that, he went into his room and closed the door.

I'm not gonna lie, I was kind of freaking out. We live in a two-bedroom house in Manhattan, and living in such a small space isn't ideal for social distancing. The last thing I wanted was to get COVID-19 during my vacation, so I sprung into action. I put on a face mask and gloves, and began sanitizing all of the surfaces in the house. I asked that my roommate stayed isolated in his bedroom as much as possible. I prepared meals and drinks and placed them outside of his door to give him less of a reason to leave his room. Every time he opened his door, I would immediately sanitize the area thoroughly. I wanted to try to get ahead of it as much as possible. I even wore my face mask indoors at all times.

I called the Gallatin County COVID-19 call center for further recommendations, and was told that I was already doing everything that I was supposed to. I told them that my roommate had been tested, but hadn't received his results yet. They asked if I had been in close contact with him (within 6 feet or more) for more than 15 minutes. That's where The Mandalorian comes in. We both watched the episode a few days before in the living room, and that's the only thing I could think of.

The next day, my roommate received a call from the health department. They informed him that he tested positive. At the time, I wasn't experiencing any symptoms, so I wasn't able to get tested. It didn't last long, because I started getting congested on Wednesday night. On Thanksgiving Day, the congestion got worse. I couldn't really breath through my nose, I had a pretty bad cough, and my lower body felt like it was cramping up. I called the health department and scheduled a test for Friday morning.

I got tested Friday morning, and since then have lost my sense of taste and smell. The congestion has eased a bit, but in all honesty, the worst part has been the body aches. I spent most of the weekend curled in a ball trying to get comfortable. I've literally never experienced anything like it. Since I tested positive, the health department told me that I needed to quarantine for at least 10 days, starting with the first day I began feeling ill.

I finally got my test results back this morning. To no surprise, I was positive for COVID-19. Thankfully, my symptoms have been mild and I have been feeling a lot better the last couple of days.

I am currently in quarantine, and will be able to return to work on Monday, December 7. I am really looking forward to it. Being stuck inside your house for two weeks isn't all that fun. I wanted to share my personal experience to let people know what it's like. I know that the experience has been much worse for a lot of people, and I'm thankful to have only had mild symptoms.

Stay healthy, my friends.