We were both feeling dandy and fine,
and had just spent a weekend benign,
When for work, just routine,
Took a test to prove clean,
When she spotted that dreaded pink line.
Just over a week ago, Monday 4 April, Mrs Bump tested positive for COVID. Mrs B is 61, triple-vaccinated, and is an otherwise-perfectly-healthy nurse.
I realise that this isn’t uncommon these days. Please, if you have firsthand experience of COVID, save your time and skip.
Until last week, I hadn’t experienced COVID in the same household. Many of my charity clients would say the same, so they’d probably be interested in my experience. Some of you might, too. I kept a little journal.
Monday
Mrs B tested positive. She was surprised, so clearly was feeling okay before. But it also spurred comments like, “That’s funny. I didn’t feel quite right yesterday” .
I tested, too. Negative.
Through the day, Mrs B started to feel “rough” and went to bed. Sore throat, mainly, but also tummy ache.
We looked up a few things. First, the virus has been in the body 4-5 days before it shows on a lateral flow test, so she was likely infected around the previous Wednesday. Ish. Second, about 5% of cases report tummy ache.
She was running a slight temperature, maybe 0.5C or 1F.
We knew this would mean she was stuck at home for the week so discussed what we would need to do. We booked a grocery delivery slot for the weekend.
During the day, I perceived that my throat was sore, and became convinced I would test positive the next day.
I ordered another box of tests. The UK government announced that “free” testing would stop at the end of March, but… go figure! They arrived next day.
https://www.gov.uk/order-coronavirus-rapid-lateral-flow-tests takes you to the government’s site. You may still be lucky.
Tuesday
We both felt better. She had no tummy ache, though spent the day largely in bed, watching tv. She could taste her coffee, and smell my breakfast (croissants) baking. I started to notice Mrs B developing a cough. Dry cough, at first, exactly like a cold.
Me – negative.
Wednesday
Mrs B still coughing, but now coughing things up, too. Felt rough so again watched tv in bed. Retained smell/taste/appetite. Both she and my friend (who had it just a few weeks ago) complained of “can’t be arsedness”. Lethargy.
She was well enough to attend her weekly choir practice, via Zoom.
I felt a slight sore throat and a slight runny nose. It wouldn’t even have kept me off work in “normal” times. I tested negative.
Thursday
Morning comments from Mrs B include, “There’s nothing dry about this”, accompanied by lots of sniffing. “This feels like the worst cold I ever had.”
I noted that she compared her symptoms to those of a cold. Which backs up what we hear on the media.
Despite her comment, she was smelling, tasting, pottering around the kitchen, making coffee.
This could be the turning point, however, as that afternoon she said, “I’m still not right, but feel better than I was yesterday”, and had a normal temperature. Lethargic, still.
Curious, she tested. Still positive.
Me – negative. I’m testing first thing every day during this.
Friday
Mrs B – throat not sore any more, “still full of snot”, head okay. Overall, felt better than yesterday, again. All the symptoms she mentioned were those of a cold. I still heard her coughing, but not as much.
Another comment was “I feel well enough to go and do things, except I haven’t got the energy”.
Me – negative.
Saturday
Mrs B – “I’m feeling okay but I’m still full of snot” (morning). But also told me about how bad she felt, so it is still up and down. Strange – the yoyo disease. Mostly spent the day watching tv in bed. Also noticed sense of smell had gone! I was surprised to hear her talking again about symptoms which had passed a few days ago.
She thinks she has spotted a cycle: feeling okay – going downhill – taking a nap – feeling okay etc. Sounds energy-related.
Me – Negative.
Sunday
Mrs B still positive (tested). Seems better but still complaining of taste and smell. She is getting the basic sweet/bitter but not the nuances of flavour. So I asked why she ate the last ice cream.
Me – Negative.
Monday
Mrs B is feeling better, but still tested positive.
Her work (NHS) say two negative tests. That looks like it will be slightly longer than a week in her case. She has assumed a daily interval between the tests. I think that lateral flow tests are sufficiently inaccurate that the second test is used to verify the result of the first, not to check that she is still negative, so she might as well take them ten minutes apart.
Another doctor at Mrs B’s surgery tested positive on the same day that she did. They are still positive, too.
We booked another grocery slot, just in case. We can always cancel.
Me – negative.
Tuesday
Mrs B – positive. Bored. Smell returning.
Me – negative.
Wednesday
Mrs B – positive. Border.
Me – negative. Did I make my fatal mistake today? I allowed Mrs B to drive me to the local shop, 1m away, to buy the ice cream she was craving. Both masked, with open windows, but in the same car.
Thursday
Mrs B – NEGATIVE. Shestill feels quite fatigued and I suspect it’ll take a week or two to get her mojo back. Thank goodness we have the long weekend ahead.
Me – negative, of course. I need to keep testing up to about next Wednesday, just to satisfy myself that she did not pass anything on in the final stages.
Mister Bump 
Your right, it sounds just like they say on the reports. When vaccinated it is more like a cold. Hoping both
of you get in tip-top shape again. Ice cream cures a lot of things!
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Isuspect she’ll be a few weeks before she’s right but I’m hoping to get out at the weekend.
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I have the flu, tested twice for Covid both negative. But not feeling well at all.
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Hope you feel better in time for chocolate day! Tell me, what do you do there? I mean, I know you won’t observe Easter but I can’t imagine people passing up a chocolate festival. I guess Ramadan complicates matters.
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No chocolate day here but the time for iftari ( sunset) is a daily celebration. Thanks Pete
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Phew!
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Good luck and I’m not going to say stay positive 😂
Sent from my iPhone
>
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thx
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Sorry about Mrs B, but I’m glad that the symptoms have been relatively mild.
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I’m hopeful that she is pretty typical, these days.
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Interesting few days for you both. Seems to have trodden the classic covid path for Mrs B.
Here’s hoping she gets her mojo back asap and you stay negative! 👍🖤
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Thx
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Always welcome my friend 👍🖤
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Here in Australia they recommend a PCR test, as RAT often produce false positives because you’re still shedding the virus. We have to quarantine for 7 days and can leave home if we have no significant symptons
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Mr W also called it “the worst cold he’d ever had”. He never lost his taste/smell and our ice cream is still available. 😉 Well done making it through with all those negative tests!
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For me, life was pretty much unchanged. I tested where I don’t normally bother, plus the online shopping, which generally isn’t as good.
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I agree about online shopping
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Funnily enough my auntiesays the same. Trips out to Colesevery Sunday. Here, they madeefforts to improve it but something always seems to go wrong. They forget the docket, and three days later you notice that such-and-such never arrived…
They trick you here by giving you phone numberswhich don’t work.
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I find I forget stuff and at 10% of the total order cost, it made delivery seem pretty expensive. If you’re in the shop you wander by stuff and think “oh yeah. Need that.” But online doesn’t necessarily have those memory joggers.
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Ah, we pay a flat fee here (which varies depending on time of week) but there isalso a minimum value requirement.
Apparently they are loss leaders, which explains why the budget supermarkets stay out.
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And the other issue I had is all the plastic bags! Hopefully in the UK it ‘s better but here they used plastic carry bags. When I go shopping I always take bags – even little netting bags for fruit and veg. So I was horrified at having to be responsible for all this plastic.
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No it isas bad here.
They played at being environmentally-friendly, and made sure they advertised it.
Until covid, when the public’s focus was elsewhere and they reintroduced it in a big way. It shows what motivates them – to increase revenue. End.
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So true.
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You’re great to pamper her ie baking croissants and all good that you’ve tested negative
Glad she is on the mend 👍
It helps tremendously to get an account in real time how Covid feels
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I thought so too. I think the media leaves a lot to be desired, information about the “typical ‘ case should have been made known 2 years ago. So people basically knew what to expect when they caught it. Instead, they concentrated on the sensational – so and so died in terrible agony leaving 42 dependents, etc.
It seriously makes you think about what public service broadcasting actually is.
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Public broadcasting is crap at least in the US because if it bleeds it leads instead of focusing on how people can deal with the symptoms
I liked your play by play with touches of humor thrown in 😊
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It is non-existent here. It should be the role of the BBC, but they are too busy trying to make themselves like NBC.
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Goodness like NBC? I thought more like CNN or the old CNN before they got lost in too much airplane crashes
When I travel I always put on BBC news or CNN if available
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Whichever. I don’t remember the networks there. They are following commercial interests rather than a desire to serve the taxpayer.
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FOX news is pro Trump pro Republicans talk about a propaganda machine
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I’m sure there are pro-dem channels too so you still have some figuring out to do. And don’t forget, everything you see has passed through the hands ofan editor, who has already decided what you see / don’t see.
If you can work out the politics of these channels, they air content which backs up their view. None of it is objective.
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Agree with you which is the heart of the medium problem
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Sending all my love and healing vibes to Mrs B 💖🌹🌸🌻🌼
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Thx
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I am glad Mrs B tested negative, and hope nothing passed on to you.
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Thanks Sanjeet
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I’ve managed to avoid it so far, glad you are both negative and I hope she is feeling better soon!
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It’s still something best avoided I think but it’ll get us all at some point; it’s not goint to go away. The only thing is, each variant will water it down some more. Pretty soon we won’t know whether we have covid or a cold.
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