Coronavirus: A personal cautionary tale
I don’t know if I have the virus.
I took a virus test five days ago, when I first started to have symptoms, but I may not know the results of the test for another two weeks. The standard symptoms are all present in me: fever, dry cough, body ache, etc.
Before exhibiting these symptoms, I was not afraid of the virus. I was told that healthy folk under sixty would not have to worry, as the virus might not manifest into symptoms at all. My phone and I consider my body to be quite healthy: I am a fitness instructor at my local YMCA, I run about five miles a day, more than twenty on the weekends, maintain a healthy diet. My phone’s fitness app tells me I’m in the top one percent of fitness nuts.
What many do not know is that my motivation comes from congenital health issues. I have irritable bowel syndrome, numerous food intolerances, and painful stress-induced digestive symptoms. I am healthy, but not really. The strict avoidance of certain foods and the daily exercise only barely manage my symptoms.
That is my full disclosure. Despite these conditions, I thought I would be fine in the face of this pandemic. I am not fine*. I am dealing with waves of pain that manifest in different ways each day, in addition to the fever and coughing.
The virus entered my body* when I was already beginning to limit my interactions with others. I haven’t traveled or attended large gatherings in weeks. This means that someone in my tiny community gave it to me*. This means that COVID-19 has already permeated my little town*.
Each one of the deaths we see listed on the media and health department websites was preceded by hell. Neck-deep in this situation*, I want to warn you to avoid this virus. You don’t know how the virus will affect you. Don’t risk finding out.
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*I would like to remind you, here, that I will not know if I have the virus for several days. If my result is a positive one, that means the hundreds of others who took the test when I did also will not know. There are hundreds of others who wanted to take the test due to their symptoms, but could not.
