I finally got COVID
I finally got COVID
Unvaccinated but seems new Kraken variant evades even the strongest immune system
Note to readers: I was too sick to write last week, but now I have a lot to say about COVID. I plan to write three stories. This one is about how I got COVID and became a mini super spreader. Then I wrote part 2 — Exactly what I took to try to recover fast from COVID while unvaccinated — what I took for early treatment, including Ivermectin, and all the symptoms (hint: this was not “like a cold.”) Next, I will tell you how my primary care doctor’s office shamed and scared me for not being vaccinated while a COVID doctor was compassionate and helpful.- Emily
Day 0
“Crap. My streak ended,” I texted Dr. Kent* along with this photo below. I had fought off COVID for three years. I had been public about it. I even had antibody tests along the way to prove it. I was shocked that I got it. I really thought my immune system was stronger than the virus.
Day -3
Three days earlier, my friend called to say she had “bad news.” She gave the standard preamble before sharing bad news.
“What is it? Just tell me already. I hate this waiting,” I said, staring at the floor.
She said she was sorry, but she just tested positive for COVID. We had recently been together at a Christmas party. She said she hoped I wouldn’t get it.
“Oh no, how do you feel? And stop apologizing this minute,” I told her. “Don’t worry about me. I don’t get COVID. I have super immunity.” I have been bragging about that both in private and in public for three years.
I’m not vaccinated. I didn’t stay home from work during the lockdowns. I never masked unless it was required. I shook hands. I went to an office. I went to the gym. I went to hair salons, parties, live music. I just wasn’t scared of COVID and didn’t spend any time worrying about it.
I came about this attitude because I almost never get sick. I haven’t had the flu as an adult, as far as I can remember. I get a head cold every few years. I have a very strong immune system which I believe is from running intensely all my adult life.
Testing for COVID
My friend recommended I test, let folks know, and take all the precautions.
“Nah, I’ve been exposed just as directly and the friends both called the next day with COVID, and I didn’t get it. Don’t need to test,” I said with full confidence. It never occurred to me to take a test to avoid exposing others because I just assumed (falsely) that it would be negative.
I checked in with several of the other women from the party. None of them tested or changed their plans for the holiday weekend. The fear of COVID for young, healthy people is mostly gone. COVID has become just part of life. But I learned it’s not just a minor cold now.
Three days of Christmas spread
That night I went to my neighbors’ for a Christmas celebration. “Hey, just so you know, I was exposed to COVID last night,” I told Kate.
“You don’t get COVID. You’re immune,” she said, smiling. Kate had exposed me last spring during a long time together. She got a terrible case of COVID. I got nothing. So we had an ongoing joke about my “super immunity.”
“Right, but I think I’m supposed to tell you,” I said. She didn’t care. She had it twice already.
Day -2
The next day was really cold so I went to the gym and did 30 minutes on the stair climber and 50 pushups.
On Christmas Eve, I went to friends’ home for dinner after we went to church. As we were eating, I said, “Oh shoot, I forgot to tell you I was exposed to COVID a couple of days ago. I totally forgot.”
“We’ve all had it, no worries,” Anne replied.
Super Immunity: people who don’t get COVID
“I won’t get it because I have super immunity,” I said proudly.
“What’s super immunity?” her husband asked.
“It’s the study of people who are exposed to COVID and don’t get it. The epidemiologists are studying these people to find a possible genetic link that they believe shows some people have fewer receptors in their noses to grab the virus. They did this with HIV. The goal is to find a way to adapt treatment to mimic it,” I explained.
“I tried to enroll in the Covid Human Genetic Effort but was turned down. I can’t give away my blood. But my goal is to be the last person in America to get it.” They laughed.
If you google “super immunity”, you’ll see the term has shifted and now refers to someone who has gotten all the vaccines and had COVID. So if you want to learn more about what I’m referring to, here and here are stories about what used to be called super immunity but is now “people who don’t get COVID.”
I’ve talked to several epidemiologists involved in these studies, and all refused to talk to me on the record because they claimed I would deter people from getting vaccinated. It seems only left-wing outlets are able to be trusted not to convince readers that good genes are not a substitute for the shot.
Day -1: missed the symptoms
The next day, Christmas Day, was a warmer 30 degrees. I went for a fast 3.5-mile run. I was fine until I ran over a huge tree that had crashed on the sidewalk. I fell really hard on the branches. I had to rest, and then it was painful to run the rest of the way.
I went to a different friends’ home in the afternoon for Christmas. I iced my injuries and was in constant pain. I was developing huge bruises on my arm and leg. In retrospect, the muscle aches were exacerbated by having COVID. I also wonder if balance is affected by the virus.
Still, I was having fun on Christmas. At some point, I said to the group, “Oh I forgot to tell you, I was exposed to COVID a few days ago.”
“We don’t care. We’ve all had it,” my friend replied. “I thought you don’t get COVID?”
“I don’t, but I thought I was supposed to tell people, but it’s getting a little ridiculous at this point,” I said. “I’m going to be the last person in the country to get it.”
After Christmas dinner, I started to feel like my throat was scratchy. I was also coughing a tiny bit. But these symptoms happen in the winter after I run when it’s below freezing, which I assumed was the problem.
Day 0
Last Monday, I woke up and felt horrible. I assumed it was something related to falling or running in the cold the day before. I went back to sleep and was scared to wake up and realize it was 2 p.m. What was wrong with me?
I remembered that I had those government taxpayer-funded “free” COVID tests in the closet that I had never used.
I took one and had a lot of trouble following the directions. It seemed much more complicated than necessary. The result showed a line just on the”T.” That wasn’t an option for the results.
I texted Dr. Kent, who is a physician I had lined up in case I ever got COVID in order to get a prescription for Ivermectin. I have written so many stories about the drug, I knew if I ever got COVID, I wanted to see for myself if it was the cure many claimed.
(I’ll write all about what I was prescribed and took for early treatment for a bad case of COVID that lasted six days in the next part of this series.)
Dr. Kent said to take another test. I then noticed the box I was using was expired. I took another one from my government test stash and was shocked to see lines on the “C” and the “T.”
I texted the friend who was a few days ahead of me with COVID.
“I know I won't get that sick, but how long does it last? Do I cancel things this week? I thought I’d never get it!”
I was upset and asked the most basic questions because I had learned nothing about actually having COVID in the past three years. I should’ve been more compassionate to people who had it because it’s a terrible virus.
Another friend told me to stop testing and ordered me to throw out the tests because they don’t matter. But I’m glad I tested because I was really scared that something serious was wrong with me. I would have called my doctor in alarm if I hadn’t found out that it was just COVID.
Exposing others
At that point, my only symptoms were a sore throat and unusual fatigue. I just couldn’t get out of bed. But now I had to do an apology tour for being so overconfident. I worked backward.
I texted the friends from Christmas Day. “I am so sorry. I have COVID. I had no idea yesterday. I hope so much I didn’t give it to any of you.” They didn’t care because they had all already had it.
I texted the friends from Christmas Eve the same thing.
“Sorry you won’t be the only person in the world not to get it,” Anne replied. I laughed. My boasting was coming back to bite me.
Then I texted my neighbor Kate. “Crap. I’m sorry. But I have COVID.”
“Wait, hold on, we have it too.”
“I’m so sorry. Does that mean I was contagious for the past three days?” (I sound like an idiot now in hindsight, but I have never done COVID things like isolating or testing after exposure so this was all new to me.)
Kate had symptoms two days earlier -- the day after I saw her -- so we’re still not sure if I gave it to her or someone else. But she’s had it twice before so her case was mild. I had never been so sick in my life.
Another one down
The next morning, which is considered my day 1, another friend from the Christmas party called to tell me she tested positive. She also was shocked because she had never had COVID. She was vaccinated. At least we had a support system to go through the days ahead and help figure out the best treatments for the changing symptoms.
But I fell short of my goal to be the last person in America to get COVID.
Now read part 2 - Exactly what I took to try to recover fast from COVID while unvaccinated
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Let’s discuss!
How sick did you get with COVID? Do you think it’s inevitable we all get it now with the new more contagious variants?
*All the names in this story have been changed for their privacy.
I saw your first test results and I have some pretty big news: the "T" is for Twins! Congratulations!
But seriously, I'm glad you're doing better, Emily.
I was not vaccinated and still am not. 70 years old. Caught COVID first time in 2021. Cough, somewhat tired, fever, lost sense of taste/smell after a few days. No effect on lungs. Got Ivermectin and had monoclonal anti-bodies. COVID lasted about 5 days. Fever climbed to 104.2, broke, and that was the end of it. Taste/smell came back about a week later. Tylenol for the fever (made big difference), Vitamin C, D, zinc, melatonin, aspirin (to prevent blood clots), and bio-quercetin (protects the heart).
Second time was some months later. Much milder, fever climbed to around 101, with cough, energy was a little low. Lasted about 4 days. Never lost taste or smell. No effect on lungs. No special treatment. Just continued use of Vitamin C, D, zinc, melatonin, aspirin (to prevent blood clots), and bio-quercetin (protects the heart).
Third time was in 2022, cough, sneezing, low-grade fever, not much loss of energy. Gone in 3 days. No special treatment. Vitamin C, D, zinc, melatonin, aspirin (to prevent blood clots), and bio-quercetin (protects the heart). No effect on lungs. Low-grade fever was allowed to run its course as it was doing its job of killing the virus while not really being any kind of danger.