Hawk Tests Positive, I Test Negative

This week I was planning to use my Tier Tuesday writing slot to discuss an article I saw yesterday, "If you still have not had COVID after the latest surge, what are the odds you never will?" (SF Chronicle, updated 21 June 2022). It notes a CDC figure that 60% of Americans have had Covid already and poses the question to a handful of doctors and public health experts— basically, Is it inevitable that the other 40% of us will get Covid? The experts explain that while we can and should try to keep from getting infected, the numbers— and the lack of public will— make it more a matter of when, not if, anyone will get Covid.

Well, what an irony. As I was drafting a lengthier blog about the question of inevitability, we joined the when-not-if category. Hawk took an at-home test for Covid last night and tested positive.

Hawk took the test last night because she'd been experiencing cold-like symptoms for a couple days: sinus congestion, a dry cough, minor back pain. OTC medicines and simple home remedies like hot showers (to clear nasal congestion) provided only partial relief. Aware that cold-like symptoms can no longer be written off as "It's just a cold",  she took a Covid test. We've done this drill several times in the past 6 months or so that home tests have been widely available. This time hers came up positive.

I took an at-home test this morning. I delayed mine 12 hours from hers to see if I developed significant symptoms. This weekend I did have some chest congestion, difficulty breathing, and aches— but they could easily have been due to the dry air and exercise at high altitudes. Those symptoms are typical for me in those conditions. Of course, just like "I'm sure it's just a cold" doesn't fly anymore, "I'm sure it's just allergies/dry air/altitude" doesn't fly either. So I took the test. My test result was negative. I'll remain vigilant for other symptoms and test myself at least once more even if no symptoms appear.

Update: What's next? 5 Things.

Update 2: When & Where Did Infection Occur?

Covid in the House: What's Next?

Earlier today I wrote about how Hawk tested positive for Covid last night. As soon as the second red line appeared on her at-home test we started discussing What next?

What's next? Five Things:

1) Notify and stay home.
First, Hawk alerted her boss and people she's met in person the past 24 hours. She's working from home this week and next. That wasn't a given as her boss otherwise expects her to be in the office 4 days a week.

2) Get a PCR test & line up treatment.
Second, I urged Hawk to get a PCR test at her doctor's clinic. They're more accurate. And starting the process with the clinic now is important in case the symptoms become severe and she needs treatment in a few days. But unfortunately since the rise of at-home rapid tests have become prevalent, clinics have clamped way down on PCR testing. She's got an virtual screening appointment this afternoon. To get further care she may need to press the issue. Hard.

3) I'll stay vigilant, too.
Although my test this morning was negative I'll keep watching for developing symptoms. My negative result is not proof of safety. A, tests are not 100% accurate; B, I may have been infected later than Hawk and not able to trigger a positive result yet. C, I'm still in a house with an infected person. I'll test again if I develop worse symptoms than the normal, allergy-related aches and pains I experience. I'll test again in a few days regardless.

4) We accept the inevitable.
In my blog earlier today I talked about the question, "Is it inevitable that everyone will get Covid?" We have never accepted it as inevitable that we'll be infected. We've been careful for 27 months not to be! But one thing we decided 27 months ago, right at the start of the pandemic, is that if one of us gets Covid there is no practical way for us to isolate from the other. That means we're mostly keeping on at home. We've stopped co-sleeping but we're not doing much to isolate from each other beyond that. If that means one of us gets it from the other, that is inevitable.

5) But me getting sick is not inevitable.
Despite what I wrote above, me getting Covid is not a foregone conclusion. At least not right now. I've had a total of 4 vaccine shots. That may be enough for my body to resist infection entirely, even with an infected spouse in the house, or at least to fight it off ably enough that if I do get sick my symptoms will be minor.

Where & When Did Infection Occur?

Hawk tested positive for Covid 24 hours ago. While our first thoughts after the positive test were forward looking, what to do next, we also thought back. Back to where and when the infection could have occurred.

Right away we thought of the trip we recently returned from. Friday night through Monday evening we traveled across the state, stayed in hotels, and ate in restaurants. Though we wore masks in public indoors places, virtually nobody else did.

It's unlikely the infection happened on the trip, though. And that's because of the timing. Hawk actually started experiencing symptoms on Saturday. The virus takes 3-5 days from infection to manifest symptoms. Thus her exposure was likely early last week, between Monday and Wednesday. Quite likely she was infected through work. Masks are required for people in the office, but early last week the sales team was in from the field and there were outings to restaurants where people weren't wearing masks.

The timing on Hawk's case also casts a different light on my negative test this morning. Given the timing of Hawk's case it's very unlikely we were exposed at the same time. We went out for dinner Monday night but then didn't go out together again until last Friday. If Hawk caught it at dinner Monday then I was exposed, too, but dodged it. Otherwise Hawk was exposed without me; and thus my exposure is from her, after she got sick and became contagious. So my exposure was Saturday or Sunday, meaning.... Tomorrow's my Day of Truth.

Friday update: I test negative again but Hawk gets sicker!