Please take the pandemic seriously. if not for your own sake, for the sake of those you love and those who are loved by others.
1) wash and sanitize your hands and avoid touching your face.
2) practice social distancing. anyone can have it and pass it on and they may not even have symptoms, or may have symptoms and think it's just allergies, a cold, or some other mild, common complaint.
3) Wear A Mask. also remember, the mask is to help prevent your respiratory droplets from landing on others. their masks protect you.
4) THIS IS IMPORTANT AND NOT SAID ENOUGH: if you feel sick or are exposed to someone who tests positive, STAY HOME. people often feel like they can't take time off. they can't afford it. many people struggle for cash and aren't getting enough to live on even working full time, how can they take time off? answer? JUST DO IT. STAY HOME. you aren't going to lose your home or utilities from falling behind on payments due to covid. utility companies, banks, and landlords will work with you and if they won't, there are legal actions you can take. you can also get unemployment for the two weeks you quarantine, or longer if necessary. some places may offer paid sick leave or loans/paycheck advances. regardless, you'll make a lot less money if your work closes because you thought it was just a cold and got most of your co-workers sick. or if there's another full shut-down.
i love and appreciate all of you readers, and i want you and your loved ones to be safe.
full disclosure, everyone else in Mom's household got covid, too. my two nephews (20 &22) had no symptoms. my mom's companion (74) had a bad cough, congestion, nausea, and, for a few days, was sure that he wasn't going to make it, but he recovered without even needing to be hospitalized. my sister (47) lost her senses of smell and taste and said it felt like a really, really bad cold. her bf (53) just had all-over body aches. Mom (69) thought she had a cold, then started throwing up and sis took her to the hospital when she was having trouble catching her breath. several days later she was having trouble sleeping and when she finally did manage to sleep soundly, she just never woke up. so you can see the variety of effects, even in just one family. and there are many other symptoms that covid can cause in different combinations.
we still aren't sure how my mom got it, but the only place she went since last February was the doctor's and the vet's (both within a week of her getting sick), at the vet's, they came out to the car wearing gloves and masks to give the dogs their booster shots. mom went in at the doctor's. so we think it was either the doctor's, or someone in the house wasn't careful enough. everyone got sick after mom did though, so i think it was more likely from the doctor's.
timelines also vary widely. after mom was diagnosed, everyone in the household (and myself, since i'd stopped by to visit a few days before) got tested. sis and nephews were positive. sis's bf, mom's companion, and i all tested negative. mom's companion moved into a hotel, hoping to stay negative, but came down with symptoms 4-5 days later and tested positive, moved back home so sis could care for him. sis's bf got tested again at that time and was negative again, but came down with symptoms about a week later and tested positive. thankfully, i stayed negative. i have underlying conditions and, more importantly, i look after my 95 year old grandma, so it's good that i hadn't gotten too close to mom when i visited (she thought she had a cold and told me to keep my distance).
sorry for the rambling, it all adds up to: Please, BE SAFE.
