It has been a confusing and harrowing couple of weeks. About a week after we got back from our trip to New York, A and I started to exhibit symptoms of coronavirus infection. Surprisingly, despite my work in hospitals, A took the fall first as he started to get night sweats and fevers. As his symptoms persist, I was given a choice to either self isolate for 2 weeks at home or to move temporarily to a paid-for hotel room so that I can continue working. I decided to take the latter option because the department was so short on doctors due to staff illness already.
But only after 2 nights at the hotel, I started to become ill too. I thought it would be beneficial to jot down my suspected coronavirus story (I say suspected here because test swabs are like gold dust in the UK) in order to highlight the subtlety of its symptoms. Everyones story is different - not everyone has a cough or shortness of breath or even a high fever - this is just one of the pieces in the confusing puzzle that is COVID-19.
Day 1: Runny nose
I often get sinusitis attacks - so didn't think much of it. I began to develop sneezing and a runny nose with phlegm. I took an anti-histamine tablet and nasal spray - the combination helped alleviate the nasal secretions. Felt fine otherwise. I remember going to bed really early that night in my hotel room - woke up in the middle of the night to go to the toilet and I remember feeling fairly weak. These thoughts were quickly dismissed because it was 3am in the morning anyway - who feels normal at this hour?
Day 2: Lethargy, fever
I woke up at my normal hour on a work day. Felt a bit tired despite sleeping 10 hours - but thought nothing of it. Walked 20 minutes to work; perhaps slower than usual - but again, this is me trying to piece things retrospectively. I remember not feeling quite right the whole day at work but not being able to put my finger on what was wrong. I couldn't stand up for too long during ward rounds without feeling dizzy and out of breath. I had to sit between patient reviews which was really unlike me. "I am having really heavy periods today - maybe I am anaemic?" I thought. Then I started having muscle aches and really cold hands which prompted me to check my temperature. A nurse on the ward kindly obliged but my temperature was 36.9C which was no where near fever level. But another nurse commented, "Are you alright? You look really pale." To that I responded that I did feel unwell, but I had no cough or fever.
Amidst all this, we had a sick baby admitted onto the unit which took away my attention on the evolving symptoms. But thankfully, my consultant let me go home early and said to let him know if I spiked a temperature overnight. I took home some of the disposable thermometers and when I reached my hotel room - it read 38.4C (as the picture above). I called in sick, thus commenced my 7 day isolation. Checked out from the hotel and went back home.
Day 3: Night sweats and evening fever
Woke up the next morning in a cold sweat. Took some paracetamol and checked my temperature and thankfully it was normal. Strangely felt fine throughout most of the day. Then evening came, and I felt ill once more. Took some paracetamol again and noticed that my smell is going. Still there though.
Day 4: Can't smell, can't taste
Woke up again in a cold sweat. Ate some cereal in bed and noticed that I have completely lost my smell and taste. Not even a tinge of flavour - zero taste, nothing. I got up and brushed my teeth to realise I could not taste the mint from the toothpaste. Throughout the day, I could only tell whether something was hot or cold and through their differing texture - but everything tasted of plain water. Evening crept in, and back was the illness. I remember thinking that this was a strange illness as the fever and lethargy seem to only come at night. With other viral infections, the fever would mostly be constant. But with this, it was sly in how it manifests - it would trick you into thinking that you were getting better only to punch you in the gut when night fell.
Day 5, 6, 7: Getting a bit better everyday
Sleeping 12 hours every night but the symptoms were getting slightly better each day. Still can't smell or taste which adds to my anxiety. As a food enthusiast, I find myself thinking will they ever come back? No cough, and my chest feels fine. Still have the lethargy and muscle aches in the evening - but haven't had a true fever in the last 24 hours. I tried standing up to pray but every trial made me too tired, it was like all the strength in my body built up through running the streets of New York vanished. I prayed sitting down instead the whole week.
Day 8: Chest tingling
Today there was a new symptoms - chest tightness. I hadn't a fever for a few days which was a good sign. The muscle aches come and go but with it was also intermittently a sense of breathing really cold air. In normal circumstances, I don't take notice when I breathe, but this sensation was hard to ignore. Sometimes it also felt like there was a band across the front of my chest. This also came and went - sometimes staying for quite a while but it wasn't severe enough for me to feel short of breath.
Day 9: Back to work
Because I was feeling a lot better and I fulfilled all the criteria for going back to work (7 days from start of symptoms and more than 48h fever free), I returned to work. The lethargy was still there albeit mildly. In the afternoon, during a departmental meeting, the chest tightness reappeared. Thankfully it self resolved when it reached the evening. It was hard to enjoy the free sushi roll donated by a local restaurant because my taste had yet to return. Thankful that it wasn't a busy day, so I wasn't on my feet too much.
Day 10, 11: Back to normal self (minus senses)
Had the weekend off to recuperate and feeling like my old pre-COVID self. Emailed occupational health to test A and I only to get a reply that they are only prioritising those who are symptomatic on Day 3-5 of illness. Seems like we'll not get tested. Looking on the bright side, at least we are symptom free this weekend.
Day 12: I can smell perfume!
Smelt a whiff of familiarity when I picked up A's perfume bottle - oh, bliss Alhamdulillah!
Also managed to cycle home from work - so grateful that I had enough energy to do so!
Day 14: My taste is coming back!
Could taste the cheese on beef lasagne - that means my taste is returning Alhamdulillah! Cried tears of joy when I tasted salt at home. After weeks of not being able to taste anything, I'll take what I can get.
Day 16 (today): Grateful
Taste buds are still on their road to recovery - rediscovering flavours again has been a journey in itself. Maybe this is what babies feel like when they start eating solid food. A and I had a nice government approved walk outside in the sun near the lakes. Having come out the other side, we are feeling extra grateful for the mild symptoms that we went through (A had similar symptoms to mine but in a milder form); everyday acknowledging that it could have been much much worse.
What we learnt going through this is that this infection is truly a marathon. Symptoms disappear to only reappear later. It will intensify when you think you have turned the corner. And compared to other viral infections, it takes a really long time to recover. Alhamdulillah, we are young with no underlying illnesses so we could recover at home with minimal support. But we also realise that so many have lost their lives to this virus despite being in the position we are. There is no special reason for us to be spared from its more violent form.
When we thought back to what the year 2020 will initially bring, we would have never thought that 'recovering from coronavirus' will be on that list. Either way, Alhamdulillah for all His blessings. Stay safe everyone, lets get through this year together.
