On the Covid Kid Rides Again

For much of the past three years, our lives have been dominated by Covid. From those first few weeks when we didn’t know if you could catch it through the air, by touching things, or if someone coughed on a voodoo doll that had a lock of your hair on it, all the way to the joyous relief of vaccines that let us live a simulacrum of our normal lives, it’s been there in one way or another. At this point, it’s rare that I’ll talk to anyone who hasn’t had Covid at some point. Some people had it during those early days and it was brutal, or even fatal. Some people got it after that first shot and it was less severe than a cold. Some have even gotten it multiple times…and unfortunately, after the last week, I fall into that category.

The first time I got Covid was a breeze. I was vaccinated and honestly wouldn’t have ever known I had it because I was totally asymptomatic the entire time. I only found out because I had to take a Covid test to go to a holiday party. I basically had an excuse to hang out and play video games for a few days. This time, however, it was quite a bit more annoying. I’m now on my third shot (not counting flu shots [which, people, if you’re not getting flu shots, you’re playing yourself.]) and, like most people, had hoped all this was behind us by now. But no, because a bunch of selfish jerks refused to wear a simple mask, and get a shot or two, we’ll probably be dealing with some form of this forever. So, THANKS, GUYS!

This time, Covid lowkey kicked my ass. I took a test the first day I was feeling symptoms and it came back negative so by the second and third days I thought I just had a particularly nasty flu. I was coughing, achy, stuffy, sneezy, sleepy, and most of the other 7 Dwarves of seasonal illness. So, by the end of the third day, still feeling like shit and looking even more like shit, it was time to take another Covid test. This time it was positive instantaneously. It practically yelled at me, “bro, you DEFINITELY have Covid!” Well, shoot. Then it hit me, my girlfriend and I were moving at the end of the week. WELL, SHOOT!

The next few days were a tedious blur of living in the isolated guest bedroom of my parent’s house, anxious as hell that I would still be sick when moving day arrived. All while my saint of a significant other was left to pack up an apartment all by herself…while working a full-time job…and training a new employee at said job.

Needless to say, it was not a fun time for anyone. Thankfully, through the magic of vaccines, a metric ton of vitamins, and the incredible support of everyone around me, I was able to bounce back just in time to pick up every single thing I own and move it 500 yards down the street to our new apartment. A once deadly virus reduced to a stressful annoyance all thanks to modern medicine.

So, please just get vaccines. All of them, any of them. It’s good for you and those you love. Otherwise, we’re all going to end up getting Polio again…