The Covid Comes Home

Hello, Covid-19!

It’s been almost eight months now, and the Covid finally found us. 

We’ve been uber careful, since my mother, who lives with us, is 84 and has cancer. We don’t go anywhere except the grocery store—masked and careful to social distance as much as possible, amid freedumb loving, virus-denying idjits who invade our 6’ bubbles. South Dakota is a hotbed of the ‘Rona right now. We might even lead the country in positive cases per day per capita. That’s partly because our governor—cozying up to Dump with her eye on a Republican power position—refused to shut down our state, issue a mask mandate, or otherwise protect South Dakotans. 

AND, Ray still had to go to work. Don’t get me wrong—I’m grateful and acknowledge our incredible luck and privilege that we both kept our jobs through this. HOWEVER, it IS most likely the reason Covid got in our house. Ray was exposed at work to a co-worker who, along with the co-worker’s wife, tested positive. They all worked together in an enclosed space, and most didn't bother with those pesky masks.

In spite of the positive test, and for a variety of ridiculous reasons that include (1) a governor who’s on the “herd immunity,” you-can’t-take-our-freedumb train, and (2) corporate desire to keep profit margins up after the initial Covid money ran out that would have covered employee home quarantines, Ray’s employer—a major HEALTHCARE SYSTEM (dear gawd the irony)—told everyone who’d been exposed to keep coming to work until/unless they developed symptoms. And, they couldn’t get tested by the HEALTHCARE SYSTEM until/unless symptoms. 

He finally went to Walgreen’s, of all places, to get tested. It was negative. Then 3 days later, he was sick. Tested again (local hospital this time since he DID have symptoms), and FIVE DAYS LATER he got the results. It was pos, of course, and by then, he’d been sick a week if you don’t count the 3-4 days before that when he felt “off.” Last I heard, at least ten people at his job had tested pos. Speaking of testing, testing in the U.S. is a sham and an embarrassment. We don't work to prevent the spread in this country, we test after-the-fact and hope for enough hospital capacity. 

Mom and I got tested today (at HyVee drive-thru, since no clinic or hospital would test us without symptoms), and I’d say our chances of having it are good. We’ll know in 3-5 days. I’ve stocked the freezer with turkey pot pies in case I don’t feel good enough to cook and someone still has an appetite. 

Doing a little house cleaning while we're stuck at home.

In the meantime, I’ll do what I always do—write about it. So far, Ray’s symptoms have included days when he runs a fever of 100+ off and on, days with no fever, body aches, extreme fatigue, loss of appetite/taste/smell (these didn’t come on until this past Wednesday), and congestion. It’s like if the cold and the flu had a BIG UGLY BABY. 

He’s quarantined at home now—no contact from the CDC or SD Dept. of Health, no contact tracing, no word on when he can go back to work. Someone told me 72 hours after he no longer has any fever. Someone else told me 10 days from the start of symptoms. Someone else told me 24 hours after he can spin 12 plates on a yardstick without dropping any. Who knows. 

I just got word Biden won. I feel like on top of the 'Rona, we've been traumatized by the past four years, the whole election cycle, and 2020 in general. I feel like crying with joy and relief. Like sleeping for a week. Like lining up shots of tequila. At least now this country (and South Dakota) might finally get our Covidducks in a row and get that giant quack out of the White House.