From An Attorney in NYC   
      
       
   For all those who have asked the question “Does anyone even know anybody   
   that has gotten the coronavirus?”, if you know me, you do now.  My positive   
   test for COVID-19 has been relayed to me, and I wanted to share what my   
   experience with this illness    
   has been.  The TL;DR version? It’s brutal,  and I have no doubt it can kill   
   you.  Anyone who is saying it’s just a bad cold has either had a far   
   different personal experience than I have or is parroting stuff they found on   
   the internet.  For those    
   offended by adult language or themes, you may way want to stop here.   
      
      
   I’m a 42-year-old male who is relatively healthy.  I exercise regularly, and   
   generally avoid being ill.  On March 3 I went to a routine doctor’s   
   appointment.  My wife works at this medical institution, and I thought it   
   would be nice to surprise her    
   with random flowers.  On my way, I have an exceptionally brief encounter with   
   someone believed to test positive a short time later.  I don’t see my wife,   
   but leave the flowers in her office after being escorted to it.   
      
      
   Fast forward to March 12.  I’m at home eating spicy Chinese food (ignore any   
   apparent irony) and my nose starts running, very mildly.  I’m assuming   
   it’s from the hot and sour soup.  I don’t have to wipe it, blow it, or   
   anything.  It goes away    
   within an hour and wasn’t something that would have registered if not for   
   the current COVID-19 pandemic.   
      
       
   Friday, March 13 - Nose is slightly runny in the morning.  Clears up shortly,   
   nothing else.  I have no need to wipe my nose or use a tissue.   
      
       
   Saturday, March 14 -  Slight sore throat.  No sniffles at the moment, but I   
   assume it’s from post-nasal drip or possibly due to sleeping without the   
   humidifier, which is normally on at night.  It disappears momentarily.  I   
   cough a little, but I figure    
   this is also from post-nasal drip, possibly an allergy (although to what, I   
   have no idea).  I see a post that says if you can hold a deep breath for 10   
   seconds without coughing, that’s a good sign.  I can, and I venture out into   
   the increasingly    
   difficult-to-navigate world of grocery shopping.  I tell myself I’m being   
   responsible, as I stay as far away from everyone as I can, and I don’t even   
   cough once.   
      
       
   Sunday, March 15 - My cough is more persistent.  The sore throat is worse, but   
   it goes away quickly again.  My nose has stopped running.  My Google searches   
   tell me it could be COVID-19, but it could be any number of other things.  I   
   am slightly worried    
   and try to trace back to where I could have been exposed.  My wife works at a   
   hospital, and there have been confirmed cases, after false negatives.  These   
   patients were allowed to wander around the hallways of the hospital, several   
   floors of which my    
   wife worked on.  I assume if I’ve gotten it, that’s how.  She’s not   
   showing any symptoms.  I am mildly annoyed but figure I should probably   
   consider avoiding work tomorrow.  We’ve suspended all in-office operations,   
   but senior management was    
   scheduled to come in to try to evaluate the first day of working remotely as a   
   firm.   
      
       
   I can’t sleep.  For whatever reason I just cannot get comfortable.  I keep   
   tossing and turning trying to alleviate this backpain on my left side, but   
   nothing is working.  At 1 am, it occurs to me this might not be normal   
   backpain.  I’m sleeping in    
   the guest room at this point, because I don’t want to keep my wife up.  I   
   take my temperature.  It’s 100.5, a slight fever.  Figuring it’s better to   
   be cautious, I email several people I work with and let them know I will be   
   avoiding the office on    
   Monday.  Maybe it’s COVID-19, maybe it’s the flu.  Whatever it is, I   
   shouldn’t get other people sick, so I grudgingly elect to stay home.  My   
   symptoms are now fever, pain, and legit coughing.   
      
       
   I call Rush’s 24-hour corona-hotline and am told to schedule a video   
   appointment tomorrow.  I download the MyChart app and attempt to do so but   
   realize I can’t until the morning.  I can’t sleep, so I pop three Advil to   
   alleviate the fever and pain.    
    It doesn’t work, and I toss and turn for hours.  I remember seeing 5:10 am   
   on the clock.  I’m woken up at 5:30 by a text from my wife asking if I’m   
   going to work.  I tell her I’m not.  She is staying home as well.   
      
       
   Monday, March 16 - Scheduling a video appointment is difficult, as I keep   
   getting the “we’re at capacity, please try again later” message.  I   
   finally manage to secure one ($49, pre-paid), and find myself face to virtual   
   face with a physician’s    
   assistant about two hours later.  She reviews my symptoms and circumstances   
   (worsening cough, annoying fever, bad pain), and due to potential for   
   exposure, says I should get tested.  She puts a request in with the hospital   
   and says it will be 1-5 days.     
   I should head to the ER if I start having trouble breathing.   
      
       
   I participate in a conference call with my firm and manage to get an   
   appointment scheduled for the morning of the 17th to be tested for COVID-19.    
   My mom and dad had recently been to our house, so I call them to make sure   
   they are okay.  That may not    
   have been the best move, as they’re now worried, possibly needlessly.   
      
       
   My fever continues to worsen.  I’m trying to work here and there, but   
   effectively got no sleep the night before.  I’m freezing cold.  I double up   
   my blankets in an attempt to stay warm.  The constant pain is wearing on me.    
   I Google if letting fevers    
   run helps fight germs.  I find some evidence it does.  I suck it up and add   
   more blankets.  Someone posts a meme on Facebook that masturbation boosts your   
   immune system to stop COVID-19.  I immediately think that either:   
       
   a) This is obviously not true   
   b) I’ve saved myself from certain death.   
      
       
   I hit 101.6 on the thermometer.   
      
       
   My daughter is listening to I’m a Little Teapot downstairs.  A verse comes   
   on about three little fishies.  I become legitimately angry at the teapot for   
   announcing the presence of the fish to the world.  Maybe they wanted to stay   
   hidden.  Why is the    
   teapot making these choices for them?  I am in a half-conscious rage.  I come   
   to and am baffled by my own thoughts.  I feel very weak.   
      
       
      
   [continued in next message]   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)