Took a Walk on the Mild Side

So, yes, I originally had no plans to get last-minute tickets for Omicron World Tour 2022, but then it happened. I had begun to think that maybe there was truth behind those studies that said that people with blood type 0 get infected less easily and then the virus caught me unawares, most likely outdoors.

As I had it first and Highflyer did not test positive until 4 days later, the only explanation was that I must have been infected on Saturday, March 26, when he went skiing and I decided to spend part of the day in downtown Innsbruck. Sidenote, it seems that Tyrol is very detrimental to my health: the reason why I did not join him on the slopes was that in February, I finally got my knee checked that had been hurting after an unspectacular but fateful fall at Seefeld ski resort on January 4: my cross ligament is partly torn and I now have fractures on several cartilages in my right leg, yay. The physiotherapist says that the ligament will grow together eventually and exercise will help with the other issues. We shall see. Anyway, I spent a few hours on my own, took the tram downtown from Highflyer's apartment, visited some shops and a museum. Everywhere inside I wore an FFP2 mask (including changing rooms and the museum toilet) and so did everyone else in sight. It was a beautiful sunny day and the pedestrian zone was pretty crowded so I probably had the misfortune of passing through the "aerosol spray" of some highly infections super spreader whom I crossed paths with. That, or the virus was lingering in the hallway/staircase in Highflyer's house (he lives on the third floor and there is no elevator, in which I would have worn a mask.

We took antigen tests both on Sunday and Monday night before meeting relatives (one of whom is currently undergoing chemo, but actually already had coronavirus recently) and none of us felt any symptoms. Then on Tuesday morning I woke up with a funny feeling in my throat. Not a throat-ache, but a feeling as if I was dehydrated or something. It did not really get better and my voice got a bit hoarse during the day. On Tuesday night we drove back from Innsbruck by car and my throat was really sore plus I could feel a cold coming on. I wanted to take a test immediately as there were some in the glove compartment, but Highflyer said it did not make any difference as he would not jump out of the car in any case. We also drank from the same coke bottle and shared food...

On Wednesday morning I woke up with a seriously sore throat and took a test. Wow, that first "T"-line came up scarlet red before the liquid had even crept up to "C" territory. A PCR test confirmed that I was indeed infected with coronavirus and so my quarantine period started on Thursday. Highflyer did not isolate as we had been together for 5 hours on our road trip when I already had symptoms and after dropping off our PCR tests on Wednesday he went grocery shopping, coming back with enough fruit and veg to last through a zombie apocalypse or two.

In summary, it was really not too bad and I did not even take time off work since I did not feel tired or feverish. The two of us had different symptoms (I had this horrible throat ache that lasted for 4 days plus a runny nose and croaky voice, he had a bit of a temperature and a headache) and both agreed that it felt exactly like "normal colds" and we would have gone to our respective offices with those symptoms back in the days.

We definitely had mild cases and overall were not too concerned, but I have to say it was a bit disconcerting when friends who inquired after my well-being wished me a "mild case" or replied to my update that it was really not so bad "let's hope that it stays that way". It makes you wait for a sudden turn for the worse and doubt your own judgement, while had I not heard of the existence of Covid-19 I would not have been able to tell the difference to a common cold. Being fully vaccinated and boostered we were not too concerned, but then again, you never know. It's also a relief to have at least a few weeks of likely immunity and not to have to worry about getting tested for some time.

I am very grateful for many things. For once, that we had the Omicron variant (I was curious and e-mailed the authorities, who told me that I had the BA.2 mutation of Omicron, to be precise) with mild symptoms that did not include loss of taste and smell, which would really have bugged me. Also, that my quarantine period happened at a time where I did not have any plans (with the exception of one dinner invitation) that needed to be cancelled or postponed. I had originally planned to keep my father company last weekend while my mother was in Croatia, but they let me know even before I found out I had tested positive that I did not need to come so soon before Easter. It was also obviously less boring and more reassuring to be in quarantine with great company and to spend a weekend just reading and catching up on streaming content. 

Also, I now have proof that those "living room tests" as we call the antigen tests that you can do at home (see pictured) are reassuringly accurate when done right.