How does her tale of the chain of infection FROM HER differ from the kinds of general chain of infections experienced every year with the seasonal flu? No difference at all.
However, if people would adopt every year for the seasonal flu SOME of the personal virus-safety measures now being done just because of Covid-19, there would be fewer seasonal flu cases every year. Particularly, if ill DO NOT GO TO WORK until you are well!!!! And at home, keep your hands clean, use disposable tissues and THEN WASH YOUR HANDS AFTER EVERY TIME YOU USE A TISSUE. Protect your loved ones at home, protect them from you. Many things can be done BY THOSE WHO HAVE symptoms or an illness, saving most others from having to hibernate from each other.
Here is a report from my first cousin who is still recovering. She does Techical writing for a living, so she writes alot...
Day 7
Friends, I want to thank all of you for getting me through these last several days. It is hard to be badly sick, especially when you have to take care of yourself because nobody else can. This is when the several years I spent living by myself is really paying off because I know how to take care of myself well, so I’ve been toughing this out upstairs at home while my parents stay downstairs. They just bring trays of food to the top of the stairs for me every day... it’s like I’m their gremlin that lives in the attic and sometimes hollers at them what I want to eat.
On a serious note though, this has been HARD. This is the sickest I’ve ever been in my life, and I know so many people are going to have this MUCH worse than I have it and will need extreme professional help. That being said, yesterday, I took a bad turn and had more spasms—some in my chest, and some that traveled all the way down my body into my legs and feet. I then lost enough oxygen that my arms, hands, feet, and lips went numb, and I couldn’t regain myself on my own. By the time the paramedics got to the house, my legs had also started going numb. I needed the help, but it weighed on me because of this situation we are all in.
What constitutes a medical emergency right now is not exactly the same that it normally would be. They are getting ready to try to save lots of dying people. If you’re not dying, you’re in the way. I don’t want to be in the way, and I also don’t want to risk making anybody else sick like this, especially people who will be caring for those who are dying from it, and especially if I’m not sure that I’m actually dying or just feel like I am. Honestly, twice this week I really didn’t know if I was going to make it through or not. Fortunately, I only had to be monitored in the ER for a several hours last night and did not have to be admitted to the hospital. They were able to stabilize my breathing, give me more fluids, and they took chest x-rays which showed my lungs were clear!!! PRAISE THE LORD!!!! I have worked SO HARD to not get pneumonia!!! THANK GOD!!!!
The doctor also prescribed me with medicine to treat the spasms if they come back, and I am so grateful for the hope of relief from that. This was exactly everything I needed, and I pray that I won’t have to make another visit to the hospital. I pray the worst is over. And I fervently pray that no one has gotten this evil monster from me.
TODAY was a much easier day. At a time when I would otherwise feel so alone, I have been overwhelmed with love and comfort. I can’t even begin to describe the emotional rollercoaster I have been on the past week, but every single person who has reached out to me has touched my heart, and I have thanked God for every one of you. I’m so sorry I haven’t responded to almost any of the messages I’ve received today yet. I’ve been taking it easy at home, teleworking, and resting. I am so very blessed that my job has allowed me to work from home during this crisis. I have been trying to press on through this illness with some sense of routine and structure for my mental health, so doing my job while I’m recovering has given me a sense of purpose and keeps my mind off things that are out of my control right now.
I also made a lot of phone calls today and finally reached someone with access to my charts from my test last week, and I officially found out that I did test positive for COVID-19. At this point, I really didn’t need a test to tell me that, but having the closure is good because if it wasn’t that, I REALLY needed to know what was happening to me. So today, I am thankful for friends, family, answers, and the grace of God. GOD has carried me through another day! HALLELUJAH!!!
Day 10.
Today was mostly a restful day after a restless night. Last night, it was hard to sleep because I stayed up for a while trying to keep my throat clear, and then I had another spell of accelerated heart rate and muscle spasms. They were a lot less intense than the previous attacks I’ve had, but I am still so sore and tired that it hurts almost as bad. I’m mostly concerned about protecting my lungs and maintaining my breathing, which is hard to do if you feel like you’re having a heart attack. The only thing that’s predictable about the way this virus works is that it goes from okay to very bad very quickly.
This morning, I woke up feeling tired and weak, so I decided I needed to rest and regain strength. This was a wise choice. Each time I’ve had an attack, the symptoms have become less aggressive, but my body is starting to feel the effects of everything I’ve been through. My chest feels like it’s been run over by a train, but I can still get a full breath, so that is something to be grateful for. I still cannot taste or smell, but I’ve thought a couple of times that it might be coming back. However, my mind has been filling in the gaps so well that I can’t tell if it’s just my imagination or if it’s real. I’m sure I’ll know when I really can!
I’m also regaining my appetite for more solid foods instead of forcing myself to eat them, so I feel like that’s a good sign. I started wheezing a little bit today, which makes me a little nervous, but I’ve got inhalers, a humidifier, cough drops, lots of water and honey, and orange-pineapple juice to keep my throat as clear and open as possible. I’ve been taking zinc and vitamin c every day and mucinex as needed. I’ve been through a case and a half of bottled water.
This is day 10 of my symptoms, so I *should* be on the final climb out of this, but I have to take this one day and one night at a time. You really have to be vigilant with this disease. It doesn’t matter how old you are. I have been a healthy 28-year-old woman, strong and very physically active, with no underlying chronic medical conditions. I have honestly thought I was going to die from this twice.
This is not to cause fear or panic, but to let you know...this is real, and it’s serious, and that is why we all need to stay home for a while to protect not just ourselves, but each other, and flatten the curve. My prayer for tonight is that I can maintain my lung capacity and breathing stability and that there will be no more painful spasms. I trust God that He will see me through whatever I have left to endure of this, no matter what the outcome is. I know God will always be there and never leave. I am NOT alone. I have been so moved and humbled by the outpouring of love and prayers on behalf of me and my family as I am battling this. I have seen God at work through so many people every day of this journey, and I hope to share about that another time because it has been SO incredible.
Also, my parents are superheroes, and they have been holding up SO WELL in this situation. The prayers and encouragement mean so much to them. Please continue to pray for them in the coming weeks as we all recover from this nightmare. I am confident that we—as in, the whole world—will come out the other side of this crisis with new life and purpose. We are all going to come out of this stronger and better people with bright ideas for making our world a better place and looking out for the good of others. I can feel it. God is at work here.
Posted on 04/04/2020 11:12:55 AM PDT by Bryan24 (When in doubt, move to the right..........)