It has been almost three years since the spread of COVID-19 was declared to be a pandemic.1 Although some of us were paying attention to the potential mess that was becoming clear weeks earlier.
With plenty of social distancing (a term we seem to be stuck with), active masking, excessive hand washing, and getting every vaccine available, I’ve been able to avoid being infected by any of the seemingly endless variations of the virus.
As a bonus, I also managed to go more than three years without getting any other kind of respiratory illness.
Until last week.
Towards the end of our Arizona trip, my steak ended and I came down with a “common” cold.
Based on a web review of the various COVID symptoms, not to mention past experience, I was pretty sure what I had was “only” a cold.2 Lots of sniffling, a foggy head, and a general yucky feeling (I think that’s the medical term), all of which was helped (mostly) using over-priced pills from the pharmacy section.
From the overall view of the still-not-over pandemic, catching a cold is hardly a big deal. I think I can blame my wife’s brother-in-law who is something of an in-your-face kind of guy. Not someone you want around when there are potentially-fatal bugs in circulation.
Although getting an illness was something of a disappointment after three years without, the sniffles, headache, and slight fever went away pretty quickly, mostly gone before flying home. The foggy head stuck around for a few extra days.
So now I’m reasonably healthy again, and back following what seems like “normal” precautions. And hopefully stringing together a few more years of avoiding colds, flu, COVID, and whatever new bugs might come around.
In the short term, at least, I need to stay that way in preparation for upcoming trips in March and April. Gotta keep pushing forward.
The photo is of a painted metal sun face from an art fair in Tubac, Arizona. Still trying to keep a happy face. :-)
1. The official declaration was made by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. The virus itself started circulating in China around mid-November, thus the -19 designation.
2. Confirmed by a rapid antigen test.
Stay well. Like you, I’ve not caught COVID despite getting out and about and not being particuarly fussy about handwashing, crowds, etc. I don’t think I’ve had a cold or flu since I started the vaccine about 5 years ago. Maybe it’s a mindset thing?