Over Thanksgiving break, I found out I tested positive for COVID-19 … again. For the third time, actually.
You may be wondering how this is possible, and I am wondering the same thing. I follow COVID-19 guidelines, I wear a mask and I am triple vaccinated. I try my best to make sure I don’t get sick, and I want that to be very clear.
I first tested positive over a year ago in September 2020. I wrote an opinion piece for The Leader titled “Positive” about my experience, as SUNY Fredonia adjusted to functioning in person during a pandemic.
I was very critical of how my diagnosis was handled by the school. At the time, I was living on campus in Gregory Hall. I was furious that the school didn’t give me quarantine instructions until days after being positive, the lack of testing on campus and many other issues that came along with my diagnosis. I won’t bore you with the details, and if you are really interested, you can check out the article online.
I was barely sick the first time I had COVID-19. Between a fever that lasted two days and a scratchy throat, I was virtually left unscathed by this virus — luckily, with my taste and smell still intact.
The worst part of having COVID-19 at this time was the stress that came along with it. So much was still unknown about the virus, with no vaccines to keep anyone around me safe. I was terrified I was putting lives in danger by being positive, and I couldn’t stop thinking about who I could have possibly gotten sick in the time before I knew I was positive.
In September 2020, the quarantine guidelines required me to stay home for 14 days, rather than the 10 days that is now standard. It gave me a lot of time to think, or rather, overthink.
I decided to finish out the semester at home, which was my original wish that was denied by the school. I had requested before the semester started to complete the semester virtually because I was convinced I would get COVID-19 at college. Instances like these make me think my anxiety is actually psychic energy, but I digress.
The second time I tested positive was only a month and a half later, during October 2020. I had a burning fever for a few days, along with horrible pain in the back of my head and neck. I had convinced myself that it was some form of meningitis after doing some quick research on Google.
But to my surprise, it was actually COVID-19 yet again. It was a nightmare all over again. I was in instant disbelief when WellNow called to tell me my results. The poor woman on the other end of the line probably had no idea why I was in such denial.
At this time, I only left my house for work. The very few friends I have from my hometown were all at college. Come to find out, the virus was reactivating itself within my immune system — at least that was what I was told.
According to the Allegany County Health Department representative I spoke with on the phone, this is a rare occurrence, but this time, my positive diagnosis wasn’t contagious. I wasn’t required to quarantine this time, since it was within the three-month window from when I was originally infected.
Everyone at the small business I worked at got tested, all of them receiving negative results. My family also did not get sick, which was a huge relief.
I still consider the cause of my positive test result as unknown, and I question whether my symptoms were really caused by COVID-19 or a separate illness. I don’t know if I will ever know the answer.
That’s what is so lovely about COVID-19 that rattles my anxiety to its core — the unknowns.
I made sure to get vaccinated in April 2021 after my two run-ins with the virus. I knew it is better to be safe than sorry, and I hated the idea of ever having to quarantine for 14 days again. I got my dose right in Steele Hall, which was an easy process. I decided to get Pfizer.
I got my second dose three weeks later as scheduled, and everything went well. I got sick from both doses, but this didn’t come as a surprise to me.
I decided on the spur of the moment to register to receive a booster of Pfizer to further protect myself and others, since it is said the effectiveness of the original vaccine decreases over time and science has not yet confirmed whether it is effective against other strains, like Omicron. I got my dose during Thanksgiving Break, on Nov. 23, in Steele Hall once again.
That night, I began to experience a high-grade fever, as well as nausea and vomiting. This was by far my worst reaction to any of the doses, but I wasn’t alarmed. By the next day, I was still feeling quite unwell. I started to think I had an ear infection, which mixed with the booster, would explain my symptoms of ear pain, sore throat and congestion.
By Nov. 26, I knew it was time to get my symptoms checked out, mainly because I thought it was just an ear infection that would require antibiotics to clear up. I was experiencing nausea, fever, vomiting, sore throat, cough, congestion and things were progressively getting worse. I waited over two and a half hours to be seen at an Immediate Care when I decided to just go home. Patience is not my strong suit by any means — I’ll admit it.
So, I waited for the storm to pass, hoping I’d wake up feeling better at some point. But every night, I’d go to bed with trouble breathing, waking up in the middle of the night with a fever, taking Ibuprofen and repeating the cycle. I was drowning in fatigue and pain throughout my body.
On Nov. 28, I went back to Urgent Care, where I was given a COVID-19 test. I found out I did in fact have a double ear infection, and I thought that was the end of that. It would explain most of my symptoms combined with the booster, and I figured it was just a really bad one, since I let it fester for quite some time. But the next day, I checked my results to find the word “DETECTED” written in all caps and in red.
Here we go again. This time I didn’t cry immediately, rather, I laughed. Partially because I read my results with my girlfriend, who was also sick and positive with the virus. We really couldn’t believe we had COVID-19 and that I had it … yet again.
This time around, I was much more lucky to be living off campus in a one-bedroom apartment, which saved me from having to rely on SUNY Fredonia for quarantine instructions or fears of infecting my family members. And, of course, this wasn’t my first rodeo with the virus, so I already knew much of the process.
However, I didn’t start feeling any better until six days after I first started exhibiting symptoms. This experience was nothing like when I first had COVID-19, which was why I was so surprised I was positive. It is important to note that I am a relatively healthy 20-year-old, and this virus made me severely ill for days on end. I can’t remember being that sick in a long time.
I guess if there is anything to learn from my experience, it is to stay hypervigilant. Cases are rising in most counties, particularly Erie County. Mask mandates are being put back in place. It is the holiday season, and most of us want to spend time with those we love and must gather inside as the weather gets colder. Just try your best to be cautious and understanding of those being impacted by the virus. And even though my symptoms this time were pretty severe, I’m sure that the vaccine prevented me from having to be hospitalized.
As much as we want to move forward and forget that this pandemic exists, we simply can’t. It is ever present, along with new strains being introduced. Stay safe and stay informed.