(Photograph by Gerd Altmann via Pixabay)
A couple of days ago, on New Year’s Eve, Mick Deacon appeared in this blog – He is an Englishman temporarily living in the US.
I am currently self-isolating in the UK because I tested positive for Covid on the morning of Christmas Day. Currently in England the rules are that, if that happens, you have to isolate for up to 10 days, though you can re-emerge if you test negative- 24 hours apart – on two consecutive days from Day 6 onwards.
I am currently on Day 8, still testing positive, though I have no apparent symptoms.
In the US, Mick is currently on Day 19 of being infected.
He has symptoms.
I thought it would be interesting to extract his progression from the various emails he has sent me.
He is over in the US temporarily to see his girlfriend.
His first e-mail references him returning to the UK at some point… He had his first two vaccine jabs in the UK but his third jab – the booster – in the US.
DECEMBER 13th 2021
I hope I won’t have problems on the way back as I’ve had the booster here. I told my UK GP’s surgery the day after and they said just bring the card in and we will add the details.
DECEMBER 16th
I got Covid a couple of days ago. I’m going with the notion of I might as well get it over with now and hopefully get more immunity.
It is like being hit by a truck while someone sticks needles into you whilst barely having the energy to stand up. Not an attractive cocktail.
I have now had the two AstraZeneca jabs and the Pfizer booster but it was just over a week after having the booster when I got Covid. So maybe it had no time to kick in.
I’ve got health insurance but am trying to not see a doctor. Being ill in a foreign country, even with insurance, makes you feel very vulnerable.
I am isolating and better than I was yesterday thankfully.
My girlfriend hasn’t got it but it’s weird isn’t it? My handyman in the UK got it the eve he had been working at my place and everyone else apart from me got it, I felt kinda smug and healthy at that point.
Over here, people on the whole aren’t careful at all. Bloody Americans.
DECEMBER 19th
It’s quite strange… Mornings are the worst – very weak and dizzy but, with the help of painkillers, the day begins to get better.
The fatigue is horrendous but I’m improving and I can string a sentence together now in the morning which at first I couldn’t.
I don’t like being ill and abroad, but there’s nothing I can do about that now.
It is bloody awful.
DECEMBER 23rd
Still testing positive for Covid. Just waiting for the results of today’s test.
DECEMBER 25th
Merry Xmas
I kinda looked at it like, by the law of averages, I was going to get it, so thought it was better to get it over with – to look on the bright side!
DECEMBER 27th
Just got a cough now that doesn’t want to go.
I get tired quite quickly, but improving.
DECEMBER 29th
I had one good day when I thought it was all done with. Then I started coughing again and I feel shattered again. Not as bad as before though.
DECEMBER 30th
Weirdly, the last 4 days, I keep getting bouts of nausea and coughing fits and fatigue.
I don’t think my booster had time to kick in before I got this. I was only on day 7.
Numbers are raging here, but they are just carrying on with everything.
JANUARY 1st, 2022
I was really ill yesterday. I keep having attacks of nausea, headache and stomach ache. Feel very weak again today. I was already worn out when I first got this, so it’s slightly my own fault.
I just fell asleep for 2 hours. Not like me at all.
JANUARY 2nd
I keep waking up with a bad but peculiar-feeling headache and I keep getting bouts of really bad stomach ache and nausea…
SO IT GOES - John Fleming's blog 