COVID... After 2.5 Years

After 2.5 years, multiple overseas trips, 3 doses of vaccines, and masking in public, Covid finally made it into our house 2 weeks ago. Given how people don't wear mask anymore in the US these days, and the fact that hubby has to go to work every day (and work around others), we knew this day would come at some point. 

The blessing in disguise...hubby was out of town when he tested positive so we were able to take precautionary measures to keep me away from Covid. We turned our house into a 'quarantine station' and I was able to put my past quarantine experiences into good use.

Thankfully, hubby's symptoms were pretty mild and had a speedy recovery. I made this vlog to keep a record of our 13-day Covid quarantine experience. =)

COVID Q&A:

1. How did he get COVID?

There's no way we could confirm or verify exactly how and where he got COVID from but our guess is he got it from work. Several people at his work had COVID 1-2 weeks before and his company doesn't require masking or negative test for people to return to work. Besides, another co-worker also got COVID at the same time.

2. How did he find out that he got COVID?

He was out of town for the weekend and I asked him to pack a test kit (that was expiring soon). The plan was for him to do a self-test before he came home just in case. However, he wasn't feeling well the day before returning so he did the test and saw the two lines. 

3. Has he gotten COVID before?

No, this was his first time getting COVID since the pandemic started.

4. Was he vaccinated?

Yes, he had both doses of Pfizer vaccines and was also boosted with Pfizer. His had his booster shot in October 2021.

5. What were his symptoms?

His symptoms were body ache, fever, sore throat, and slight runny nose. Overall, his symptoms were pretty mild.

6. How long did his symptoms last?

His symptoms lasted for about 4-5 days in total. He was fully recovered by Day 5, but continued to test positive for a few more days.

7. How long did it take for him to test negative?

He tested negative on day 10 after the first day of symptoms.

8. What are the COVID quarantine rules in the US / Alabama?

There are no quarantine rules in the US / Alabama. Masks are also no longer required. Basically, COVID is treated just like a normal flu here. It's entirely up to individuals to self-quarantine if we want.

9. Are we required to report to the authorities that he tested positive for Covid?

No. There has never been a requirement to report positive cases here in the US. There has been no contact-tracing in the US since the beginning of the pandemic. Self-test is also completely optional.

10. Did he quarantine? If so, how long did he quarantine?

Yes, he quarantined for a total of 12 days (3 extra days after he tested negative).

11. Was it necessary to quarantine?

Since he tested positive while he was away, we were able to take precautionary measures to avoid me from getting COVID. As such, we decided to go all out with the quarantine measures to keep me safe and healthy as long as possible. We don't know how COVID impacts each individual so it's better to be safe than sorry. 

12. How did we quarantine in the house?

He quarantined upstairs with doors closed at all times, and I moved downstairs. We both wore mask in the house at all times, including bed time. I prepared all his meals and placed them outside his room. We used separate dishes, cutleries, dish wash sponge, and soap. I also wore gloves when handling his food and cleaned his dishes.

13. What type of medicines did he take?

Only Acetaminophen for the first few days to reduce fever and relief sore throat.

14. What type of food/drinks did he eat/drink to help with recovery?

I made potato and meatball soup with vegetables, salad, honey drink, vitamin C, etc.

15. Does he have any post-COVID side effects?

No. His symptoms were completely gone by day 5.