My Covid

Based on our investigation, we think that we might have been exposed to the virus between February 19th and 21st. Only few days later, on 25th, we'll discover that one person we met during those days was positive, and all the other people were having COVID symptoms.

As soon as we receive news that at least 1 person we got in touch with during the weekend tested positive, my wife goes pick up the kids from school and takes them directly to the testing facility our local hospital, with the support of Italian Army and Air Force, created to speed up the testing activities for children, students, and school personel. I am already feeling "dizzy", and while the kids are getting tested, contact our family doctor and book a swab test for my wife and I in a private clinic.

In less than an hour we have a first result about the kids: the 8 years old is positive to the rapid test (and thus will receive a second RT-PCR test), while the younger is negative. That same afternoon, at 4 pm, my wife and I are tested. Our result will be available the following day.

I already start feeling better. I don't have any fever, the blood pressure is ok, and the headache is tollerable. The only thing worrying me is O2 saturation that appears to be constantly under 95%. The morning begins with a phone call from the Local Health Authority (called ATS in Milan), which informs me that my son's second swab test confirmed his positivity to SARS-COV 2.

The agent asks questions about him (when did his symptoms start -answer: never so far- why we tested him -answer: we know we got in touch with a person who's been tested positive) and about his school (which school does he attend, when was the last time he attended a class, etc.). She also asks where have we been after the exposure (gyms, sports, any extra-curricular activity). She tells us to try to keep the two kids as much separated as possible, since one is positive while the other negative, and I inform her that both my wife and I are waiting for the results of our tests, and that we already have mild symptoms. We agree that I'll call her as soon as we get the results, because having been tested in a private facility we'll be notified of the results before the ATS.

We start organizing our home for a long stay: we split the kids, the youger is going to sleep an live (as much as possible) in our studio room, in order to keep him as much separated as possible from us. He's 5, but strong. We give him responsibility over our home office while we are sick, and he accepts it.

In the early afternoon we receive a confirmation of our positivity to Covid. As agreed, I call my agent at ATS back. Even if we talked few hours earlier, she asks me all the same questions she already asked about my kid, and does the same few minutes later, while talking to my wife. At the same time we contact our doctor that provides us prescriptions for few drugs and a plan for the next few days.

Later in the afternoon, I'll forward to the ATS the lab results we received: we are now officially quarantined. The agent explains us that we are forbidden to leave our house, explains how to manage our waste, and asks if we need help with groceries.

First day with stomach ache. Nothing terrible, but I feel that something is not right. I also start coughing, even if very rarely. My cough doens't sound "dry" to me, it remembers the typical "smoker's" cough, I don't know how to describe it better. O2 saturation is getting better, today is always above 96%. The real news today is this incredible nervous mood that I feel. I am extremely irritable. And tired. Super tired.

In the afternoon our G.P. calls to check on us: we inform him that we are stable, and he decides to not change anything of our therapy.

We receive a communication from the school, stating that the entire class is officially quarantined (my son's schoolmates and all their teachers) until March 11th. Lessons will be held online until further notice.

It's Sunday, I start sneezing! My general condition is stable, I start sneezing but, as well as with the cough, it's something that happens in the morning, and then every now and then during the day. What worries me is the fact that I am growing even more tired and even more nervous. Like cocaine effect, if you watch be in the wrong way I could punch you...

I start loosing the smell and taste. I can still feel something, but flavors are starting to fade out.

I don't see any change today. Still tired, still nervous. I'm starting decreasing the dose of cortisone I take, overall I don't feel that bad.

I woke up perfectly rested this morning, but reached the end of the day in a very bad mood: tired and nervous. Apart from that, I coughed 3 or 4 times the entire day.

While my condition is stable (I just have a feeling in my throat, not really throat ache, but not like when I'm normal), my wife isn't feeling well. Her fatigue is even worst then mine, she feels pain in her back and bones, and she has mild fever. We check-in with our G.P., who adjusts the therapy for my wife, and confirms us our appointments for the control swab test next Monday March 8th. We also check-in with the pediatrician: the kids are ok, bored as hell, but ok.

Reducing the quantity of cortisone improved my mood but I'm still extremely nervous.

I feel well and energic. I'd eat and entire grocery shop if I could. This morning I had the feeling of chocolate (I tried to taste a chocolate chip, and I felt it, not the flavour, but "something"). Then I started preparing the pizza for this evening: 3 large pizza pans and 1 large focaccia pugliese pan. Now I'm tired, but I did a lot of things. The kids are still well, we decided with the pediatrician to postpone their swab tests after both me and my wife will be negative. She looked a little bit better today compared to yesterday, but soon the day transformed into the worst so far, with fever and a lot of pain. During the afternoon we receive a call from a doctor of the "Covid-19 Task Force": she says that they'll check on us every couple of days to see how it goes. She also tells my wife that she's probably at the peak, and things will start getting better soon. We appreciate the call, but the timing (first call on day 8 since we've been diagnosed), makes me think that our Region (Lombardy) did really loose control of the pandemic.

I'm out. Tired, yes, unable to feel flavours or smells, yes. But ok. I just feel a little bit short-breathed, but ok. O2 saturation is in line with expectations (I can't reach 99%, but I am always above 96%) so it's ok. I'm reducing the doses cortisone and ketoprofen. The mood is worsening, but I think I'm just a little bit worried about my wife.

In the morning my wife looks a little bit better compared to yesterday evening, she also tries the "5 minutes walk test". Let's see how it evolves.

Today a squad from the USCA (Unità Speciali di Continuità Assistenziale - Home Assistance Special Units) will visit my dad and his caregiver to perform a swab test on them. I visited them for very few minutes on February 23rd, but the ATS decided that they needed to be tested on the 10th day after the exposure. My dad is quadriplegic, needs constant assistance and cannot leave his house, so the Local Health Authority managed to have them tested at home.

Starting from today Lombardy is facing a new sort of lockdown: all schools are closed (my sons' schools had already been closed due to our positivity), but workplaces open. The system is suffering the push from this 3rd wave, and the local government is trying to reduce the pressure on hospitals. Seems like the new variants can spread rapidly among kids, thus the decision.

Today I'm almost ok. I feel really tired this evening, but I did a lot of things today: cleaned the house like a real housewife. I'm continuing reducing the cortisone, tomorrow will be the last day. I also replaced ketoprofen with aspirine, I started feeling uncomfortable taking it twice a day.

The kids are still ok, and my wife is getting better, today is the first day she didn't spend entirely in her bed. In the late afternoon a, itchi skin rush appears on her back, but seems under control at the moment.

In the early afternoon we received another phone call from the Covid-19 Task Force, they tell my wife that considering her status, it's better if she doesn't go to the testing facility for her control-test next Monday. Considering my status, I think I'll go.

Things are getting better. Except for the fatigue and the loss of taste I feel well. My wife also is getting better, second day without fever, and also the pain is decreasing.

Tomorrow I'll have my control swab test, I hope it will be negative.

Went to the testing facility today, just being allowed to leave my apartment and drive to the hospital has been reinvigorating. I should get the test results back in a couple of days, but I really feel well.

My wife is also recovering, it's the third day without fever. In the morning we talk to our doctor, because she needs to book a new appointment for the test (she was supposed to to go today with me, but didn't feel well enough), and in the afternoon we receive a phone call from the Covid-19 Task Force that book a new appointment for her for next Monday. In the meantime, we're setup reservation to test my yougest children next Thursday. I can see the end now, but in mid afternoon I receive the news that my dad's caregiver tested positive. I don't have any news about my dad's test result.

My dad resulted negative, even if he is an extremely fragile person, and is living in close contact with a positive person. He feels well, with no symptoms at all. His caregiver is feeling well, just a little bit tired in the morning. I continue counting the days, to understand if she's at the beginning or at the end of the infection. But today it's 14 days since I met them for no more than 20 minutes, wearing a FPP2 + a chirurgic mask. It really sound strange to me that I infected her.

I am ok, totally without symptoms. My wife is getting better, she woke up during the night with back pain, but the day is going good.

In the afternoon, I receive the results of the swab test I did yesterday: I am still positive.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.

I am ok, with no symptom, and also the fatigue is starting to get better. My wife, again, woke up during the night with back pain but during the day she's ok. The only thing missing is a negative test for all of us.