#COVID19 Day 10: Feeling good! Since I’ve received a ton of DMs, here is a FAQ edition
Do/did you have COVID19: that’s what I was told. I had a negative nose swab, but was told my chest scan, blood work, etc indicated otherwise. #CoronaVirus #CoronavirusOutbreak #Sacramento 1/16

Its possible I have something else, but there aren’t many symptoms I didn’t/don’t have. I had lung inflammation as well (I think they said something about the sides of the lungs? Was out of it in the hospital.)

What was the hospital like: imagine the scene in ET where the Government captures ET. People in space suits everywhere, everything is sealed/tapped off, etc. Its not comfortable, you get no visitors, etc.

How did the symptoms start: Diarrhea and light nausea. Then mild fever and bad fatigue (hit quick), felt really cold, etc. Then high fever, rapid heart rate (150 according to my Whoop) and dehydration (caused me to pass out twice). Couldn’t walk and had bad muscle and bone aches.

That all happened on Friday, beginning at 3pm and hitting peak at 9pm. I had slept from 3-9pm. Breathing issues arrive a day or so after the hospital. Odd sense of taste/smell, chest pressure, shortness of breath, dry cough (never got too bad).

Took about 7 days from the beginning to actually feel somewhat better. Fatigue from day 1-5 or so is the worst I’ve ever had. Zero energy.

Want to be specific: fatigue in this case doesn’t mean you’re sleepy, kind of tired. It means it’ll take a miracle to get out of bed or do anything. During the first few days, taking a shower would cause me to sleep for 4-6hrs on and off.

Was it that bad: yes. It was that bad. Add the fact that they still don’t have an approved treatment so you’re dealing with a ton of uncertainty on top of being sick/extremely tired. CNN, Fox News, etc spinning this makes it worse. Stopped watching the news & stuck to the SacBee

Are you counted in the county case numbers: not sure. I had a negative nose swab but my other tests confirmed the case. Looking at county data, the cases in woodland increased by 1 during my hospital stay

How do you feel now: much much better. Took about 7 days to start seeing a difference. If I walk around for more than about 5 min or so I become out of breath and start to feel worse again (tired, “off,” etc).

I over did it yesterday and ended up having shortness of breath, feeling off/tired, etc. Slept from 9pm-1230am or so as a result. I’ll get tired around 5pm-6pm generally and need a nap.

How did you get it: impossible to know. My daughter had a cough, variable fever from 99-101, and some shortness of breath a week or so before I got sick. That’s my guess. Per the data, the number of actual cases are much higher than reported cases so it could have been anything.

How is your family: they seem to be doing well.
What should I do if I start feeling sick: contact your doctor. Also, start eating and drinking as much food/water you can. When I was really sick, food made the difference between feeling like hell and feeling ok.

To this day, there is no amount of food/water that satisfies my thirst/hunger. I ate a ton today and am hungry now. Lost around 10 lbs during the course of a week.

Other than that, I have a common cognitive side effect now. Short term memory issues, some obsessive behavior (like trying to find my grandfathers badge randomly) but I’m told it’s one of the most common side effects and will pass in a week or so.

Hope this helps! I’ve appreciated all the kind words and support! Feel free to share with others or as you see fit. Happy to keep answering questions as well.