liv: oil painting of seated nude with her back to the viewer (body)
[personal profile] liv
As of some time last night, I have novel respiratory symptoms. I'm basically fine but it feels safest to act as if I am infected.

My lungs hurt, and it's not the tightness I associate with mild asthma symptoms, or the tired muscle ache / burn I associate with a bad cough (whether asthma or viral). Not badly, but pretty much continuously. I'm coughing a bit but not severely, and I don't feel feverish. I have a slight headache and sore throat, but that could be just about anything including stress. I am somewhat distracted but I've been able to get on with useful work today.

I'm probably being over-cautious, but I feel like the balance of probabilities points towards suspected case. So this morning [personal profile] jack and I activated our self-isolation plan. We've divided up the house so that I "live" upstairs and he stays downstairs apart from using the bathroom. We have separate towels and we're cleaning metal bathroom surfaces constantly. [personal profile] jack has taken on food prep for both of us and he's leaving me plates of food and cups of tea and retreating to the bottom of the stairs.

And we're preparing to avoid leaving the house at all until it's more likely that we're not infectious than that we still are. We have plenty of supplies, and we managed to get an online supermarket delivery order in by virtue of going on the website just after midnight last night, which was fortuitous timing. It's going to suck, more so if my symptoms progress beyond the almost ignorable level, but since we can do this I think it's the right thing.

The most likely (and in some ways comforting) narrative I can come up with is that I picked this up when I had to attend a dental appointment two weeks ago. I had very mild symptoms (including a tell-tale sore throat) within a few days of that surgery, which in retrospect I can imagine might have been the first phase. And now, 12 days after the first symptoms, I have potential lower respiratory tract symptoms, so hopefully this is the second phase. That's comforting because it suggests my source of infection is a necessary medical appointment rather than either something frivolous I did, or just being unlucky even though I've stayed at home except for exercise for ten days now, and [personal profile] jack has been doing minimal necessary shopping with careful social distancing. And if I picked it up at the dentist it's unlikely I infected the dentist or any of his staff or patients. Also, if my guess is right I'm probably approaching the end of the infectious phase.

We are really not sure how long we should maintain full isolation at home. UK guidelines say 7 days from start of symptoms (me, today), or 14 days from contact with a symptomatic person (Jack). But I suspect this is not entirely adequate especially as it's much less restrictive than the WHO advice. If my symptoms don't get any worse than this and [personal profile] jack doesn't get sick at all, which is definitely the brnach of the timeline I'm hoping for, I won't know whether I've actually had Covid. Currently we're thinking that if nothing changes we'll start interacting with eachother again after 7 days, but not go outside until we're more confident the incubation period has passed; I think the safest is 14 days from the end of symptoms but we might not be able to sustain that.

Send hugs and support to [personal profile] jack, please? He's doing amazingly in a somewhat scary situation.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 02:03 pm (UTC)
superborb: (Default)
From: [personal profile] superborb
Sending love.

If you can safely get a pulse oximeter delivered, that could be a useful data point on if things are worryingly bad.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 02:17 pm (UTC)
angelofthenorth: Two puffins in love (Default)
From: [personal profile] angelofthenorth
Oh no. I'm glad you're taking care, but sorry you're going to have to be distant from [personal profile] jack

Love to both of you

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 02:21 pm (UTC)
redbird: closeup of me drinking tea, in a friend's kitchen (Default)
From: [personal profile] redbird
*hug*

The waiting periods you're talking about are probably sensible, but I'm not a doctor or anything like an expert. I suspect that it might be safe to go outside in less than a fortnight, taking special care not to come near anyone else.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 02:45 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] ewt
Oh, I hope your symptoms stay in the annoying-but-mild category and go away soon, and I hope [personal profile] jack stays well. Love to you both.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 02:49 pm (UTC)
kass: Siberian cat on a cat tree with one paw dangling (Default)
From: [personal profile] kass
Refuah shleimah. Thinking of you and of Jack.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 03:00 pm (UTC)
hatam_soferet: (Default)
From: [personal profile] hatam_soferet
Love you. Love you love you love you.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 03:33 pm (UTC)
worlds_of_smoke: A picture of a brilliantly colored waterfall cascading into a river (Default)
From: [personal profile] worlds_of_smoke
oh no. :( I hope it's not COVID-19. I'll keep you in my thoughts.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 03:36 pm (UTC)
nou: The word "kake" in a white monospaced font on a black background (Default)
From: [personal profile] nou
Much sympathy, and *hugs* to Jack. Glad you have what you need to deal with the situation.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 03:38 pm (UTC)
emperor: (Default)
From: [personal profile] emperor
*hug* GWS!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 03:57 pm (UTC)
cynthia1960: cartoon of me with gray hair wearing glasses (Default)
From: [personal profile] cynthia1960
Healing wishes to you both!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 04:05 pm (UTC)
iddewes: (robin)
From: [personal profile] iddewes
Refuah shleima and I hope Jack will be ok.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 04:15 pm (UTC)
From: [personal profile] cosmolinguist
Love to you and Jack. It's so cruel that this disease (or the possibility of it) take people away from those they love.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 04:16 pm (UTC)
hilarita: stoat hiding under a log (Default)
From: [personal profile] hilarita
Best wishes to you both.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 05:21 pm (UTC)
azurelunatic: Vivid pink Alaskan wild rose. (Default)
From: [personal profile] azurelunatic
💙💙💙

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 05:27 pm (UTC)
wildeabandon: A heart shaped box, full of cherries (heart)
From: [personal profile] wildeabandon
Love to both of you. I hope the symptoms stay mild and the isolation isn't too unbearable.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 05:39 pm (UTC)
rmc28: Rachel in hockey gear on the frozen fen at Upware, near Cambridge (Default)
From: [personal profile] rmc28
*hugs* from a distance

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 05:51 pm (UTC)
watersword: Keira Knightley, in Pride and Prejudice (2007), turning her head away from the viewer, the word "elizabeth" written near (Default)
From: [personal profile] watersword
<3!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 06:19 pm (UTC)
rachelmanija: (Default)
From: [personal profile] rachelmanija
Best wishes! Hopefully this is the worst of it.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 06:21 pm (UTC)
sfred: Fred wearing a hat in front of a trans flag (Default)
From: [personal profile] sfred
Love to both of you. I hope you feel better soon.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:27 pm (UTC)
falena: illustration of a blue and grey moth against a white background (Default)
From: [personal profile] falena
You and Jack will be in my thoughts.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:43 pm (UTC)
lethargic_man: Yellow smiley face, only with a neutral expression instead of the smile (Have a [gap] day)
From: [personal profile] lethargic_man
Yikes. I hope you have actually just got a cold, and that if not, you end up one of the 80% who only get mild symptoms from Covid-19; I wish you a heartfelt רְפוּאָה שְׁלֵמָה whatever the case.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:45 pm (UTC)
ceb: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ceb
Sending love to both of you from a safe distance.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:46 pm (UTC)
ceb: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ceb
(Also if you turn out to need errands doing, Ian or I could very easily drop things round.)

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:50 pm (UTC)
green_knight: (Hug)
From: [personal profile] green_knight
Wishing you all the very best; may you feel well soon.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 07:51 pm (UTC)
blue_mai: (Default)
From: [personal profile] blue_mai
*hugs* and best wishes to you both

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 09:05 pm (UTC)
ambyr: a dark-winged man standing in a doorway over water; his reflection has white wings (watercolor by Stephanie Pui-Mun Law) (Default)
From: [personal profile] ambyr
Wishing you rapid recovery!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 11:07 pm (UTC)
lilacsigil: 12 Apostles rocks, text "Rock On" (12 Apostles)
From: [personal profile] lilacsigil
I hope you're feeling much better soon!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-02 11:21 pm (UTC)
hairyears: Spilosoma viginica caterpillar: luxuriant white hair and a 'Dougal' face with antennae. Small, hairy, and venomous (Default)
From: [personal profile] hairyears
My love to you both: and take up that advice about a pulse oximeter!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 12:51 am (UTC)
rysmiel: (Default)
From: [personal profile] rysmiel
Oh love. *hug* I do hope this passes with as little unpleasantness as possible for you and [personal profile] jack, and I shall be thinking of you and wishing you well; expect mail soon.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 05:35 am (UTC)
syderia: lotus Syderia (Default)
From: [personal profile] syderia
I hope you get better soon, whatever this is.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 05:37 am (UTC)
rosefox: Green books on library shelves. (Default)
From: [personal profile] rosefox
Ugh, I'm so sorry! I hope you're right about this being the second phase and a mild case altogether. Best wishes to you and [personal profile] jack.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 10:02 am (UTC)
vyvyanx: (Default)
From: [personal profile] vyvyanx
All the best - I hope your illness is much milder than mine was, and over quickly!

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 03:06 pm (UTC)
silveradept: A kodama with a trombone. The trombone is playing music, even though it is held in a rest position (Default)
From: [personal profile] silveradept
Health and strength to both you and [personal profile] jack, and swift dismissal of whatever this may be.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 08:55 pm (UTC)
siderea: (Default)
From: [personal profile] siderea
Oh no! Get better soon! Best wishes to you both.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-03 10:48 pm (UTC)
gominokouhai: (Default)
From: [personal profile] gominokouhai
Strength to you both.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-04 10:01 am (UTC)
jack: (Default)
From: [personal profile] jack
*hugs* Thank you so much! We are fine for now, we fortunately just got a big order. But we might benefit from someone who feels safe shopping topping up fresh stuff in a week if we can't get a delivery at that point.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-04 10:04 am (UTC)
jack: (Default)
From: [personal profile] jack
Thank you everyone so much, that's an incredibly touching response. Doing ok so far.

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-04 10:26 am (UTC)
ceb: (Default)
From: [personal profile] ceb
Just let us know x

(no subject)

Date: 2020-04-05 04:16 pm (UTC)
switterbeet: A white star spray painted on asphault (Default)
From: [personal profile] switterbeet
Take care and hope you feel better soon! Thank you for your thoughtfulness and precautions. <3

Soundbite

Miscellaneous. Eclectic. Random. Perhaps markedly literate, or at least suffering from the compulsion to read any text that presents itself, including cereal boxes.

Top topics

July 2025

S M T W T F S
  12345
6789101112
1314151617 1819
20212223242526
2728293031  

Expand Cut Tags

No cut tags

Subscription Filters