At first, it seemed like everything was perfectly normal. Nothing particularly strange was happening. I didn’t feel sick, I didn’t look sick, and most importantly, I didn’t know I was sick. For the next few days my life went on just like it had been for many months prior.

    The third day was when the fatigue hit. It happened so suddenly that it felt like a sucker-punch to the face. At this point I knew something wasn’t quite right, but I didn’t think it was Covid. I didn’t have a fever, and I wasn’t coughing. In my mind, it was nothing but a bad case of allergies.

     After a night of tossing and turning with almost no sleep, I woke up feeling worse than I have in a long time. My body ached all over, and my sinuses felt like they were on fire. I was sick, really sick. But I wasn’t coughing, and after a few hours and a tablet of Claritin, the pain mostly subsided. It still hadn’t registered in my brain that it was Covid.

Over the next few days I experienced mostly mild pain and discomfort, the worst of which was the dulling of my senses. I still haven’t fully regained my sense of smell. I decided that since I wasn’t feeling sick anymore, I didn’t really need to get tested, and that I’d just quarantine for a while just in case.

     Over the next few days, my Mom and Dad began showing symptoms. My Mom’s were similar to mine, but my Dad was hit harder than anyone else. He had a terrible cough, a fever of 102° F, and fatigue that made mine seem like nothing but a dizzy spell. He may be an older guy, but it honestly surprised me that he had such a bad experience.

     My experience with Covid-19 was honestly quite mild compared to a lot of other people. I got off pretty lucky. I’m young, and my body is healthy and strong enough to fight off viruses and other illnesses. That being said, I witnessed firsthand how devastating Covid-19 can be to older people like my Dad, a perfectly healthy 55 year old man with no underlying health issues. 

     Covid-19 is no joke. If you still don’t take it seriously, and the events that have been going on over the past year haven’t convinced you enough, hopefully hearing a firsthand account has opened your eyes to the harsh reality of Covid-19.