After spending almost two full years in the pandemic without contracting COVID-19, I began to think I would never contract the virus. In my mind, I was immune, superhuman, or had already unknowingly had it. It wasn’t until I felt an unusually scratchy and dry throat last week, which then developed into a cough, that I knew something wasn’t right. Last Friday afternoon, my roommate and fellow Her Campus writer, Bea, took our Brown-provided COVID tests with a lot of nerves about the potential result. After not even two minutes, my test began to show a faint positive line. We grabbed our masks and continued to wait the allotted 15 minutes, but my fear was confirmed: I finally had COVID. Somehow, Bea tested negative, despite the worsening of her symptoms. Our third roommate, still feeling perfectly normal, tried to keep as much distance from us as possible in our small apartment. 24 hours later, Bea tested positive and our third roommate remained negative and symptom-free. To keep her safe, Bea and I left Providence to quarantine in her beach house in coastal Rhode Island. After five days, we have returned to campus and are feeling much better.
Luckily, I only experienced mild, cold-like symptoms. At the beginning, I developed a dry and scratchy throat. I had gone out, and subsequently been yelling all night on Tuesday, so I attributed Wednesday’s symptoms to a hangover and dehydration. However, 24 hours later, I couldn’t have a conversation without coughing. This cough was not what I was expecting; contrary to what I thought would be a deep cough from my lungs, this symptom was also centered in my throat. Each time I would cough, I would feel a tickle in my throat and experience a dry and fiery feeling. By Saturday, the cough had subsided. I began to feel better, but I did recognize that I was unusually tired. During my quarantine, I slept for more than 12 hours each night and still felt exhausted when I woke up in the morning. As of this Wednesday, 7 days after my first symptom, I have suddenly lost my ability to taste? Updates to come!
During my quarantine, I was able to stay busy, rest up, and complete my schoolwork virtually. Bea and I were lucky enough to isolate together in a beautiful location with all of the necessary supplies. We cooked fun dinners, baked brownies, went for long walks outside (nowhere near anyone else), and even made a new playlist of all of our favorite COVID-inspired songs. We caught up on Euphoria and the Bachelorette – which was, obviously, a beyond critical activity. Overall, this time away was actually a great way to catch up on some relaxation time and all of the little things I had been putting off for a while.
In the end, I feel very fortunate to have not only had mild viral symptoms, but also have been afforded such an ideal quarantine plan. While I’m still not sure where I contracted COVID, I now have a newfound sense of how serious the repercussions of the pandemic really are. I am young, fully-vaccinated, and boosted and I was still sick for 5+ days. It’s scary to think about how much different this situation could have been had I gotten sick with another variant or forgone any dosages of my vaccine. I would advise anyone to, first and foremost, GET VACCINATED, and, secondly, have a quarantine plan. In the stress of a positive test, things can seem more daunting. So, before anyone has the chance to get sick, talk to your roommate(s), parents, or caregivers to determine the best course of action for you. Stay healthy!