A week ago, on January 19th, I went to take a Covid19 test. I was feeling bad and I thought it was a cold, that I had an ear infection.
My oldest daughter, a teenager, had told us over the weekend that her friend had tested positive. She was visiting her the weekend before. She had not had symptoms, but at home her father presented them.
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| Visiting Mont Rochelle two weeks later |
That is where our story with the virus began in Cape Town, South Africa, where we have resided for more than a year.
This blog is supposed to be telling you about my experiences in this wonderful country, showing you the beautiful places in South Africa, but no, today I have to tell you about my contact with the fearsome Covid19 virus. This is my experience.
Symptoms
My symptoms appeared on January 13th. I had gone shopping with my oldest daughter. I didn't feel like going. I had done Yoga in the morning and I was weak. I had taken a two-week break without practicing it and so the fatigue hadn't seemed strange at all. I got in the car and turned the air conditioning on high. My hair was not dry after the shower. I wanted to dry it naturally. That day I thought I had a cold.
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| With fever |
The next day I had my virtual Zumba class. I danced in the patio and without a cap. In the afternoon I was tired, I thought it had been from dancing almost directly in the sun. On Friday I woke up without fatigue or pain or anything, happy that it was cloudy so as not to do great activities that day. A friend had come to visit me to meet our new dog, Lola, the sister of our Toy Poodle, Chica.
On Saturday I went shopping with my husband. Nothing special, just the pantry for the weekend and Monday. When I returned I did feel tired but I never thought it would be because of the virus. It was Sunday when I started with a little fever, 37.5. On Monday my fever rose to almost 39 degrees. I had no muscle aches or anything like that to indicate signs of Covid19. We had eaten dinner and I had no trouble with tasting food or drink. My suspicion with Covid19 was still not present because my ear and my throat hurt a little. But from time to time in my adult life, I have had ear infections that started in my childhood. Nothing strange this time, thinking that I had abused the sun and the air conditioning at the same time.
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| Happy when the fever came down |
My daughter and husband had tested negative on their Sunday exam. So I did not even think that I could have the virus. Especially since my daughter was the one who was in direct contact with her positive friend. Anyway, I could no longer guess the cause of my fever and on January 19. I decided to take the test.
The results did not arrive that day, they came to me on the 20th. Yes, 2020 continued to echo in my life and unfortunately that night I received the results by email and SMS. It was positive.
A Laboratory worker told me about all my Covid-19 Phase. I will explain how it all started. On January 8, my infection began. My first symptoms appeared on January 13th. This meant that on January 23 my sick phase would end. I could go out on the street, which I didn't do, only when I didn't have any fever anymore. Luckily my fever came down on Thursday the 21st. It lasted four days.
The fever and uncertainty of a respiratory machine
It was difficult to accept that I had the virus. Me, a 50-year-old woman, who was exercising. Zumba instructor, eating juices and trying to eat healthy. No diabetes, high or low blood pressure. With a happy life. The virus that was killing lives had reached my family and I suffered from it. Well, that wasn't important anymore. The most important thing was to survive the virus
I started to get better, with a cough, but with much more energy
Finally, just as my cough appeared, suddenly, that Thursday the 21st my fever began to drop. Nothing more beautiful for me than seeing the digital thermometer with a low temperature. I arrived at January 22nd without fever, but I did not leave my house so far, and it is already Tuesday 26th. I'm not in a hurry, I'm just enjoying being at home and not being connected to a respiratory machine. I was lucky not to be part of that 5 percent of the sick who enter a hospital.
I'm not overly exhausted. My head and body don't hurt. I spend a lot of time sitting and now I really want to read and solve some pending issues of my new activity, taking charge of the Membership of the International Women's Club in Cape Town. But I take my time. Take it easy, Baby!
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| I was feeling better after a Chicken Soup |
Did I have the new mutation, which Europe is so afraid of?
My family took a test again, even our housekeeper. They were negative. We were all happy. I have no idea if I acquired the new strain of COVID19 that is so widely talked about in Europe and the rest of the world. The one which is now more contagious. When I was sick with a fever, I remember the Prime Minister of England, Boris Johnson, giving a press conference, and warning of the new mutation in his country, which, according to research, was more deadly than the first strain in 2020. At the time, I just wanted to survive as fast as possible in those days. Get out of the fever.
Now that the worry for me has passed a bit, my husband jokes and says that now that I am immune for 6 months, I am the official person in charge of shopping. But was I not before? Yes, I always walked everywhere looking for the things that we needed. I didn't go to the gym, I went to the beauty salon, always careful. I don't know how many times I cleaned my hands with disinfectant. But apparently I couldn't stop the virus.
Something that made me weak despite all my care: not getting enough sleep
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| Trying to eat healthy with Daily Dish |
There is always something that makes us vulnerable to disease. To avoid this, since March 2020, we are eating healthier as a family. 4 days a week I cooked a plan for Daily Dish, a company that provided us with 4 recipes with all the necessary ingredients, without having to go to the supermarket. Obviously the other days of the week I also try to eat healthy with my recipies.
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| Juice with spinach, carrots, celery, pineapple, cucumber, beet root, ginger, lemon turmeric and cinnamon |
For more than 8 years, we have been drinking juices in the morning, before breakfast. From Monday to Friday, the weekend we take a break. Basically alkaline, with more vegetables than fruit. But since we lived in Cape Town, I included more fruit than vegetables. But since January 2021 we went back to alkaline, at least my husband and I. My daughters continue to drink the fruit ones.
After Christmas 2020, I came out of my comfort zone and increased my running on the treadmill for 20 minutes instead of 15min. I wanted to do something to improve my metabolism, because since I reached Menopause, in the year of Covid19, I have noticed that it is easier for me to gain weight. Everything was going well, until I started to sleep less because our new Toy Poodle puppy took woke us up every day at 6 in the morning. I have always slept excellently since I arrived in South Africa, but since December arrived, it took a while to get to sleep at night. So doing the math, I managed to sleep at 12 at night, to wake up at 6 in the morning.
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| I ran 20 minutes 3 times a week. I was not SpeedyGonzalez, but I was feeling great! |
I'm not complaining, but I was a little tired. Now my sleepless nights are gone and I've been sleeping since 10:30 at night. We know that this stage will pass when our puppy grows up.
Grateful with life as never
All this doesn't matter anymore. I am improving and I know that soon everything will return to normal. At home we will be more careful because I do not want my husband to be the next to be infected. For now, no pijama parties for our daughters. We lowered our guard and gave them permission so that they could live a little more socially in this phase of isolation with the virus, but unfortunately it did not work, because we fully came into contact with someone who was infected.
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| I am Zumba Instructor since almost 9 years! |
Be infected from Covid-19 for me had 2 sides. I just had fever, no muscle pain and I could always stand up and eat a little bit. I was weak, like if I had a flu. But the mental impact on me was so big, specially when I got the cough. I was afraid to go the hospital and be connected with a breathe-machine.
Now I am feeling well, I am very happy I always did Yoga and meditation. Since Lockdown level 5 I always used the App Headspace. And I used some breathe exercise during this time with Covid-19. So I can get more calm and don´t think the worse. Yes, I was trying to be positive. And of course, my Husband always told me, "You will be fit again!"
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| Yoga is great for body and mind Yoga and Zumba, best combo ever! |
I am very convinced with Yoga you learn a better way to breathe. And I guess your lunges get strong. And you get calm and happy in your live. For me Zumba and Yoga are the best combination to be fit. Of course I like to do Pilates, but with Yoga I always have this sensation of being flexible and less stressful. And if you dance in a Zumba Class, you feel like you can fly. You are the queen of the dance floor!
The news about to be inmune and my feeling getting Covid like the vaccination against Yellow Fever
In March I heard the news about the immunity in South Africa. It's been revealed those infected with the newest variant of the virus are not only protected against this variant in future but also against earlier ones. The announcement was made by Higher Education Minister Blade Nzimande at the first week of March.
Ok, now many weeks after I had Covid 19, I can tell you something. In those days I was suffering more or less like when I get my Yellow Fever vaccination before I came to South Africa.
Yes, we needed to get this vaccination when we applied to the Visa in Switzerland. I had this kind of symptoms. This is my feeling about having this virus at begging of 2021.
Unfortunately we do not know when we will be vaccinated. Here in South Africa the plan is not concrete, unlike the countries that started vaccinations since December. We try to be positive despite this uncertainty. And we are especially grateful to those who write, because despite my contagion, I was able to stay home and I am coming out of the disease without too many problems. I never thought of catching it, but it happened and now I can thank life for surviving. Health is the most beautiful gift you can count on. I kept taking care of myself and mine. Stay Safe, don't forget the mask and the hand sanitizer!
