Four Years into a Post Pandemic World and Secondary COVID-19 Might be a Thing?

Three people practicing social distancing.

Social distancing 2020 style.

After not being too far from COVID-19, potentially patient zero in Australia back in 2020. Four years later my partner finally tested positive for the virus. Then I inevitably caught it as well.

You might think, so what, but I'm honestly surprised we've lasted this long. My partner works at an aged care facility that has fought off numerous outbreaks over the years, and continues to do so.

Workers at her facility take RAT tests daily so you know pretty quick if you test positive. Workers then have to isolate at home for at least seven days until they're clear.

COVID-19 symptoms can vary in intensity and you may not get the full range (at least to my knowledge and experience).

My partner seemed to get it fairly bad with tiredness, aching joints, loss of taste and smell, along with cold and flu like symptoms (sore throat, congestion etc).

While we did try to social distance, keeping our distance, hand washing, and not sleeping in the same room overnight, it was a bit like watching my future unfold.

I made it a couple of days in with no symptoms beyond my usual, ongoing, winter congestion, then, on the third day, woke up with a massive headache, and couldn't keep my breakfast down.

I think 'secondary COVID-19' might be a thing? Where you catch the virus but don't get it as bad as the person you caught it from. (It's not a thing. I'm totally speculating).

The morning I tested positive I was at my worst in terms of symptoms. By lunchtime I was okay to eat again, and by the next day most of my joint pain was gone. The rest of the time I felt like I was recovering from a really bad cold and was pretty much able to stick to my usual exercise routine.

For the most part my partner and I recovered at about the same speed. She just started earlier and harder with experiencing the symptoms and still can't taste or smell anything. I'm thankful I wasn't actually watching my future symptoms play out after all. Her experience was rough to say the least.

Anyway, neither of us died, thankfully. That said I wouldn't recommend catching COVID-19. Definitely be safe around anyone you know who has it.

If you're not into keeping up with COVID-19 vaccine boosters (we certainly aren't), do keep your distance and wash your hands often if you feel you could be at risk... and isolate if you do get it. It's definitely not like the inconvenience of having a bit of a cold.

I think I got lucky with a pretty mild case, but my partner not so much.

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