Two years after the pandemic began, I’m finally down with COVID. With so many cases daily and almost all sectors operating at full capacity, catching the virus is inevitable. I just wasn’t prepared for how shitty it would be.

It started with my dad feeling unwell. He went to do a PCR test, and it was confirmed positive. My mom did a self-test with the same results, while my brother’s RTK also came out positive. My husband and I went with him and our tests were initially negative (symptoms hadn’t manifested yet). Because we all live in the same house, the plan was for me to get food and groceries, while they isolated themselves in their rooms.

Lo and behold, the very next day, the hubs and I both had a sore throat, self-tested, and were both positive. The upside is that since everyone in the house now has it, we don’t need to quarantine in our rooms anymore. The downside is that nobody can leave the house, so we have to rely on Grab delivery for necessities, which is already racking up a hefty bill.

The first day I tested positive, the symptoms were pretty mild. Sore throat and lethargy, but not too bad. Day 2 was when symptoms worsened. I started feeling feverish, had a massive headache, had muscle aches all over, and a raging sore throat – it felt like scraping sandpaper everytime I swallowed. There was also a lot of phlegm caught within, and no amount of hacking or coughing could dislodge it from my chest.

It’s currently Day 3 and I think I’m a teensy bit better, but not by a long shot. The headache is less, but I’m still super tired, feverish, and the cough last night was so bad I couldn’t sleep a wink. The only good thing is that I don’t have too much difficulty breathing–I’ve actually been having that since August (I know I should go for a checkup so shush), but it hasn’t worsened so that’s a plus. Since we can’t go to the doctor anyway, we’ve just been popping flu, fever, sore throat and cough meds.

I know some people get mild symptoms or are asymptomatic, but unluckily for my fam and I, this was not the case. We’re all fully vaccinated with boosters, but still had moderate symptoms, so I can imagine how much worse it would have been without vaccination.

We reported ourselves to the health authorities via MySejahtera, where we’re required to do daily assessments, and if symptoms worsen, they’ll ask you to go to a hospital or quarantine centre. But apart from that, there isn’t much to do other than rest and wait for the body to do its thing.

Some other helpful tips:

• Have medicines ready – for fever, cough, flu, sore throat, and phlegm.
• Drink lots of fluid – apparently lemon water or coconut juice helps.
• If you’re having phlegm and congestion (I think it worsens at night), try to sleep with your back propped up slightly against the pillows. It helps me breathe better
• Eat lots of fruits
• Get your daily dose of Vitamin C
• Rest up!

I admit that I haven’t been as vigilant as I should have been–I’ve been going around visiting places and dining in. It’s almost impossible to coop yourself up at home for two years, and I believe at some point life has to move on. But despite the precautions: double masks, avoiding crowded spots, leaving once I’m done with my meal, showering once we get home, paying by card rather than cash to avoid touching surfaces–the inevitable happened. Thankfully my parents, who are elderly and have comorbidities, seem to be doing alright and are recovering (they’re on Day 5).

Since we’ve already gotten it, there’s nothing to it but ride it out and hope everyone gets better soon!