I am aware that you came down with COVID-19. Could you please give me a recap of what happened?
Well, I was feeling a few symptoms, but I wasn't sure if it was because of COVID or pre- existing health conditions. I think within the first week of my having symptoms I suspected something was up. I have some previous health problems, and I was assuming that what I was going through was a result of that, so I took it upon myself to stay away from people, and stay in my room as much as possible before I got my results back. My first test results didn't come in, but I was cleared to go to class and such. But, just to be safe, I took it upon myself to go and get tested again just to be extra safe! And well, you know the rest.
Either way, thankfully I really only had some headaches and body aches. Nothing too crazy. Although I can't lie, those body aches weren't playing with me. Ibuprofen was my best friend when I felt a little symptomatic.
How was your experience in quarantine?
Well, I'm a pretty extroverted person, so I definitely missed seeing humans for that long of a period. But, all things considered, AU came through and put me in a great room. My daily routine was not as productive as I would've liked it to be though. It was very easy to get lazy, but for the most part, my routine was to wake up, eat whenever food got delivered to me, and go to class/do homework.
How was your mental and emotional health while you were in isolation?
I felt okay. I took it as a time to reflect and think about growth going forward. Plus, I had friends check on me a lot, so that helped. Around day eight though, I was tired of it. I was ready to get out, and I hated not seeing people. I got into my feelings the first couple of days, but quickly made it back to reality.
How long were you in isolation, and how did it feel the first day you got out?
I was in isolation for about eleven days or so. My first day out was fantastic. I felt like Cleveland when they heard that LeBron was back. Went to Buffalo Wild Wings, saw friends, and just enjoyed seeing people. Literally anyone.
How are you feeling now?
I'm doing pretty good, can't really complain. I’m pretty happy to be out; I love to see humans again. I feel great now, and I don't think I’ll have any long term effects from it. I’m just glad I beat it.
How do you feel about social distancing and wearing a mask?
I personally hate social distancing. I know we need to do it for the benefit of the country and each other's well-being, but it dampens things that I wish could happen. I also hate wearing a mask ‘cause my glasses fog up a lot, but it’s ok. Whatever we have to do to keep each other safe is what we should do. And I think everyone should engage in it. It’s something that is required of us in these unprecedented times.
Have you spoken to anyone else who had COVID-19? How was their experience similar or different from yours?
I actually have had quite a few friends who had COVID-19. Some of them had similar experiences to mine, except their headaches were worse and longer-lasting, and some had trouble breathing. Sadly, I lost my aunt to COVID-19, and she was really going through it at the time, so it’s definitely hitting and affecting people in many different ways.
What did you learn from this experience?
I learned a lot about myself to be honest. I think my advice to anyone is to use that time to really reflect on life. It gets easy to just want to not do that ever, but it was a great time to really sit back and reflect. Also, try and stay on top of your homework. Get everything done when you can, and stay productive. Bombard your friends with phone calls too. Even if a friend and I weren’t talking the whole time on the phone, just having their presence there helped a lot.
Originally published: (02/03/2021)
The Student Movement is the official student newspaper of 老司机传媒. Opinions expressed in the Student Movement are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the opinions of the editors, 老司机传媒 or the Seventh-day Adventist church.