At least she and her doctor suspect she has it. Her doctor was having a hard time lining up a test for her in their small mountain community. Their local healthcare system is severely overtaxed. It made me feel grateful anew that I have received such attentive care from the moment I suspected I'd contracted it.
I am so worried about my friend, though. She turns 64 tomorrow. She's overweight. She has heart trouble and diabetes. She basically ticks all the boxes of those at real risk.
I'm grateful I had a mild case. My fever broke five days ago and I no longer get those killer headaches. But I still can't stay awake for more than a few hours at a time. I now have a rash on my chest and my calves. I haven't been hungry in 12 days.
Trust me on this. Anyone who tells you "it's just the flu" is not your friend. Anyone who risks giving someone else this virus because they resist wearing a mask when they could be asymptomatic should not have a clear conscience.† I hate living like this and I want my old life back. But the people who just go rolling along as if this isn't real are just prolonging the agony for the rest of us. Shame on them.
*This wasn't as reckless as it might sound. My friend's cousin died at home the week before (a combination of diabetes and liver failure) and they all assembled at his bedside to say goodbye. The family had a "what the hell else could happen to us?" mindset that I suppose I understand. OK, not really. But since I was more careful and still caught the fucking virus, I'm not comfortable being too judgey here.
†I don't care if they quote scripture. I'm not impressed by their misinterpretation of the Constitution. They are neither good Christians nor good patriots. Nearly 14,650 of their fellow Americans are dead.
