Member-only story
I Was a COVID-Carrying Houseguest
I didn’t know I had it. I’m glad I took extra precautions anyway.
Let’s start by making one thing stupendously clear: COVID-19 is terrifying, and it’s serious. My mother spent nearly a week in the hospital, plus two more ER visits in the week after being discharged. Words don’t touch the fear, stress, heartache, and anxiety that my entire family felt as a result of our household’s infection — and we’ve been among the lucky ones. So I’m not here to encourage anyone to visit (much less lodge with) others during this pandemic.
Even so, it feels important to talk about my experience. The holidays are right around the corner — Thanksgiving, Hanukkah, Christmas, Kwanzaa — and we all know that some people will be visiting and sleeping at loved ones’ homes regardless. Just like there’s no such thing as 100% “safe” sex — only safer sex — there’s no such thing as 100% “safe” socializing during COVID-19 either… but, just like people have sex anyway, some people socialize during COVID-19 anyway too.
In which case, it’s wise to be aware of as many added precautions as you can.
I’ll share my experience in two parts. First, some backstory about the circumstances of my visit; then, the extra efforts I made that might’ve saved my loved ones’ lives — despite the huge risk I unwittingly…
