The Day COVID-19 Hit Home

“I never thought in my entire life, my hands would consume more alcohol than my mouth”

A member of our team has allergies. According to those who know him well, when it hits, he sneezes persistently almost throughout the day. However, a few weeks ago, he came into the office and was coughing. This cough was not going anywhere, as he kept at it for most of the day. I asked him about it and he said it was his allergies. So I let it slide, thinking… it’s his body, he would know better than anyone.

This cough persisted. Week in, week out, we would hear him cough. People would be in his office and he would cough, which was awkward for those listening from adjoining offices. But then, coughing is a reflexive response. You can’t exactly will it away.

Then one day, another team member called in sick. We were short-staffed but kept on the grind; kind of like a factory whose machines never get turned off. My husband said I should probably take time off work. He felt that whatever was going round would soon bite. He wasn’t wrong. Another couple of days later, another team member took ill. She came into the office. Before the day ended, I started feeling unwell.

So gradually, every team member took a hit, and then we had to close the office. The symptoms were rather insidious. At first, my throat was sore. Then later, my chest felt congested. By the time I got home that evening, I felt so much fatigue. Usually, I have a culture. If I experience respiratory symptoms, I take 50mg of zinc and usually my symptoms disappear or subside.

My panacea did not work. By the next morning, the fatigue had gone, but I started feeling feverish with body and headaches. The headaches were troubling as they were not responding anymore to Tylenol. My appetite also took a hit. As I lay in bed writhing in pain, I felt anger.

I was angry at all those who showed up to work, even when they were unwell. It upset me that people refused to sanitize. I extended my irritation to those who always underestimated the presence and power of bugs. In one fell sweep, it had wiped out our small army at the office.

I wasn’t the only one that was angry. My other team members were. Everyone was reviewing past events and thinking about what we could do differently. There was some blame game. After some time, my anger ceased. I had to remember that we are all humans. As humans, sometimes we make poor decisions. We do not see how far-reaching these decisions are. By the time we realize, we try to do things differently.

After 5 days of quarantine, the headaches disappeared. My appetite and strength returned. I started itching to get back to normal life. My team members weren’t quick to beat theirs. The bug bit some much harder than it bit others.

I have resumed back at the office. Work has piled over. Money has been lost. I am grateful to have beat the bug and been up on my feet. Some of my colleagues are not as lucky. The office has been sanitized. It is also quieter than usual. We have decided to minimize client visiting. We are learning to protect ourselves and others better.

“I never thought in my entire life, my hands would consume more alcohol than my mouth”- Lindy Thompson