Amanda Cade

I think I’ve mentioned, or at least hinted, that I’m prone to sinus infections and bronchitis. So when I started developing symptoms a few weeks ago, I did what I always do and went to the doctor. I took a few sick days, and have been taking medication and getting lots of extra rest, as recovering is a slow process (I was pretty sick at first). Early on, there were a few jokes at work about COVID-19, aka the Coronavirus, but I assured everyone that I didn’t have it, and wasn’t contagious, and we moved on. At that point, no one was actually concerned (except for concern for my health, because my coworkers are nice people).

This past week, we began seeing cases of Coronavirus here in Missouri. Last I checked, we were up to five, with two of them in the St. Louis area, where I live. Colleges have closed campuses, some public schools have extended their spring breaks, and on Friday, the governor declared a state of emergency. In neighboring Illinois, which has more than sixty cases, all public schools are closed until at least March 30.

Meanwhile, I still have a mild cough and am feeling a little run down. By the middle of last week, I started noticing people looking at me funny. It’s been happening a little at work, and a lot when I’m out in public. I’ve been doing all the right things, like keeping space between myself and others, coughing into a tissue, using hand sanitizer, and so on. I’ve also been preemptively explaining to complete strangers that I’ve been to the doctor, don’t have Coronavirus, don’t have a fever, am not contagious, etc, because I totally get the concern.

Still, it’s a little strange, and so I’ve decided to avoid going out as much as possible, a decision that also makes sense because I still need to fully recover, and I shouldn’t risk exposing myself to new germs. In the meantime, I promise that my cough is just a cough.

Is COVID-19 affecting your area, or impacting you in some way?