{"id":6744,"date":"2023-03-19T08:53:28","date_gmt":"2023-03-19T12:53:28","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/?p=6744"},"modified":"2023-03-19T16:35:01","modified_gmt":"2023-03-19T20:35:01","slug":"covid-journal-day-8","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/2023\/03\/19\/covid-journal-day-8\/","title":{"rendered":"COVID Journal: Day 8"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>The CDC recommends calling the first day you present symptoms as \u201cDay Zero\u201d.<sup class=\"modern-footnotes-footnote modern-footnotes-footnote--expands-on-desktop \" data-mfn=\"1\" data-mfn-post-scope=\"00000000000005990000000000000000_6744\"><a href=\"javascript:void(0)\"  role=\"button\" aria-pressed=\"false\" aria-describedby=\"mfn-content-00000000000005990000000000000000_6744-1\">1<\/a><\/sup><span id=\"mfn-content-00000000000005990000000000000000_6744-1\" role=\"tooltip\" class=\"modern-footnotes-footnote__note\" tabindex=\"0\" data-mfn=\"1\">For guidance on isolating and recommended terminology to help baseline the instructions, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/your-health\/isolation.html\">https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/your-health\/isolation.html<\/a><\/span>\u201cDay One\u201d is the first full day over which you experience symptoms from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. By that counting, I am on day 8, the 8th full day of symptoms.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>What is impressive to me is the staying power of the symptoms. While the severity of my rapid antigen test response has waned (I am still testing positive as of yesterday, the morning of day 7), and while am certainly clearing my sinuses less often than a few days ago, the need to cough persists at about the same level and my sinuses remain \u2026 in need of clearing.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-gallery columns-2 is-cropped wp-block-gallery-1 is-layout-flex wp-block-gallery-is-layout-flex\"><ul class=\"blocks-gallery-grid\"><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"671\" src=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-1024x671.jpg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"6729\" class=\"wp-image-6729\" srcset=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-1024x671.jpg 1024w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-300x197.jpg 300w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-768x503.jpg 768w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-1536x1006.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-2048x1342.jpg 2048w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/pxl_20230314_001037530_original-640x419.jpg 640w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 1024px) 100vw, 1024px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item wp-element-caption\">Day 3 test result<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><li class=\"blocks-gallery-item\"><figure><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"487\" height=\"264\" src=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/7F6FF663-1370-4464-8C96-5884B939CA2B-e1679231999247.jpeg\" alt=\"\" data-id=\"6750\" class=\"wp-image-6750\" srcset=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/7F6FF663-1370-4464-8C96-5884B939CA2B-e1679231999247.jpeg 487w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/7F6FF663-1370-4464-8C96-5884B939CA2B-e1679231999247-300x163.jpeg 300w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 487px) 100vw, 487px\" \/><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-item wp-element-caption\">Day 7 test result<\/figcaption><\/figure><\/li><\/ul><figcaption class=\"blocks-gallery-caption wp-element-caption\">Rapid antigen test results from various days. The day 1 test result is not shown and was thoroughly negative (absolutely no visible \u201cT\u2019 line).<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p>Now, let\u2019s frame this appropriately. For the most part, the only immune responses of any note that I have had since at least March 1, 2020 were inspired by the training from COVID and influenza vaccines. I\u2019ve had 4 COVID vaccinations (1 original, 1 booster, a second booster, and then the bivalent formulation) and at least 2 flu vaccines. That\u2019s a total of 4 mild immune responses (the most severe was aches and chills from the very first COVID vaccination which lasted 24 hours) and at least 2 unnoticeable responses (from the flu vaccines, from which I never have an observable response). Wild infections have been few during this period. I recall a 24-36 hour cold I picked up in either \u201821 or spring of \u201822. In the fall of \u201822 I caught some kind of mild infection that lasted only about the same amount of time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>In terms of major respiratory infections &#8211; an influenza or cold &#8211; I\u2019ve really had nothing of note. Which also means I\u2019ve had no serious challenges to my immune system in that time. Prior to 2020, I had one of those annually or biannually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>So there are two things mixed together in the present moment. First, this is my first wild exposure to COVID-19. It\u2019s probably one of the Omicron variants, which tend to be milder in their symptoms. In addition, I have a recent vaccination which, 90% probably, additionally reduces the symptom severity. Second, this is my first serious respiratory infection in years. It\u2019s bound to push me a little harder than it would have in the past, when I was under more regular assault by such agents (e.g. working at a university in a large city). <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s hard to decouple these two things. Is it the COVID that drives the persistent symptoms? Is it the lack of recent wild infection training on the immune system? Is it both? Is it neither? <\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s interesting to be a living petri dish for this little monster. That said, I am grateful for all the hard work of the medical community that likely (a) prevented infection until this late date and (b) reduces the severity of the infection. I am also grateful to the march of evolution, guided by the principle of environmental stress, which has mutated the virus to a less deadly (albeit, more transmissible) form. These twin things &#8211; technological\/social evolution and wild evolution &#8211; have made it possible to reflect on this infection from a couch in my home and not while dying in a bed in a COVID infection ward.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Another observation<\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>It\u2019s later on the same day I wrote this. Something which probably goes without saying regarding this bout has been this: I get tired. I don\u2019t usually feel the need to nap in the afternoon, but this infection has come with an undeniable energy crash around mid-afternoon. I learned not to fight sleep many years ago. If you\u2019re tired, it\u2019s your brain trying to tell you something very important. So I\u2019ve been napping. What\u2019s interesting about this is just how consistent is the cycle of tired and aware, and the need to nap in the afternoon.<\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image is-style-rounded\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-large is-resized\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-768x1024.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-6756\" width=\"384\" height=\"512\" srcset=\"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-768x1024.jpg 768w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-225x300.jpg 225w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-1152x1536.jpg 1152w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-1536x2048.jpg 1536w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-640x853.jpg 640w, https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/B7A2B347-AFF5-4AB7-9F76-C7C43EB7FB17-scaled.jpg 1920w\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 384px) 100vw, 384px\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div><ul class=\"modern-footnotes-list modern-footnotes-list--hide-for-print\"><li><span>1<\/span><div>For guidance on isolating and recommended terminology to help baseline the instructions, see <a href=\"https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/your-health\/isolation.html\">https:\/\/www.cdc.gov\/coronavirus\/2019-ncov\/your-health\/isolation.html<\/a><\/div><\/li><\/ul>","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The CDC recommends calling the first day you present symptoms as \u201cDay Zero\u201d.\u201cDay One\u201d is the first full day over which you experience symptoms from a SARS-CoV-2 infection. By that counting, I am on day 8, the 8th full day of symptoms. What is impressive to me is the staying power of the symptoms. While [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":6740,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"activitypub_content_warning":"","activitypub_content_visibility":"","activitypub_max_image_attachments":3,"activitypub_interaction_policy_quote":"anyone","activitypub_status":"","footnotes":"","jetpack_publicize_message":"","jetpack_publicize_feature_enabled":true,"jetpack_social_post_already_shared":true,"jetpack_social_options":{"image_generator_settings":{"template":"highway","default_image_id":0,"font":"","enabled":false},"version":2}},"categories":[7],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-6744","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-life","8":"czr-hentry"},"jetpack_publicize_connections":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/img_1461.png","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=6744"}],"version-history":[{"count":10,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6777,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6744\/revisions\/6777"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/6740"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=6744"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=6744"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/steve.cooleysekula.net\/blog\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=6744"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}