INTRODUCTION

To say the least, the COVID-19 pandemic feels like a movie. But unfortunately, it is a very real disease that has killed thousands of people in the United States. As an acute care doctor of physical therapy, I have seen the virus and its effects on individuals of all ages. The symptoms and the outcomes are largely unpredictable. I’ve treated a COVID positive 94 year old woman with several co-morbidities.  She was able to walk around her hospital room while talking to me about her breakfast without any shortness of breath. In contrast, I’ve also treated a COVID positive 40 year old woman with no pre-existing conditions or co-morbidities. She was dependent on oxygen and unable to complete a single sentence without gasping for air after simply transitioning from lying on her back to sitting at the edge of the bed.

There is no question that when my husband told me on December 10th, 2020 that his throat was hurting and he felt terrible - I was afraid. At this point I’ve seen too much and I know that being young and healthy does not guarantee an uneventful COVID-19 experience. Thanks be to God, we are both recovering well and I have returned to work. Since we are alive and well enough, I thought I would detail our experience with Corona Virus including the course of our symptoms, getting tested, being quarantined, managing leave from work, and my thoughts on the new vaccine.

OUR SYMPTOMS

CJ

To this day I still do not know exactly how my husband, CJ, contracted COVID. What I do know is that on Wednesday, December 9th, CJ complained of a mild “scratchy throat” and by the next day he confirmed that he indeed felt “sick.” This included complaints of a pounding headache, body aches, a fever documented at 100 degrees Fahrenheit, and severe chills. Our upstairs thermostat was literally set on 81 degrees and he still felt “cold”. 

On Thursday, December 10th, CJ experienced diarrhea and violent vomiting followed by a syncopal episode (that’s a medical term that means to pass out or lose consciousness). By December 13th, the majority of his symptoms had resolved, however, he began to notice loss of taste and smell. CJ could only smell strong scents for a few seconds before the smell would disappear completely. The same phenomenon occurred with taste. Both his taste and smell began to return on Sunday, December 20th, and all of his symptoms have since resolved.

Briana

I was largely asymptomatic during our entire quarantine, however, on Saturday, December 12th, I felt a general low back ache and soreness in my gluteal muscles. On Sunday, December 13th, I experienced mild chills and a scratchy throat. On Monday, December 14th, I experienced a pounding headache, and on Tuesday, December 15th, I had no symptoms at all. For the remaining 7 days of the quarantine, I experienced 2 days of a stuffy and runny nose. But otherwise, I was completely fine and could have easily attributed my symptoms to a mild cold or my menstrual cycle.

GETTING TESTED

CJ

CJ found a PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) testing site through the Georgia Department of Health website: dph.ga.gov. He took his test on December 10th, 2020 at Passion City Church. The test was self administered and he received the PCR positive test result on Saturday, December 12th. CJ also received a rapid test while in the emergency department at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital on the night of December 10th, and received his rapid test positive result early that morning on December 11th.

Briana

I found a rapid testing site from a friend who referred me to the Good Samaritan Health Center in Atlanta, Georgia. On Monday, December 14th, I called their number, (404) 523-6571, and scheduled an appointment for that afternoon. The rapid test was also self administered and I received my results within one hour. Immediately after the test my left nostril was sore with nasal drip for the rest of the day, and I had a severe pounding headache that worsened whenever I put my head down. I definitely thought I might have caused a cerebral spinal fluid leak. But alas, these symptoms were resolved by the following afternoon.

I certainly hesitated about taking a COVID-19 test because I felt my mild symptoms were nothing of concern and I did not want to be forced to take a leave of absence from work. But when I considered that my new Piedmont family has already lost one of their beloved staff physical therapists to this horrible disease, I decided I didn’t want to risk it. 10 days worth of pay is not worth someone else’s life.

THE EMERGENCY ROOM

On the night of December 10th, CJ began to complain of nauseousness and severe headache. While I was in the room across the hall from CJ, I heard him gagging in the bathroom. The next thing I heard was a loud thud. I ran into our master bathroom and found CJ unconscious on the floor surrounded in vomit. I was able to arouse him by tapping him on the shoulder and calling his name. He woke up almost immediately and had no recollection of how he ended up on the ground. He then began vomiting again, violently. I responded by calling 911. 

By the time the emergency medical response team arrived, CJ had stopped vomiting and was fully conscious yet with no memory of when or how he collapsed. After he allowed the paramedics to check his vital signs (heart rate, blood pressure, and oxygen saturation) and administer an EKG test, he refused their offer to take him to the emergency department by ambulance. However, I was able to convince him to let me take him to the emergency department at my job, Piedmont Atlanta Hospital. I knew that if he were to be admitted to inpatient status, I would not be able to see him until he was discharged due to the strict no visitor policy in place. For this reason, I packed CJ a bag with some clean clothes and a phone charger just in case. At this point, I sent a text to my supervisor to let her know that I needed to be called off the next day to care for CJ; she obliged without hesitation. 

We arrived at the emergency department (ED) at around 10:00pm EST.  Even though I am a full time employee with badge access to every floor in the hospital, including the emergency department,  I was not allowed to go in with him.  CJ checked himself in and I parked the car and waited to hear from him while I sat in the lobby in front of the rehab department office. He did not want to be left alone and I did not want to leave him alone, but we were grateful to at least be in the same building. 

CJ called me on Facetime periodically during the ED visit to keep me updated. They checked him into a room, took his vital signs again, gave him an IV to administer fluids to rehydrate his cells, and re-administered a COVID-19 test. At around 1:00 A.M., the ER doctor called my cell phone and told me that CJ was going to be fine, however, he expected CJ’s COVID-19 test results to be positive based on the lab values from his blood work. He released CJ and told me to help him follow up with a cardiologist regarding his syncopal episode, and to bring him back to the ER if he developed any chest pain or labored breathing. I picked up my husband from the ED and we headed home with the car heat on full blast. When we were just 5 minutes from our house, the ER doctor called me again to confirm - CJ had tested positive. 

QUARANTINE

Before I knew I was positive for COVID-19, CJ and I quarantined separately. He remained upstairs in our bedroom, and I stayed downstairs in our living room. We also used separate bathrooms. On Friday, December 11th, I cleaned our entire home with disinfectant products and bleach. I went to the grocery store and I purchased disposable plates, cups, bowls and silverware so that we wouldn’t have to share dishes. Per recommendation from a fellow doctor of physical therapy, I also purchased Vitamin C, Vitamin D, Magnesium, Zinc, Elderberry and a variety of hot teas to help our immune systems fight the virus. Once I discovered that I was positive for COVID-19, we hesitantly allowed ourselves to be in the same room and remained 6 feet apart. I still wore a mask just to be safe.

On December 17th, I received a call from the GA Department of Health and they confirmed the following:

-CJ and I did not have to quarantine separately.

-We would not be re-infected by sharing the same space. 

-Once we were without symptoms and fever for 10 consecutive days we would be able to return to work and end our quarantine. 

-It is not mandatory to get a second COVID-19 test to confirm a negative result because we may test positive for up to 3 months due to the virus shedding in our body.

After I hung up the phone, all bets were off and the cuddles commenced. I hadn’t hugged CJ in 7 days, which felt like an eternity. During our quarantine period we rested, took lots of naps (in the prone position as much as possible), maintained a regular diet, drank lots of fluids, tried to remain mobile, and spent lots of quality time together playing Scrabble on our iPhones. 

RETURNING TO WORK

CJ

As a realtor, CJ was able to continue working from home for the most part. He hired a showing agent to assist his clients with viewing homes during this time. Since he is on a team and shares an office with others, his team lead requested that he get a second PCR COVID-19 test to confirm that he is negative prior to returning to the office. 

Briana

As an employee at Piedmont Atlanta Hospital, I followed the protocol listed on our website for employees who test positive for COVID-19. I received an email from the HR department confirming that I would be required to take a mandatory leave of absence for at least 10 days. I would have to use PTO if I desired to be paid during this time. After speaking with the triage nurse, I was able to return to work on December 24th, after 10 full days of isolation since the onset of my symptoms and being fever free without fever reducing medication. 

GETTING THE VACCINE

The Transparent Truth is, I haven’t taken the vaccine yet. My primary concern relates to the unknown long-term side effects and if there will be any effect on reproductive organs, fertilization, pregnancy, etc. This concerns me because I don’t have any children yet, and I don’t want to cause my body or their unborn bodies any harm before they even get here. There is simply no way to know what the long term side effects will be until years pass and more research can be conducted. I may change my mind, but as of now, I am going to continue reading the research and wait until I have peace in my heart from the Lord about taking it. 

CONCLUSION

COVID-19 is a real virus. The effects can be mild or very severe. If you think you have had known exposure to someone with a confirmed positive test result - get tested, even if you don’t have symptoms, to avoid spreading the virus to others. I personally think it doesn’t hurt to wear a mask and wash your hands frequently. Please leave a comment below and share your COVID experience with others!