So after a year and a half, Covid finally got to our household.

We are all vaccinated but case transmission rates are high around us. And our school district is run by a conservative school board so they refuse to require masks....the governor finally belatedly stepped in with a mask mandate for this year, but our Trumpy district is passing out exemptions like candy so mask wearing is not really happening. I really thought it would be LL#2 or me bringing it home from the high school (I work with the marching band, where kids are happily blowing air through the instruments inside with no masks or instrument covers).

Instead, it was Mr. Lisa who brought it home. He spent 3 hours in a car with his sister going to a family funeral last Saturday. His sister and most of her family are unvaxxed - she's a bit of a fox news watching conspiracy believing type and her son (same age as LL#2) is the Trump-flag-on-his-truck sort. Her husband was vaccinated, but only because he needed spinal surgery a few months ago and the hospital wouldn't do it unless he got the vaccine....he was adamantly anti-vax up to that point and only did it reluctantly. It seems like he's the one who originated it (perhaps he picked it up at physical therapy), as he was coughing pretty hard on Saturday morning when they were leaving for the funeral but he said it was just his annual fall allergies. He did not go to the funeral so it was just Mr. Lisa and his sister in the car.

So whether her husband had it first and she was carrying it for the car trip or whether they got exposed together at the funeral, who knows. She started feeling bad on Sunday and Mr. Lisa started Monday afternoon.

At any rate, our families are now running our own unplanned controlled experiment on how well the vaccine/masking/distancing works. I immediately banished Mr Lisa to an extra bedroom and we have been wearing masks in the house whenever he is out and about getting food or using the bathroom. We have all the windows open to ventilate. So far, neither I nor LL#2 have any symptoms (and because we are vaccinated, we are not required to quarantine so life has been proceeding semi-normally for us.) Mr. Lisa ran a fever and had aches and pains for a few days, had a really bad stuffy nose and phegmy cough for a few days after that, and is now mostly feeling fine. (His sense of smell has not come back yet though.)

His sister on the other hand, is sick as a dog -- puking, diarrhea, high fever, shortness of breath just from walking to the bathroom, and says water tastes awful so she's having a hard time drinking enough to stay hydrated. Her son is also pretty bad - fevers and basically just sleeping for the last few days. She just went to the ER last night for an antibody and fluid infusion but thankfully they did not need to admit her. Her vaccinated husband is coughing but otherwise ok.

I think she has realized she picked the wrong side on the vaccination debate. Hopefully maybe that will translate to her rethinking some of her other political positions. (Her son on the other hand seems a lost cause - he was refusing to get tested and won't even take advil for his fever. And of course, he went to their high school's homecoming dance (unmasked) last Saturday night before anyone was showing symptoms so who knows how many more people he infected. Sigh.)

Anyhow, I feel like we are living proof that the vaccination works. Get those boosters, folks!

Sorry to hear this. I hope all recover quickly.

I hope it stays with Mr. Lisa. My son and his gf both had breakthrough covid and felt meh for about two days, tops. The hardest part was keeping to the quarantine when they felt totally fine.

Yes, the vaccine works.

I'm hoping for the same outcome at Chez Lisa.

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I think she has realized she picked the wrong side on the vaccination debate.

Ugh, I'm sorry that it had to take this to do it.

I hope everyone recovers fully, and that Mr. Lisa sails through and the rest of you don't get it!

Yet another reminder that we're not quite out of the woods as far as the virus is concerned....

Sorry to hear the beast has visited your house but sounds like you guys will be ok.

Ugh. Sorry to hear this.

Sorry to hear that the plague is upon you.

I just don't understand how some people, even when confronted with their own severe illness and potential mortality are clinging fervently to their beliefs in conspiracies and lies. It does not bode well for us as a species.

Unfortunately, welcome to the breakthrough club. Glad Mr. Lisa is recovering rapidly. Smell and taste were the effects that took longest to fully return for me too.

quote:

Originally posted by Lisa:

I think she has realized she picked the wrong side on the vaccination debate. Hopefully maybe that will translate to her rethinking some of her other political positions.

I’m guessing she’s a pretty concrete thinker, and while she may realize the truth about vaccination, that doesn’t mean it will translate to the rest. One to one matching here.

I hope everything continues to get better.

Sorry to hear that Covid hit your family.

Hope everyone is better soon!

Sorry to hear this. You can do your best, but so many vectors of transmission are out there.

I guess one small advantage of being an "only" is that I have no one to disown for their political/medical boneheadedness.

My eldest got over it, but had severe coughing afterward. Mom the doctor told him to get seen by someone who could supply him with an Albuterol inhaler, and that has helped with his post-COVID complications.

Good call on the Albuterol. It works, but it’s expensive and not covered by my insurance.

I’ve found that Primatene is once again available OTC, works better and costs much less. Might be something to consider if he needs it over a longer period of time.

Hope the virus passes soon.