My Own Personal Experience

 I knew this day would come, the day the virus would catch up with me. I finally caught the virus. It sounds like I am relieved to have had it and recovered, but in reality it was not. Everyone has different experiences with the virus, and this is mine.

    My roommate started experiencing symptoms, and neglected to tell my friends and I. Therefore, we all got it, and let me tell you, it spreads fast. We all went down like dominos as each one of us started experiencing symptoms day after day. It’s crazy how quick everything happened. One minute I was out and feeling fine, and the next I had to tell my friends to leave my dorm because I felt so run down. 

    I went into isolation the minute my fever started because I did not want to expose anyone else to potentially give them the virus. I had gotten tested the day before my symptoms started because I figured that once my roommate had it, I would have it too. I drove back home immediately, and learned that I would be self isolating in a house by myself. I had all the classic symptoms. I had a fever, chest pain, fatigue, nonstop coughing, shortness of breath, and worst of all a loss of taste and smell. My smell still has not totally come back which is disappointing. 

    A few days had passed and I still had not heard about my test results. All of my friends who had been exposed had already gotten calls that they were positive, so where was mine? Eventually, I called UK’s testing site only to learn that I had tested negative. I knew this couldn’t be right because literally everyone I am with all the time had tested positive. I explained to them my symptoms, and they suggested that I go get another test done because I probably had a false negative.

    I scheduled a test the following day, and that one came back positive. Quarantine itself was not bad because I felt so bad I never really had the energy to do anything except for sleep. Honestly, I think the most I did in one day was have a movie marathon. 

    A few more days went by after I got my test results before I remembered no one from Louisville metro’s health department had called me yet. I did some research, and found the number to see what was going on. After many long phone calls, I only learned that they did not even have a record of me getting a test and testing positive. Therefore, I had to put myself into the system, so I could be released and come back to school as soon as I was allowed. 

    The worst part of the quarantine was the constant battle with the health department. With guidelines always changing, I heard so many different things from so many different people. I swear every time I talked to someone different, they gave me different answers. 

    The day to be released had finally come, so I called about my form. This was extremely disappointing because I found out again that I was not in the system. This was odd, however because the health department had emailed me the isolation contract to sign. After many long phone calls, I was finally able to get my form so I could come back to school.

    After the virus, I wish I did some things differently before. I wish I had been more careful. Now, whenever I see someone not wearing a mask or following appropriate guidelines, I always warn them what is at stake so they do not have to go through the same experience I did.