I first contracted Covid- 19 towards the end of 2021, right before the New Year. During this time, there was a huge spike in cases and it felt as if the entire world was testing positive along with me. 

My symptoms were very severe during this time and I was on bed rest for almost all of the ten days of quarantine. I had all of the predicted symptoms that came along with contact with the virus such as nausea, headache, fever, body aches, and congestion. However, knowing that I wasn’t alone made me feel a lot better and almost helped my recovery process. 

There was a lot of panic from my friends and family when I first tested positive as there was still a lot of university surrounding the virus, especially from those that were high risk.

The second time me testing positive, the attitude surrounding my test results had completely changed. Many were very calm and casual about me telling them that I had Covid and I even heard the phrase “everyone’s bound to get it again” multiple times, even from my doctor!

As there has been a surge in cases recently, I was one of the thousands of people that contracted the virus within these past few weeks. 

The second time that I tested positive, the precautions and safety measures were extremely different than the first time. Some thing that I noticed at the urgent care upon my first visit was that many of the doctors came into close contact with me with simply a blue KN95 mask. This was opposed to the N95 and white gown that I was approached within 2021. 

Something else that I noticed was the quarantine and health measures that I was instructed to take this time around. My doctor told me that as long as I am not running a fever and my symptoms are decreasing, I should be good to go back to school whenever. He did suggest the CDC guidelines of five days of quarantine, however, it was not required and my quarantine time was solely based on my symptoms. 

My symptoms were not any easier the second time around and I even found some of them to be worse. I had all the feelings of nausea, congestion, fever, and headaches. But something that was consistent throughout my Covid journey was my loss of taste and smell. It was the first symptom that I had Covid and it wasn’t the flu like I had suspected. 

Something that had not changed in 2023 was the social distancing policy as Covid is still very contagious and I was instructed to stay six feet away from everyone and quarantine for as long as my symptoms were present. I was told that the biggest indicator of me being contagious was my fever and if I went 24 hours without one, then I was no longer a risk to others. 

Two details that I found interesting when discussing the surge in cases with the urgent care doctor was the ease that came with contracting Covid now. With all the different strains, it is almost impossible to deem yourself as “safe” during the pandemic now as one may have immunity for one strain but not the other.

The second detail that I found quite interesting was the doctor’s comparison of Covid to the flu. He told me that he has seen many of his patients come in with the flu unable to walk and sometimes even speak. Whereas those with Covid didn’t have as severe symptoms and were still able to communicate. 

He said that he almost prefers those to contact Covid over the flu as it is easier to combat and it takes less time to recover, especially if vaccinated. 

Overall, my experience with Covid the second time around in 2023 was a lot more calm and less panic-inducing than the second time. I was grateful for the doctor’s knowledge and care as it seems like he was more assured the second time around since there has been much more research done since Covid was first discovered in 2019.