Covid Strikes Close to Home

Covid, since the beginning, has been something I have been a bit mixed about quite honestly. It serves no purpose to use this article to share my opinions on the matter. I will only say that I have never once been paranoid about it. But at the same time I have not wanted to be exposed to it.

Not that there is anyone out there who does.

And so far I have considered myself fortunate to not have come into close contact with anyone who has gotten the virus, although I have known many people who did. Customers, family members, and co-workers in other offices in other states.

That fortune turned for me last night when my boss informed me that one of our other salesman in the office tested positive.

Yesterday he was complaining of body aches all day. But no one really thinks of Covid necessarily. You figure, hey, you just slept the wrong way the night before, or maybe the changing weather is affecting your body in some way or another.

Either way, the fact that he tested positive last night simply means that I have been directly exposed to Covid. While I do use hand sanitizer regularly, and have always taken vitamin D and vitamin C, among other precautions, I am not vaccinated.

Again, I have my reasons. None of which I think are important to discuss here.

The boss happened to be on vacation this week with his family, spending some time in Branson, Missouri. So he is not here. He was going to come in on Thursday, but it has been decided he will not be in then either.

I have not decided if I will be in next week, although the boss does not know this is a consideration yet. Because Friday is a holiday for us, I only have to be in today and tomorrow.

Unfortunately, since there are only three of us in the office—the boss, myself, and the other salesman that has Covid—this means I have to hold down the fort. We do have a warehouse guy, though, and he is here with me as well.

I did have a brief meeting with him this morning, however, told him what the situation was, and gave him the option of staying or going home.

Regardless of what company policy may be, my stance is a simple one. No one directly exposed to Covid should be forced to be in that environment if they choose not to be, and no consequences should be administered if someone chooses to stay home.

I am in the office today and tomorrow by choice, even if the offer was not made to me by my boss to stay home. I still had the option, and could have easily told the boss he would have to cut his vacation short.

That would have been a like it or not situation by the way. I simply decided that I am already exposed, so what's the difference at this point? So was the kid in the warehouse.

It is kind of to say, "We already stepped in it. Let's just clean off our shoes and move on."

The effort was made, as well, to sanitize all areas of the office and warehouse where any contact may have occurred. At this point it really is our best ditch effort.

The bottom line is that we still have a business to run, and customers that need the parts we sell to keep their concrete mixer truck fleets on the road. Someone has to be here to make sure that happens. Because beyond Covid, despite its headaches, we will all need to continue to make a living.

I will say with absolute honesty that I do not like the situation at all. Especially having been directly exposed. Something that, like I said, I made every effort to avoid, but that in reality was probably an inevitable thing anyway. Eventually I would have been exposed. It was just a matter of time.

That time is now.

I will simply have to monitor my own health and take immediate action if any symptoms would develop, beef up my vitamin D and vitamin C intake, and keep my fingers crossed.

It is really all I can do.

Lead image courtesy of Pixabay, user geralt. Corona Coronavirus Virus - Free image on Pixabay