Covid 2.0?

Just when I thought 2022 is gonna be a good start for all of us. I was happy to be able to distribute my late Christmas gifts and grateful for such blessing that I shared to my family and friends. I felt genuine happiness when my plans went into place even if it got a little delayed. I was happy to see smiles on kids faces and even the grown ups whom I gave little tokens. It made me smile seeing them flexing those tiny things they got from me.

Well, everyone was happy until this panic buying of over the counter medicines happened in the second week of January. We heard the news that medicines like paracetamol and other flu meds are going out of stock in Luzon. That was way too far from our place. We are aware, though, that borders have opened last December. People form all over the Philippines got the chance to go out and travel while the pandemic is still going on.

It felt like Covid had disappeared for a while. There were a number of cases recorded but too low compared to the previous months. As for our province, tally of positive cases had stopped since December. Everybody felt free for a while. And I was teary eyed seeing my children who shouts from excitement when malls had opened for them. It's been more than a year since they got locked up in our home.

I never forgot about our experience, the trauma is still there and that makes me feel cautious about bringing our kids outside. We never go to places which are too crowded. I don't wanna risk my children's health for their short term happiness. I thought, we can do this some other time when there's not too many people around.

So here comes January. Parties still going on in some places. Then suddenly, pharmacies get long queues of sick people looking for medicine. My husband and I had seen that chaos when we were asked to buy some for his brother-in-law. We were at their home with the kids while he's got a little fever. It was just like a normal fever, nothing to worry much about. We were all fine, even played "boggle" around their long table.

My kids were fetched by my parents while we stayed for the night to play my new toy called "boggle" (which was supposed to be a gift for my godson). The next day we were then told not to go back to that house since all of them got fever including their children.

I have observed absences in my son's online class, and in my work place. Almost half of the employees were absent due to fever. Most of them got cough and colds after having a one day fever. I started keeping my children back inside the house. But I guess it's too late since I've heard my two sons coughing occasionally. I started buying meds, too. The worst, common brands were out of stock! Even medicines for diarrhea! I heard our neighbors have gotten sick, too. Loud coughing can be heard from outside.

I tried to check on updates, it's all over the news. People are getting sick and it could be the new Covid variant that's circulating around the community. I cannot really be sure since influenza is up due to the cold weather. Then, my youngest got the fever, the next day he was okay but his cough got worst. I kept on checking on him with my pulse oximeter, maybe, I'm getting too paranoid again but I want to make sure he is fine.

The next day, my husband got sick, too. I was worried for my eldest as he already had cough. I know it will come after one gets better. My in-laws got better but they're still treating cough and colds. And when the two got better, I started to feel bad. I know I was gonna be next. And there it went. I had a high fever that went away really fast. But in the afternoon of the next day it came again and I kept drinking water which everyone in the house did. Took paracetamol every four hours and I took a warm bath which helped me feel better.

Good thing my eldest didn't get the fever. But during my time, my anxiety had risen up again since, there's is something different that I felt which is a little familiar to me. The kind of weakness, is not something like a common influenza. My shoulders felt light but weak. My knees felt the same. But only when I got the fever. It went away quickly after that. Still, I know, it wasn't a normal seasonal flu. Another good thing is that I didn't experience dry cough, while I had a stuffy nose for two days. So, maybe it was just seasonal flu, but one side of me says no, it's not!

The news had described Omicron variant as "milder" and "highly infectious" so, I guess that was it. I couldn't really confirm since we were not tested but a lot of people, almost everyone I know, had experienced the same. We are now better. I am just thankful that my parents didn't get it. And I guess, we're not coming out of the house again with the kids. It's better to be locked up than to get the virus.

Please be safe everyone! Let's continue to pray that this virus will be gone soon.