My battle with the coronavirus

WITHOUT W ORDS

I guess I should not have been surprised. I mean, considering how much travelling I do, and the nature of my job as a sports reporter, it was only a matter of time before I got sick with something.

I just never assumed it was the coronavirus. It’s been almost two years since the COVID-19 pandemic began to circulate, first in China, and then eventually the wider world. For many here in the United States, it would not be until February or March of 2020 before it became part of our every day life.

Like a lot of people, I was initially scared of it, but as the world grew to know more and more about COVID-19, I lost some of my fear of the virus. After all, I’m relatively healthy and try to be active, and I’m under 40.

For the last two years, much of the pandemic has been distant in my mind. I was aware of it, knew a few people who had it, and have written quite a few stories about it.

I wore the mask for months, and dutifully rolled up my sleeve to receive my vaccination shot. Which took a lot for me to do, since I absolutely abhor needles. I might even go so far as to say needles are a phobia of mine.

But after months of travelling across county lines for the sake of my job and in search of stories, and never getting so much as a sniffle, I’ll be honest, I began to feel somewhat safe, as if I had nothing to fear from COVID-19.

And then the Delta variant hit this summer, and cases have risen and risen and risen. Masks are making a reappearance in schools, and in my office, and I’ll be honest, I suspect I’ll be wearing a mask when I go back amongst crowds.

Especially once my natural immunity wears off. You see, I ended up contracting COVID-19 a few weeks ago. I don’t know where, and I don’t know how, but I ended up getting the coronavirus. Luckily, much of the fall sports season was over by the time I got it, and I didn’t go out amongst any crowds.

Volleyball was over, so was swimming, and basketball had yet to start. I made sure I was responsible, and had friends or co-workers cover events like the Abbotsford School District’s Veterans Day ceremony, as well as the Colby Hornets football games.

That last one was tough, since it killed me inside not to be able to be there in person in Chippewa Falls for Colby’s Level Four match-up with Durand. I was able to follow the game online, but it’s not the same, and as the boys high-fived one another, or sank to their knees in disbelief, I wish I could have been a part of that.

Thankfully, my quarantine period is over, and I can go down to Camp Randall and watch Colby play for a state title. But one takeaway from my experience with COVID-19 — which was, for the most part, mostly mild — is that it’s out there, and with winter coming, cases will rise.

I was lucky in that I was only confined to bed for two days, but someone else might not be so lucky. So please, take precautions. If you’re not vaccinated, please think about it, and if you won’t vaccinate, please wear a mask. It might make all the difference in someone’s life.

M USINGS AND G RUMBLINGS