Covid Support Thread
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I will say, going in the office makes me feel more like a real person again. A person in the city who does things. And I have an old personal friend who I helped get a job at my company and it is her first week and first time in the office so we met up and chatted and gossiped.
Yeah, honestly, I liked going into the office the last two days. I felt super disoriented Monday, but yesterday was fine. But I forgot how much I like my work screens (they’re MASSIVE and I recall sorely missing them the first year of WFH) and what it was like to sit in a comfortable, supportive chair. I was less distracted and very productive. And yes, also feeling more like a human who exists in an interesting city. I can see myself opting to go in even when it’s not required.
The executive director said we’re definitely moving into a smaller office suite. He wants less everyday space in a building that offers the amenities we’d need to conduct some of our usual but less frequent business practices. I guess I’m not totally surprised, but commercial real estate landlords are understandably desperately trying to get companies to sign leases. Our current lease isn’t up until 2025, but they’ve already toured a few places and landlords are willing to let us occupy the space as early as spring/summer 2023 rent-free until our current lease is up. My boss mentioned that he’s heard that these new office spaces are swanky and make our current office look like a dump.
Now at work we’re in a phase where some groups (not mine yet) are required to come in at least 3 days during their scheduled week each month. While not required for everyone, they really want us there for a min of 3 days that week, but we can also come in anytime. They are trying to make it a dynamic working experience that’s actually worth it so you’re not just zooming from the office, by scheduling you with people you work with, and doing ice cream socials and popcorn machine and happy hours (like anyone needs the extra calories but ok). I do appreciate that they’re trying to make this work. At least my boss can’t give us Covid rn because she just had it.
Alright I just flew for the first time since airlines lifted the mask requirement. Our flight to Mexico City, about 80% of passengers were masked. The unmasked people mostly seemed to be Americans — not shocking. This is my second trip to Mexico and away from the tourist partaaay hotspots, and the people there are so diligent about masking up, even outdoors. On our flight back out of the country, same high mask usage… but of course on our connecting/domestic flight, we were the minority in masks (maybe 20% masked up). The doctor we saw for the re-entry requirement brain swabbed us. (My first brain swab!) I’ve felt safe in Mexico away from the beaches as far as COVID and precautions go, and would recommend some of the quieter, more culturally vibrant areas for anyone looking for a warmer getaway.
And since I know there are quite a few Chicago-based commenters/readers, I’ve commuted this week using the brown and red lines and I’d say 85% of riders on my route are masking still. Weekends and evenings have been a mixed bag, but the rush hour crowd had been good this week. Not sure if all lines are like that.
Ok, Jesus, it’s only Wednesday and I’m already done with these connect weeks in the office. Monday was fine because very few people were in, but yesterday I got nothing done because it was nonstop jibber-jabber. Today, we have an all-hands meeting that starts at 8, then meetings meetings meetings, then a happy hour at 4, then ANOTHER thing at a bar that’s a walk from the office. This is exhausting. And I got my period. I have a really complex report to write and this is not the week to try to do it.
Annnd now here come all the people getting sick with Covid after this week in the office. On Monday there was a lady in the bathroom taking a test because she’d gone to a conference and gotten an exposure email. A guy in marketing who I definitely talked to for 15 minutes on Tuesday just told me he’s really sick and tested positive (he’s boosted too). Several other people are also sick. I got an email from contact tracing. I feel fine and just took a negative test, but this is ridiculous.
That said, my boss is still the only person I know who came in symptomatic.
Oh yeah, nearly everyone I know who escaped omicron in the winter wave, has covid right now (or had it in the past couple weeks). Somehow, we (my family of four) still haven’t tested positive despite countless cases at the kids’ school and living life pretty normally now (still masking in stores and on public trans, but otherwise life as normal). Drew has cold symptoms today though so after a negative rapid test this morning, he got a PCR test and I went along and got one too (brain jab, omg). Results in 2-3 days. I feel fine though and don’t have any symptoms and imagine Drew probably just has a cold or allergies.
Yep, everyone has it now, combination of mask mandates lifted, and being back in the office. I can’t believe I’ve never tested positive at this point.
It’s worrying that people are getting pretty sick, and it’s also inconvenient af to keep having to test and think about what I should and shouldn’t do.
It really is exhausting! I keep thinking, “Ok, I can get it this week and it wouldn’t disrupt anything, but if it took two weeks to cycle through the four of us, that could disrupt this plan or that plan. I can’t get it next week when I’m doing this thing or that thing. And let’s hope none of the family gets it before this vacation or that wedding or this event we’ve been looking forward to for months” etc etc. And we’re gonna just go through this 3-4 times a year??? Seems like any immunity you might get with infection lasts about three months, when the the next wave comes. I want off this merry-go-round!!
I have a masters in covid dodging at this point. I was at a show on Saturday night last week and 3 of the 4 people I was with have it, plus 2 other people I ran into there. Must be those 4 shots lol.
Well friends, the dodgeball finally smacked me. I got a persistent cough over the weekend, took an at-home test on Sunday, negative.
However, I got hit with exhaustion, body aches, low-grade but noticeable fever, scratchy throat, congestion, and the worst symptoms of still with this damn cough and dear lord, BRAIN FOG like I’ve never experienced, and felt like I was legit cheating my employer if I said I was “working” the past two days when I was really sleeping and/or coughing.
Tonight, while snacking on my favorite cheese, I realized I couldn’t taste it.
My second at-home test confirmed that I’m Covid positive.
Well, shit.
Thankfully (?) I have lung problems and already have supplemental oxygen at home, so I’ve been using it and don’t have to use up hospital resources. I’ve been taking medicine which makes me feel less like death warmed over, but I’m sleeping a lot and like I said, took the last 2 days off work sick. I just couldn’t feasibly be out of bed enough to answer pings or emails believably…which is saying something since I work from home. It feels like an annoyingly bad flu. The cough is awful, and like I said, the brain fogginess is the WORST and I’ve never experienced anything like it.
Slowly but surely the congestion does seem to be breaking up now. I have no idea where I got it, since the only places I went last week were one restaurant and, ironically, my pulmonologist’s office. I went to a bookstore/crystal shop on Sunday but I already had a cough then.
Mostly now I’m worried about my mom, who is 68 and has been taking care of me/visiting for a few weeks. She’s been vaxxed and boosted twice, though, so I’m really hopeful she’ll escape it. She’s definitely healthier than I am at this point, and she’s been more places than I have in the last week. She had body aches and a headache earlier in the week…maybe – hopefully – that’s all she’ll get.
Oh no! I hope you recover soon with nothing lingering!
Someone said 48 ppl had gotten sick after being in the office last week, and people are saying the brain fog and exhaustion are real.
