Verily verily I say to thee, Covid is one roller coaster ride!
Eight days ago, my wife self-isolated from everyone else as she became the first in our home to test positive for Covid.
Eight days later today, I’m self isolating from everyone else as the only one left standing still testing negative for Covid.
Welcome to the game of musical chairs that is living with Covid-19!
These lyrics from Bohemian Rhapsody seem so apt now:
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality!
Our roller coaster ride with Covid
It was bound to happen of course.
With my country’s leaders opening travel borders and pinning all hopes the country can welcome Covid into the list of endemic diseases like the flu, I guess my household’s current situation was bound to mirror what’s going on everywhere around us.
And why not, right? After all, Singapore has one of the world’s highest vaccination rates.
As of Monday, 90% have completed the full regimen of shots while 64% have been boosted. Impressive but not unexpected; not when there’s a resident population of less than 10 million and a society well-known for its ever-ready compliance with government regulations. Especially in matters like healthcare.
Still, I have to say these past eight days in my household have been surreal.
It all began when my wife started feeling unwell the night of February 6. By the next morning she was lying in bed with body aches, shivers and extreme fatigue. We decided she had better conduct a self-test for Covid just to be safe.
After all, though she had received two shots for some time now, she had yet to sign up for a booster. Plus, my soon-to-be 88-year-old mom with dementia lives with us. Though she’s been boosted, we still needed to be careful. In addition, my 13-year old was awaiting his booster this coming Friday, while my 11-year old had yet to receive his second jab.
All in all, a test for my wife to rule out Covid seemed prudent.
Except, to our disappointment, her test proved positive!
And so we swung into action.
Congratulations! Now for some room service…
Already working from home (WFH), we had to quickly move my wife’s work laptop and paraphernalia into the master bedroom and move me out. With an attached bath, it would be the most logical and comfortable place for her to isolate herself from the rest of us, while recovering and continuing to WFH.
My thoughtful eldest, knowing his dad has a chronic back problem, relinquished his bed to me and moved his pillow, bolster and a spare mattress to the living room floor.
The rest remained status quo as we waited out the requisite 72 hours as my wife stayed put. In between she had meals, drinks and daily newspapers left outside her door.
In short, we became her room service; she our hotel guest!
As pleasant and peaceful as that was for her — she could now work uninterrupted and free from our noisy boys — we all prayed she would recover after three days.
Unfortunately it took seven.
Which was how fast it took for our boys to succumb!
Thank u. Next!
Like an ever-expanding marquee over our heads, Covid now started to envelope my family two by two, starting with my sons.
Two mornings ago as my wife transitioned safely out of Covid with a negative antigen rapid test result, our two boys tested positive instead. Just as they were preparing for school!
Once again we had to swing into action.
This time though, we decided it wouldn’t be possible to isolate both boys in one room. So we opened up the study room as well, meaning I had to move my stuff out to the dining area. As the most immunised person now bar none, my wife took over from me as the kiddies’ main caregiver, ferrying them between study room and master bedroom.
Meantime, my mom, domestic helper and I stayed socially distant from them even as I had a sudden weird feeling like I was missing out on something.
Not exactly the desired end to this Covid saga I was hoping for. To make matters worse, it also meant another round of frustrating, time-sensitive but necessary online government registration and notification protocols that had to be followed for all Covid cases in every household.
But hey, it could have been worse right? The rest of my household, including me, might also have succumbed along with my sons right? But we didn’t; we’re still less than 50% down for the count, right?
Talk about the proverbial case of “I-spoke-too-soon”.
My mom and helper (also boosted) became the latest casualties this morning!
Leaving yours truly…
…the last man standing to face Covid!
What can I say? That finally it’s my turn to get room service? That finally it’s my turn to get some peace and quiet?
Well yes, I suppose there’s all that.
Yet I can’t help feeling like I’m missing out once again. Maybe if I got it too, then we can throw all caution to the wind and hug, kiss and move around the house like it was just another ordinary day.
It just didn’t seem fair my loved ones all have Covid (and have it mildly too I’m relieved to say), while I’m left now isolated from them all.
Haven’t I always been the one most likely to fall ill during those days pre-Covid? As a pretty sickly kid most of my growing up years and even into adulthood, it stands to reason, no?
But here I am instead, the last man standing.
That’s not to say I too won’t succumb eventually, like the near 10,000+ daily cases we’ve been chocking up in Singapore this week. After all, my whole house is probably full of hidden corners for the Covid virus to reside now; one false move on my part and wham!
However, the more important irony here isn’t lost on me. That whether or not I contract Covid in the coming days is beside the point.
The more important point is will I let it derail my life or the lives of my loved ones? For surely the show must go on as they say, and we have to best this chapter of humanity’s history or risk going down in a collective agony of defeat.
What about you? Have you lived, been living, or are all set to live with Covid yet?
Once more I hear Freddie as he belts it out, though this time with the next two lines casting a ray of hope :
Is this the real life?
Is this just fantasy?
Caught in a landslide
No escape from reality!
Open your eyes,
Look up to the skies and see…
It is great your son with autism could self isolate. Our entire house was covid zone. 😀
Technically he didn’t self-isolate. First me then my wife (when he contracted) and his older brother took care of him. We’re not out of the woods yet but yah totally understand what you mean by a Covid zone! Hang in there, and thanks for dropping by *smile*
Oh crap, so it’s arrived on your doorstep. Glad to hear that everyone’s recovering all right. My sister just got it not too long ago, and fortunately enough, her entire family was spared as she recovered. Here’s to hoping that you have some secret sauce immunity! Take care now.
Thanks Stu! Yes I certainly hope this will all blow over soon and we’ll be none the worse for ware. You take care too and stay Covid-safe ya?