I found my digital thermometer and I’m running a 100 degree fever; normally I’m below 98. I’ve got a little headache, a slight sore throat and a bit of a runny nose. I’m wheezing and a little short of breath right now, but I’m hoping to explain that away as being out of shape and having just hauled a bunch of laundry up from the basement; I’m still on blood thinners so I don’t think it’s another pulmonary embolism. I dunno - maybe I’m panicking and reading more into my symptoms that what are actually there because this illness is all I’ve been hearing about for the last few weeks.
My big concern right now is where to get tested. I’m on unemployment and make $80/mo too much to qualify for a low-income medical plan. Sure, the president said that he would push for insurers to cover the cost of testing, which is all great and wonderful, but what about those of us without insurance? I guess in the eyes of some I should just die because I am poor and out of work and should not be given the opportunity to return to being a productive member of society.
I don’t want to go running to the hospital or a clinic without being 100% certain I need to go for fear of catching this disease, assuming that I don’t already have it. I am prepared to camp out at home as necessary, like I’ve been doing for the last month and a half. I’m actually quite content to stay home and do, well, whatever, just as long as I have a solid Internet connection. I probably won’t have to worry about going out on job interviews since I suspect that even if I’m a perfect fit for a job most employers are not going to be doing interviews for the foreseeable future.
I hope my parents will be OK when they return from vacation. They went down to Palau for a diving trip just as all hell started to break loose. They’re in their mid-70s but are in better shape than me, so I suspect that they’ll be fine if they can avoid catching this disease whilst zipping around the world. They were in a hotel for the first few days, and then are going to be on a boat for the next week and a half. With any luck the hygiene conditions will be better on that boat will be better than on cruise ships. Considering where they are, they obviously don’t have any Internet access, so I can’t keep in touch.
I survived cancer and multiple pulmonary embolisms last year and was ready to make a fresh start after being canned for using too much PTO time treating those ailments. Having been through all of that it would be ridiculous if COVID-19 takes me out...
And now, a musical interlude: