My Covid Diary...

 ...or How I Beat The Dreaded Lurgy...

For those of you that read my Bataan Death March post (it's right before this one, so you shouldn't have missed it), you would know that I was infected by the Covid-19 virus while on the march.

Let me tell you straight off the bat. This is not a "fun little virus", like herpes or something (I believe), to get. In fact, you should do what you can to avoid it, even if it means hijacking a little island somewhere in the centre of the Pacific Ocean for yourself and wiping out the rare pygmy tribe inhabitants to keep yourself safe.

Since the "hype" started around the virus, and through a little bit of research (Google actually CAN BE your friend when it comes to finding things out), I made up my mind not to get the vaccinations. My immune system is sound and I do not have any of the "co-morbidities" that deceased victims were suffering from. Even after my illness, I stand by my assertion of not getting vaccinated. Anybody else that wants to get their vaccinations is welcome to them. It is your choice.

But, let me give you a bit of insider information on this infection and the symptoms you may experience if you get it. I have heard that there are some basic, shared symptoms (cough, fever, etc), but your experience may be very different to what mine has been.

I started taking little text notes on my phone while I was lying in bed, already somewhere around Day 10, so what you see here is an extrapolation of those notes. 

Firstly, I estimate my infection was already underway while on the Death March, so I have worked the estimates back to there.

Tuesday 27th May - Day 1 to 3 - Short, dry coughs, increasing in regularity as the days went on. I put this down to over-exertion on the march, but if I had known better, possibly would have pulled out of the march at the next escape route.

Friday Day 4 - Evening - Continued coughs, fever and shivers for about 2hrs

Saturday Day 5 - Continued coughs, slight shivers in the evening only

Sunday Day 6 - Violent coughing, severe nausea

Monday Day 7 - As above

Tuesday Day 8 - As above

Wednesday Day 9 - As above

Thursday Day 10 - As above, took Covid test and was found positive (variant not mentioned on the results). Began meds treatment (more below)

Friday Day 11 - As above, puked once after taking meds. Took more straight away

Saturday Day 12 - As above, with lots of dry retching during the day. At night, heavy puking after meds. Heavy sweats and fever

Sunday Day 13 - Woke up okay. Can taste coffee. Ate muesli

Monday Day 14 - Night sweats again. Back sore from pulled muscles due to dry retching. Coughing hurts like fuck. Eating not an issue now

Tuesday Day 15 - Didn't take the MyPaid tablets...no night sweat as a result. Slept well. Good appetite today

Wednesday Day 16 - Had a good sleep, no night sweat, still slight wet cough. Can smell the coffee from the kitchen

Thursday Day 17 - Slept well, even though taking pain meds for the sore back. Appetite back to normal. Ate half a bag of Liquorice Allsorts

Friday Day 18 - Slept well. Still hurts like fuck to cough. Ate a whole bag of Liquorice Allsorts while watching TV

Saturday Day 19 - Back pain easing a bit. Still taking only one pain tab for the backache. All other medication is finished

According to the Covid test results, I don't have to re-test myself after ten days of self-isolation. Fine by me. I actually do feel like the virus has left, but will still give it a couple of days before I start doing little things around the house again. and then I will also give myself another week or two before getting back on my bicycle. I still feel a little short of breath, even after climbing down just 15 steps to the ground floor of the house and back.

My doctor, whom I met for the first time when I went for my test, saw all the indications that I was positive and, without waiting for the result, put me on a course of drugs:

- Ivermectin - 3 tabs daily - actually a treatment for roundworm, but has shown great results against Covid

- Ecotrin - pain and inflammation (basically, Aspirin, so beware of this one if you are allergic)

- Prednisone - cortisone base for other meds

- Alcophyllex cough syrup

- Azithromycin - antibiotic used to treat chest infections

- MyPaid pain meds

On the medication, as stated I am a firm believer in Ivermectin as the drug treatment of choice for anyone that gets the virus. All the literature on the drug is positive and results of tests are published. There are no "secret agendas" with the drug as it has been around long enough for us to understand any and all side effects, of which there appear to be remarkably few. And the results are obvious within about four days of beginning treatment.

Initially, I assumed that the fevers I was getting were as a result of the virus. It wasn't until a couple of days later that I realised I was getting them shortly after taking the MyPaid capsules, even during the day. These things were supposed to be countering the fevers, and yet I was getting them FROM the capsules. Once I stopped those, the fevers stopped.

According to the World Health Organisation (WHO) - yeah, I know, can you actually believe them? - Covid does not respond to treatment by antibiotics, so why would I be given the Azithromycin?

Also, why give me two types of pain meds (Ecotrin and MyPaid)?

As for the Alcophyllex cough syrup...that stuff is 18% ABV, higher than a glass of wine and half as strong in alcohol content as a tot of whisky. It actually takes your breath away when you try and gargle with it. Again, why? There are many other non-alcohol-based cough syrups, one of which I highly recommend and typically the only one I take.

At the time, I was just thinking "give me medication...get rid of this virus", but now I would seriously re-think the list of medication before taking the above list again. If it were up to me and, in the end it is, this is all I would take:

- Ivermectin for the virus

- Lennons Borsdruppels for the cough and post-nasal drip

- Disprin for fever and pain

There is only one person that I would ever wish Covid on, and that would be Jacob Zuma. That prick deserves every bad thing that is coming his way, including the HIV-positive jailmate called Bubba.

For the rest of you, I truly hope you never get the virus. If, however, you are like me and in the wrong place at the wrong time and get it, I hope you come through it with as little impact and physical suffering as possible. Think about your meds, research them and ask the doctor why he/she is prescribing them. The virus is beatable.

Be safe...