Testing Positive for Covid After Both Vaccinations

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If you follow me on Instagram, you know that on August 2nd, I started showing symptoms of Covid-19 and on August 6th, I officially tested positive. I had an inbox full of questions and promised that I would answer all of them as soon as I had the energy to get out of bed. Now that I’ve finally tested negative, I’m ready to share my experience and answer all of your questions.

There were a lot of similar questions and concerns so hopefully, I got them all. Feel free to comment below if I missed yours. Please keep in mind that I am not a medical professional and I’m just sharing my personal experience. If you or someone you love suspects that they may have Covid-19, please get tested and contact a medical professional.

Did you have Covid-19 before getting vaccinated? No, I did not. 

Why did you wait so long before you were tested? It’s very hard to get a test in Florida right now. The first available was Friday and I booked that on Tuesday. 

Do you have any idea how you got it? Yes. Most people that know us, know that our family has been extremely careful since March of 2020. We don’t go out much and when we do, we always wear a mask indoors. We have only been in contact with one other family. Thinking back 2-14 days from the day I started showing symptoms, there was only one time where I forgot to wear a mask and came in contact with someone other than my family. My girls were with me, but they had masks on. We found out later on that the other family tested positive just a few days before I got sick.

Which vaccine did you get and how long ago? I had both Pfizer vaccines in April of 2021, so four months before I tested positive.

How would you compare it to the flu or another virus? I’ve heard that people who are vaccinated have compared it to “a bad cold”. But Covid-19 is unlike any cold or flu I’ve ever had. For one, I’m on day 15 and still have a pretty bad cough, headaches, and extreme fatigue in the middle of the day. The fevers during the first week were the hardest part for me. They often reached 102 pretty quickly. 

How do you think your experience would have been different if you weren’t vaccinated? My husband and I have had this conversation a number of times since I tested positive. As bad as I felt fully vaccinated, I am pretty sure I would have had to have been hospitalized had I been exposed before I was vaccinated. 

How did you first realize that was what you had? I suspected it almost immediately but it wasn’t until day 4 when I lost my taste and smell that I knew for sure. 

What advice would you give to those who are vaccinated to stay safe? Don’t let your guard down. Always wear your mask indoors, not just to protect yourself, but to protect others. If you are asymptomatic and vaccinated, you can still spread the virus.

What were the precautions you used to keep quarantined from your family? My family was actually out of town for the first 4 days I was sick. We had a trip planned and decided it would be best for me to stay home. Had we not done that, I’m afraid that my family would have also tested positive. When they got home, they wore masks whenever they were downstairs. When I left my bedroom, I would also wear a mask and disinfect the bathroom each time I used it. That’s the only other room I was in for two weeks.

Did your muscles ache all over? No. I had no muscle aches at all. It was the one symptom I never had.

What symptoms did you have? It started with a sore throat and a runny nose. I started coughing and had a fever for 3-4 days. I had chills for the first week. I lost my taste and smell on day 4. Luckily, it returned just 5 days later. I had diarrhea for the 7 days and had one day where I felt incredibly nauseous and thought I was going to pass out. I had some days where I had no appetite at all and other days where I couldn’t stop eating. The headaches started on day 8 and are still pretty bad a week later. Most recently, my ears have started to bother me. 

What were your worst symptoms? When I was a baby, I had convulsions due to high fevers so fevers have always scared me. I took Ibuprofen when I felt a fever coming on and used cold compresses on my head to help bring it down quickly. The headaches are unlike any other headache I’ve ever had and I’ve suffered from migraines for a good portion of my adult life. It feels like someone is stabbing me in the back of my head for most of the day.

What was your worst day? This is a tough one. Being locked in a room for two weeks was bad. Every single day I longed to hug my kids. I’d say all two weeks were my worst day because I spent all of my awake time worried that my family would catch it, specifically my youngest who isn’t old enough to be vaccinated. 

Did you have regressions (felt better and then bad again)? Yes. Every single day. I would have one symptom one day and then a new symptom the next. Different parts of the day mattered too. I felt pretty good in the early afternoon and then by late afternoon, my fevers would return and I would feel so tired I could barely open my eyes. The night was pretty bad as well. I almost always had a fever and the coughing wouldn’t stop.

Did you take any preventative treatment or medication? No, I didn’t. Aside from my regular daily supplements (vitamin D3 and probiotics). 

Are you experiencing fatigue? Yes. Even on day 15, I’m exhausted in the afternoon and find that I still have to take a 2-3 hour nap.

Were you prescribed any medication by your doctor? Initially, my doctor told me that I should just take Tylenol or Advil for the fever and drink plenty of fluids. But after I expressed my concerns about the possibility of pneumonia, she prescribed Azithromycin, an antibiotic that is believed to prevent pneumonia. I was also told that Mucinex would be a good option if my chest congestion got worse.

Did you take any other special supplements? Yes. I was contacted by a couple of medical professionals, including a good friend of the family, who shared a list of supplements that I should be taking. For mildly symptomatic patients at home, they recommend taking the following daily: Vitamin C 500mg, Quercetin 250-500mg, Zinc 75-100mg, Melatonin 6-12mg at night, and Vitamin D3 2000-4000 iu. I do recommend speaking to your doctor to confirm what they feel is best.

Did your doctor suggest anything aside from medication? Not my doctor, but the medical professionals I spoke to suggested that I not lay on my back. Instead, I was told to sleep either elevated or on my stomach, as to not put any pressure on my lungs. I was instructed not to eat any dairy or cold drinks. It was suggested to me by an ICU nurse to purchase a volumetric exerciser and use it on a daily basis to make sure I was exercising my lungs. Again, I recommend speaking to your doctor to confirm what they feel is best.

At any point, did a medical professional suggest that you take Ivermectin? No, this was never suggested by my doctor or any of the medical professionals I spoke with.

Are you still happy you are vaccinated? Absolutely. I am grateful that I was fully vaccinated when I started to feel sick. I knew that most breakthrough cases are kept out of the hospital and at no point during the past two weeks was I concerned that I would wind up in the hospital.

Do you feel like you are double protected now? Vaccine and now having the antibodies? Honestly, I think one of the biggest issues is people letting their guard down because of things they have read or heard from people who are not medical professionals. Not long after we were fully vaccinated, we allowed ourselves to believe that we were safe. We went on two small staycations and had moments where we didn’t feel the need to wear a mask. We didn’t know at that time that vaccinated people could still get sick. Because we didn’t do enough research. We need to remain vigilant and continue wearing masks, not gathering in large groups and listen to medical professionals. This thing isn’t over. People are getting covid-19 multiple times. I don’t believe having it gives anyone any extra protection against it. But getting the vaccine does lessen the chances of being hospitalized. In fact, in our state, the cases are on the rise and 77% of those hospitalized are not vaccinated. ICU’s are filling up quickly in multiple states. 

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