Spouse B is still testing positive for COVID on Day 11, although the line on the test kit is fainter so maybe he is getting closer to the two negative tests 48 hours apart to be ready to be unmasked together without worry.
Not sure yet what we will do about Thanksgiving. It will just be the three of us and we were planning to do something other than the traditional turkey dinner. Maybe we will just postpone until we can all eat together in the same room. T and I have been eating in the dining room while B sequesters himself in his office at mealtimes.
We all remain grateful that his symptoms were relatively mild and short-lived but we are anxious to actually spend time together again. We are also grateful that T and I aren’t infected but we want to make sure we remain cautious. B would feel so badly if his case spread to us because we got tired of following protocol. Given the length of time that has passed, we all realize T and I dodged catching it when he was infectious before and in the early hours of the symptomatic phase.
So, at least, three more days of masking in our future.
I might need to order some more KF94 masks…
(COVID Photo by Martin Sanchez on Unsplash)
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Joanne Corey 
Oh, I’m so sorry. But you’re right to be strict with protocols.
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Thanks, Devon. I know it’s right but, somehow, the realization hit hard today. I was so tired I needed to take a nap, which is unusual for me.
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The vaccines reduce the risk of infection, not eliminate it. They are also effective in keeping people out of the hospital. B’s symptoms were mild because he had antibodies from the vaccine in his system. In the US, COVID is still the cause of death of about 1,000 people a week. The number would probably be much lower if everyone was up-to-date on vaccination and even more if people masked in crowded indoor spaces.
Like many viruses, SARS-CoV-2 mutates and evolves over time. The variants that become dominant do so because the mutations make them more infectious and more able to get around prior immunity. That’s why people are still getting COVID or get it multiple times as their immunity wears off over time.
There are lots of reasons to avoid getting infected. Besides not wanting to be sick and not wanting to infect others, especially people who are at high risk for complications, there are follow-on problems after infection, such as long COVID when people can be debilitated for months. There is also increased risk for stroke, heart attack, and blood clots for at least six months post-infection. Some people have permanent lung damage from COVID. While these longer term problems are most prominent in people who had severe symptoms, they can also happen in people who had mild symptoms. The safest, healthiest option is to avoid infection.
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