COVID-19 journal

I tested positive for COVID-19 in November of 2020, a few weeks after the birth of my second son. My wife was the first in our household to show symptoms, and I followed a few days later.

Most of my symptoms were mild. I had full-body aches and congestion but no fever nor loss of taste. The most dramatic symptom was fatigue that came in waves for the duration of my illness. I would go from feeling mostly fine, to feeling like I didn’t have the energy to situp, then back to mostly fine in the span of thirty minutes. I’m thankful that I was on parental leave for the whole duration of my illness, because I would have been unable to work effectively through the waves of fatigue.

Once I recovered, that seemed to be the end of it. I warned by coworkers to take the virus seriously (they already were) and tried to be especially careful during the holidays.

Fast-forward to March of 2021, and now a new symptom has emerged. There are now certain scents that have changed for the worse: bananas, toothpaste, and shampoo. They all share the same smell, and it is quite unpleasant. A kind of savory/overly-ripe odor that I am keen to avoid. I used to eat a banana a day (or more), and now I can’t stand to be too near to them.

I have heard that some people report a return to normal taste and smell after being vaccinated. Hopefully that is true, because I’d really like to enjoy eating bananas and brushing my teeth again.

In April of 2021, I got the first round of the Moderna COVID-19 vaccine. By the following morning, I experienced some typical “flu-like” symptoms: fatigue, full-body soreness, and skin sensitivity. The injection site – my left shoulder – was especially sore. By day two, most of the symptoms had resided.

Bananas, shampoo, and toothpaste still smell odd but to a lesser degree. I’m optimistic that that will improve in the coming weeks! The second round of vaccination is scheduled for early May – four weeks after the first round. By then, Lord willing, I’ll be back to a banana a day!