Throughout COVID we've been careful with regard to wearing masks, getting vaccinated and socially distancing. And up until this holiday we've been able to avoid the virus.
So this Christmas, we felt confident about our plans which included small gatherings of fully vaccinated and mostly boosted friends and relatives. Yet, at the end of almost a week of of gatherings, one family member tested positive. Our relative, fully vaccinated and boosted, who traveled a long distance to visit could have contracted the virus in a number of settings. He was asymptomatic with the exception of some tiredness.
When we heard the news about our relative, we took at-home tests and tested negative. Yet, we began to feel somewhat lethargic with muscle aches and mild congestion. We let other family members know, and since then no one has tested positive and only one other member has experienced symptoms--that family member also traveled and could have contracted the virus in a number of settings. We have not retested simply because it is almost impossible to find a test appointment or at-home test in our area, and our symptoms are relatively mild.
I've been reading the research on the Omicron variant to see how our experience matches up with what's happening all around us. The stats and details related to this new variant are not solid yet since it's so new, but like many who are vaccinated/boosted and appear to have contracted the Omicron variant, our symptoms are mild, and also similar to many, it appears that symptoms appeared about three days after contact and are lasting for several days.
I'll continue to stay in touch with the others we celebrated with. It's not fun to be sick and this mild attack reminds me that we want to do all we can to stay clear of COVID and other illnesses as well. Onward.