Day 2: Self-Quarantine

A co-worker asked today if the "rumor" I have Corona virus is true. It is not. I am at risk because my son is mildly-symptomatic after being in close proximity to a co-worker (possibly more than one) with a confirmed case of COVID-19.

In a grey area here: I'm not symptomatic, but the incubation phase for this virus is 5-14 days. My son's clinical team last night advised him to "self-isolate" while Beloved and I "self-quarantine". The difference between the two: those who are symptomatic and have had close contact with somebody who tests positive for the virus must isolate themselves to safeguard others. Those who live with a possibly-infected person could already be carrying the virus. They are often encouraged to limit their interaction with the general public. Given the lengthy incubation phase of one to two weeks, it's a virtual toss of the coin.

As for me? I feel fine, but worried about my son plus the possibility my wife or I could already be infected. We're unsure of our own status, so I did what I thought prudent: I marked off today while I tried to get some answers.

Hey Doc, here's the facts. Should I self-quarantine? His answers were ambiguous. He spent a good hour on the phone with me as we discussed my situation. At first, he seemed to agree with self-quarantine. Then he consulted his Infectious Disease team and called me back. Doc said that since I don't have any symptoms that perhaps I should just keep working? That threw me for a loop. If I had worked today, possibly exposed to the virus (and I could have been already considering my vocation) and giving several hundred people a ride on my bus, could I be putting passengers and co-workers at risk if I do develop symptoms over the next week?

Doc didn't know how to respond, but was patient and diligent trying to find the best solution for my dilemma. After all, I told him, imagine how it would feel if I unwittingly passed the virus along to someone, and they died? Would it be my fault given this probably-not-so-unique set of facts? While I'm obviously concerned for myself and our family, secondarily I must also think about the general public I serve. My co-workers are also vitally-important to me. I'm a very concerned, loving person. This situation has vast implications from many directions. It's hard to gather them all together to find the right solution, because then dozens of other concerns whiz past, clouding the deliberation process.

On the brighter side of this, at least I'll likely be spared
from having to see thousands of naked people
riding their bikes later this year.

We will all likely be exposed at some point. It's a worldwide pandemic after all. It is also a ticking time bomb. Some of us will get sick while others won't. On top of anxiety/PTSD issues many of us experience daily, this virus is the most serious threat we've faced as a worldwide community. Ultimately, Doc gave me a two-day home stay to monitor my son, and to make sure that I don't suddenly develop symptoms. Basically, healthcare professionals want us to stay healthy and make intelligent choices. But for now, the wheels of life still spin. We cannot shrink in fear of "what might be". He recommended I return to work in a few days as long as I remained symptom-free.

My wife read an article today which stated that for every confirmed case of COVID-19, there are likely 50 other unconfirmed cases. A staggering statistic, if true. We have seen schools, restaurants, bars and other businesses shut their doors to wait this bug out. Millions have lost their jobs. Too bad we haven't developed some all-powerful extermination technique the bug guy could just squirt down and annihilate the tiny bastards. Without a widely-available vaccine, we have to just ride it out. Evidently, I have to ride it out on a 20-ton bacteria-mobile.

I had a comforting chat with my friend Sam. He listened to my situation, not knowing whether to self-isolate, quarantine or bust out a gallon of whisky and temporarily tune it all out. Well, the latter is not an advisable plan. He also reminded me that if I choose to self-quarantine and use up two weeks of sick/vacation hours and remain symptom-free, what if I then went back to work and got sick anyway? My sick leave bank is woefully low. Sam has loads of hours he generously offered to donate to me if needed. He's a very kind man, and I was touched by his gesture. Unfortunately, I don't think our transit agency allows us to transfer sick hours to the employee of our choice. As I understand it, donated hours go into a pool anyone can draw out of if needed. Equal opportunity, I guess. Still, he had a good point.

Basically, it's back to being a coin toss, a crap shoot, a difficult choice to make. Either way I go, there are pros and cons. We'll see how I feel tomorrow (today or Wednesday to most of you reading this). For now, it's time to enjoy a green beer (is that penicillin floating at the top?) and finally celebrate St. Patrick's Day. It is after all, my favorite day of spring!