COVID-19 is currently living with us. It has been an unwanted house guest since early March. Not only is it unwanted, it didn’t actually bother to introduce itself when it arrived. The reopening of primary schools here in the Netherlands prompted a wave of exasperation and astonishment from those around us. My three boys are STILL not over this virus. Is this normal? What are COVID-19 symptoms? How long are you ill with COVID-19? How do you know you have it?
Getting Back to Normal
Whilst other children are back in school, my two primary school goers are still home.
Whilst some furniture enthusiasts stand for an eternity in a queue to get into the recently reopened IKEA, we are still quarantined.
And whilst other children are back on the football fields for training sessions, my sons are training their bum muscles on the sofa.
I know that life outside this house is still far from normal. I also know it won’t be normal for a long time to come. However, watching others return to some semblance of a life outside, whilst everything stays the same inside our house is frustrating to say the least.
I haven’t seen anything outside this small village for more weeks than I even remember. And even a walk around the village is becoming a distant memory.
Quarantine
In short, we are in quarantine. And every time we think we are on the verge of coming back out into the world (so as it is), our hopes are dashed.
COVID-19 likes to play games. A sort of hide and seek if you like. We think it has packed its bags and left the premises, only to it reappear, unpack its case and put on comfortable slippers, showing little intention of going anywhere soon.
And so we have been in quarantine now since 17 April. That was the day we got as much confirmation as we’re going to get from any medical professional that COVID-19 is present in our home.
However, the virus itself has been living opening with us since 7 March. We suspect that now. You can read about how this all came to light and the visit to the corona centre here.
Dutch Government Measures Around Sickness and COVID-19 Symptoms
I became sick in early March, around the time the focus was on Brabant. The Dutch government implemented nation wide measures a few days later.
The RIVM issued advice detailing the symptoms of COVID-19 as a continuous, sudden cough and/or a fever. I had neither during that first week and had put the illness down to flu. During the second week I had a cough some evenings.
On the 12th of March, the Dutch PM asked people to stay home as much as possible. From 13 March the intelligent lockdown began. If you had cold symptoms, a cough, sore throat, fever and so on, the government said stay home.
The list of symptoms has grown since the early days of the ‘lockdown’ and the official list has caused confusion.
How Do You Know You Have COVID-19?
Well, the thing is, you can’t be sure. Unless you have a test. And the only way you will be tested (if you are not in an essential job such as health care or teaching) is to be admitted to hospital. And that’s a high price to pay to know if you actually have COVID-19.
This should change in June if the government comes through with their planned ramping up of testing in the general public.
Our GP made it clear that there is too little information at the moment about COVD-19 to really understand the impact the virus has on individuals. Doctors are basically working with the information and study results they have. Which, in reality, is not much.
The GP also stated that more and more patients are coming forward with symptoms that have been ongoing since March. The more symptoms the RIVM add to the list, the more people realise they may actually have (had) COVID-19.
Based on our symptoms, and the lack of anything else to attribute the symptoms to, the GP assumes we have COVID-19. However, there is no certainty without testing.
COVID-19 Symptoms in Our Home
So what symptoms have we had the pleasure of experiencing that lead the doctors to the conclusion that this probably is COVID-19? Here’s a list:
- Sore throat
- Headache
- Fatigue/exhaustion (I have never seen my eight year old take himself off to bed in the middle of the day as much as during the last few weeks)
- Shortness of breath doing normal activities, such as climbing the stairs, walking, cycling
- Chest pain
- Palpitations
- Nausea
- Stomach cramps
- Diarrhea
- Loss of appetite
- Inability to concentrate
- Sore eyes
- Aches and pains all over
- Sleeplessness
- Short temper (Okay, so this may not be specifically COVID-19 related, but I know we are all suffering with it.)
The bad news is that it is scary to contemplate how many people may be walking around the supermarkets with symptoms they don’t necessarily associate with COVID-19. The good news is that more of us may have already had without being aware.
The Moral of This Blog Post
Spoiler: there isn’t one. This virus sucks, but I am thankful that we have all got a mild version of the unwanted house guest. Silver lining and all that.
Yes, we are fed up. And yes, we have cabin fever. Yes, I am tolerating more screen time than I usually would in a year. Yes, paracetamol costs have gone through the roof. Of course I wish we could just get on with school, football and family walks.
But.
But some people have a more stubborn visitor who actually forces you to leave your own house and take us residence in a hospital.
So stay alert (if you are in the UK – sorry, I couldn’t resist) and stay home whenever possible (if you are in the Netherlands).
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