A Turn of Events (Part 2)

I recieved my Covid test on Tuesday, November 10th. I have only had one other Covid test, which was before I moved into UK. This one was a lot longer and more painful than the first one I received. I was not stressed about testing positive when I got tested because I get sinus infections so often that I knew that what I was sick with was another one. However, on Halloween, I received a text from a friend saying that she had tested positive for Covid and I had been with her a few days before. I totally forgot about this until after my test. After I remembered, I was worried I would test positive. It took a little over 24 hours to get my test results back. I was stressed out the entire time, thinking I would miss the last week I had left at UK. It turns out, I tested negative.

I expected this story to be a little more interesting, think I would test positive and have to experience Covid and all of it's drawbacks. However, I am relieved that I tested negative and get to experience my last week of my first semester of college with my friends.

A Turn of Events

This past weekend, I realized that we only have about two weeks left in the first semester here at UK. It made me upset because a lot of the friends I have met since I came to UK live quite far away from me. My friends' hometowns range from Louisville all the way to Chicago. After thinking about this, I made sure to remind my friends that we need to make the best of these last two weeks and spend some time together before we are away for two months.

Then comes Sunday, which is the day I began to feel ill. I have an ongoing problem with sinus infections, and they have worsened since I have arrived at UK. Every other week I deal with a new one. I decided that I should call my doctor because I was starting to become tired of these sinus infections and genuinely concerned about my health.

When I called my doctor today, I expected her nurse to tell me that I needed to come in and get looked at or that she would just order me an antibiotic since she had seen me so recently. Instead, she told me that my symptoms were too similar to Covid for them to let me come in without a test and that she felt the need to actually see me because of the severity and repetitiveness of these infections. Now I am scheduled for a Covid test tomorrow and have made the trip to Owensboro to receive it. 

I am hoping that this is just another sinus infection and not Covid, but I will keep you guys updated on my test results.

Update on Covid and My Life

Covid has yet to affect an individual in my family. I also have very few close friends that have been affected by it. This is surprising to me because my family and friends have not been super cautious about the virus and have gone about their normal lives while others still are retaining from public events or places. Because of this, I don't have very many interesting stories to tell. 

Just because my family and friends have not retracted the virus does not mean my life has been normal, though. One thing that has been very different is my relationship with my nana. I could not tell you the last time I saw her. She has very many underlying issues and I know that it is best for her if I keep my distance, but it is still disappointing. I am not sure how much time she has left and it is sad that I won't be there for a lot of the time she does have.

I also celebrated my birthday recently and went out to dinner. Because of Covid restrictions, I was unable to be seated with all of my friends. It was still fun for everyone because we were placed near the other table, but it didn't feel right being with half of my friends while the other half sat away from us.

I understand things have to be this way for the sake of public health, but I wish it was different.

If China Comes in First

If a Chinese Covid-19 vaccine proves to be vastly superior to any other in the world, China will gain a lot of power. People will begin to look at China as the savior rather than how they look at China now, as the source of this global pandemic. I assume China will keep the vaccine to themselves until the pandemic is resolved on its grounds. After solving it, it is likely that they offer it to other countries, but I do not believe that it will not be easy to obtain.

This occurrence is not just an example or idea. It is very possible that China will produce the first vaccine due to its headstart on production and great research advances. The U.S. is concerned that they will be second to the vaccine and have already become suspicious of China. China has been accused by the U.S of attempting to hack and steal research on the coronavirus vaccine. China is fighting to be the first to have an effective vaccine because of this accusation and all the other events that denounce the country as a whole. If they are the first, they will have the pride and power that they long for along with new friends.

Covid vaccines and global cooperation

Producing and delivering Covid vaccines really is a global endeavor. Until I looked into the details, I did not realize that it will not only involve the U.S. and a few companies within but the entire world and whoever can offer services. The vaccine has to be produced, of course, but so do the vials that contain the vaccine, the syringes that vaccine is admitted through, and the fridges that keep the vaccines live. Each of these items has to live up to specific requirements to successfully form and transfer the vaccine efficiently. Every company capable of even attempting to create any of these needed items is at work. Companies all over the world are currently in a race to produce these items and contribute to ending the global pandemic that the world has been facing for months on end. The government is funding each of the companies that have the highest chance of producing any of these items. This is very important because without government funding, the items may never get produced at all.