It’s Christmas Day and way back when, that would mean last minute shopping and getting agitated by the long lines of like-minded individuals spread out across the supermarket. Not this year though… or the last, actually. Now we just stay put and hope for the best.
How about we simply run through 10 things.
- Masking up is a bitch.
I’ve worn a mask (black in colour, if you must know) for a large part of the day and I think I’ve finally caved – it might be the realization that there’s ABSOLOUTELY NO WAY of making it work as an accessory, or simply the inconvenience of having to find ‘unmasking’ breaks where I can take in some unfiltered air. Yes, it may carry the dust of Kamwokya in its stead, but that’s fine, we’ll figure it out. I know you’re supposed to take shots of Tequila when life hands you lemons, but I seriously doubt any one’s going to let me be when I make the inevitable transition from KN95 masks to full blown Ninja head gear.
- Everybody gets some…
A friend from across the border calls the new strain of COVID, “The Funtime Variant”, no doubt based on how eager it is to move around and mess up a good time. Not a day goes by without a person I know coming out to declare they have the ‘vid. This is way different from the June variant – back then, for every “COVID is REAL” message, there were at least three whatsapp statuses with people hanging out and living their best lives. This time round it’s like Oprah’s responsible for the virus’s distribution, “You get Omicron. You get Omicron. . . EVERYONE gets Omicron!!!”
- Breakout star of 2021
Omicron seems to be doing the most – thankfully, sans the fatalities it’s predecessor carried with it. It also feels like it has a quota to fill, what with how fast its spreading. It almost seems unfair to keep throwing it under the general “COVID” umbrella. If you were bending over backwards, you’d likely be upset if you didn’t get recognized for it. Maybe we should, and this may be an unpopular opinion, just call Omicron that without attaching “a COVID variant”.
It’s kinda earned it, right? Besides, seeing as it has no qualms about going after people who recovered from one strain or another, I think it would be more considerate if we stopped saying, “AGAIN” every time they mentioned they were sick. Imagine a world where you can say “I’ve got the ‘cron.” And receive a nod and , “thank goodness it’s not ‘Rona’”
- Oximeter good. Oximeter not so good.
If there’s any lesson I’ve picked up from my experience it’s that dependence on Oximeters works both ways. It’s great when you want to know how you’re saturating, that’s for sure, but it is incredibly easy to become way too dependent on them. My fitness tracker’s left a mark on my wrist from repeated use – you’re not wearing this tight enough, kindly cut the flow of blood and try measuring again – and most of the times I’ve checked, it’s been great -98%.
The BPM was worrisome before (Under 60) but a doctor told me to calm down. Do you need an oximeter? Well, ‘need’ is a BIG word, but it’s nice to have one around for the odd check now and then. Must you make it your be all end all? No, the stress does nothing for your peace of mind.
- Guess who…
When you’ve tested positive for Corona, you’ll almost always go through a brief moment of shock, followed by disbelief (and let’s be honest, if the tests weren’t pricey, we’d ask them to run that shit again) and then, finally, head scratching as you try to figure out who gave it to you. I get it, there’s a need to place the blame on someone, especially if you’ve been taking care of yourself, but it’s not worth your time.
Think about it, if you did actually know who infected you, you wouldn’t go back to them like, “I believe this is yours. Have at thee” and give them some of your shiny new Corona. And you have to be a whole new petty to say, “Yo! WTF”. This thing is airborne and doesn’t come with a tag telling you who brought it, just move on to the treatment phase and do your best to contain it – someone out there will likely mention your name as he or she plays “Guess who gave you this”.
- Sharing is caring
No lie, there’s a bit of a stigma attached to the virus, and it’s understandable that you might want to keep quiet about falling sick BUT look at it this way, if you had interacted with someone who tested positive, wouldn’t YOU want to know so you can make sure YOU don’t spread it? No? Well, shit.
I was cagey about letting people know I’d got it the first time, but the reactions I got put me at ease. Yes, even the “Oh no, what with your lung issues?” jazz. It is possible that someone somewhere might have cussed me out under their breath, but my conscience was clear knowing I might have helped someone in some way.
Also, “This is the kind of transparency we need” actually sounds good when it’s not coming from a politician.
- So this is Christmas
A Christmas spent in isolation is not THAT bad. Sure, I may be consoling myself, but before the pandemic, we’d spend a chunk of time trying to figure out where to go have Christmas lunch, shooting down several options because the food wasn’t all that, the views were wack or the service delivery suggested the person assigned staff training duties delegated the task to a sloth. This time round, you know exactly where you will be for lunch and you kinda have an idea of how much that’s going to cost you.
And, in its own way, the bonding is at another level. Looking at family while you’re dealing with a disease slaps different from when you’re looking at your brother’s plate wondering what he ordered and trying to understand why he won’t let you sample some of his Gorgonzola. We’re family, Timothy!
- Meds in Uganda
There’s no clear answer to “what did you take the last time you had COVID?”. The “science-y” response – “it’s a viral thing, like the flu – there’s no drug for that” works and is a much shorter conversation to have, but because this question is RARELY directed at medical practitioners, answers tend to feature a mish mash of suggestions ranging from “Garlic” to “some concoction a guy hooked me up with”. I’ve taken supplements for a while, and even then, I keep wondering whether I’m taking the right dose. Is there such a thing as too much Vitamin C? Is this a Zinc overdose?
If there’s any take out from all this, it’s ‘trust the process’. While there’s a lot that’s unknown about COVID, medical practitioners have a rough idea of how to go about making you feel better. I can’t authoritatively say which herb works and which doesn’t, but the one catch with turning to them is that if you over do it, it’s a little hard for the guy at the hospital to figure out how to neutralize it.
- Running out of steam
It’s a weird thing to say, but I think I’ve actually found the ‘steam’ therapy that works for me. A friend suggested boiling mango leaves, onions and garlic and then sniffing the elixir that will result from that, but there would likely be a better chance of a baby falling in a vat of that stuff and gaining invincibility. (It’s an Asterix reference, guy, read a book).
When I do get round to steaming, I generally favour Axe oil or Mint Crystals with a bit of salt thrown in. The mint is particularly strong, but if coughing your lungs out is what you’re looking to do, they do deliver. The salt, I gather, helps with breaking down the phlegm you ordinarily wouldn’t be able to rid your system of. I’ve done more hacking and sighing than phlegm dispensation, but I did have a good CT Scan reading, so there’s that.
- I just realized it’s 1am.