Duck you Covid
Written on the 3rd of August, 2024
Just over a week ago I fell ill. I was expecting to. My mother had fallen ill three days earlier and then my brother fell ill the following day. With that, and along with my rather pitiful immune system, it was inevitable I was going down with whatever bug it happened to be. In case you somehow got here without spotting the post title, it has (almost certainly) been Covid. And it hit really hard to the extent that over the first two days I was concerned I would be hospitalised.
No tests have been carried out - our governments don't seem to care any more - but the symptoms and side effects all fit a little too well and it's not the first time I've had it. From the fever over a number of days, through the physical and mental exhaustion, past the heavy oversleep and onward to the change of taste and smell ... it's just been such a fun nine days.
When a bug such as Covid hits this hard it's not just my physical health that takes a hammering. It's normal to feel down while unwell and I suspect most people have experienced that. When you add anxiety & depression on top, the feeling of being " a bit down" can be magnified considerably. If you happen to be on medication for anxiety & depression, there's a better than average chance its effectiveness will be temporarily affected. The combination of all this can move someone from feeling "a bit down" towards an extremely dangerous spiral of extremely negative thoughts of self-harm or termination.
In my own case I'm rather glad I was barely able to stand long enough to get to my toilet, making any thoughts of leaving my house completely unrealistic.
I'm unsure if people who live with someone who experiences depression are likely to be aware of the way any - even a mild - bug can affect their mental health. Perhaps it's something that needs to be more openly discussed. Perhaps it's all really obvious and I'm the one who's naive on the matter.