Covid in the house

 Despite our best efforts, this happened.

Frédéric started coughing on a Friday, and since he gets bronchitis every year, we didn't think much of it, except to regret that we're out of Robitussin and weren't able to replenish our stock since we haven't been able to go to the US in almost a year now. 

On Sunday, he made lemon chicken for dinner. He asked the boys if they could guess what was for dinner. Noah said he didn't know, but something with lemons. 

Frédéric, astounded, asked how he knew. Noah said, "Because I can smell lemons all over the house!" ... and that's when Frédéric realized there might be a problem. 

He couldn't smell the lemons he had cut, he tried the rosemary, coffee, even vinegar... nothing. 

He started wearing a mask in the house at that point. 

It was the same Monday morning, so he called the doctor. The doctor sent him to the lab for a covid test. He was told it would be 48 hours for the results, but the lab tech told him there was no doubt, with that symptom.

On Wednesday morning, (after only 36 hours, as it turns out) the lab phoned to tell us his result was positive. So we're in quarantine now. The lab and the doctor both said there was no need for the rest of us to be tested if we quarantined as though we had it.

Fortunately (from our point of view, not the boys'...) it's school vacation, so we can do our full quarantine and they won't have to miss any school. Frédéric was only scheduled to work two days during these two weeks, too. 

We're baffled about how he got it, because he's been super careful this entire time - constant mask-wearing, handwashing, using hand sanitizer when out. We think it's likely he got it from work, since that's where he usually brings things home from (exhibit A, the flu he brought home to share in January). But they do wear masks at work, too, so it's confusing. Although I read an article today showing how it can circulate in closed spaces despite masks, and if you stay in the same place long enough, it's just a matter of time. It also went around the swim team coaches, so it's vaguely possible the boys could have brought it home, asymptomatically. But they weren't identified as contact cases, either, and since we didn't have hem tested, we don't know if they have/had it or not.

As for quarantine: current government rules indicate a seven-day quarantine for Frédéric starting from his first symptoms. And then seven further days for the rest of us after that. The doctor asked him to isolate until the Monday ten days later, and signed him off work through the 29th, which ends up being two weeks since his first symptoms. The timing works out well since that means Frédéric will be clear to work on his next scheduled day, October 31st, and the boys will be clear to go to school after fall break, November 2nd.

Frédéric is on day 13 of the illness now and has not had any severe symptoms. Just coughing and loss of sense of smell. We think I've got it as well since I've also had a small cough and had a little trouble breathing the other day. We're glad that our symptoms have remained mild.