Quarantining – for real, this time

– has begun. Karin is joining in.

Yesterday, we took Samuel to the doctor – he was still feverish – and learned that his temperature was higher than we’d realized (our thermometers have been erratic).

He was tested for the seasonal flu. The result was negative. He also was tested for COVID-19. That result will become available after one week. He also gave a urine sample. It will be tested for associated infections, and the results will become available on Tuesday.

No matter what the tests show, we three are strictly required to stay at home for fourteen days. The doctor gave us this letter (one copy for each of us):


So: Karin will stay at home from work. She’ll also receive 80 hours of pay, thanks to a law that went into effect on April 1. (Had we taken Samuel to the doctor before April 1, Karin wouldn’t have qualified for this pay.)

Samuel has been prescribed flu medicine though he probably doesn’t have the flu. The medicine is meant to deal with other infections. And it does seem to be helping: his temperature has dropped, and he’s much happier.

If Samuel does have the COVID-19, then Karin & I almost certainly have it, too. Sunday is the last day we can expect to notice symptoms. Until recently, we noticed nothing. Today, Karin & I have sticky throats. We hope it’s just because we slept in until about eleven o’clock and our airways accumulated a bit of gunk.

Actually, now that we’re so strictly quarantined, it’d be fine if we did have the COVID-19 (provided our symptoms were no worse than this).

We watched an episode of House, M.D. The patient died, which didn’t bode well.

♦ ♦ ♦ ♦ ♦

Update (Saturday): Our throats have felt better since this morning. I did wake up after a wild dream about having to drain somebody else’s basement. When the water receded, I saw that the basement was full of weightlifting equipment.