Editor’s note: China Daily’s COVID Diary shares stories and thoughts of our frontline journalists and staff as they fight the ongoing fifth wave of the pandemic together with the city, as well as the virus itself.
People wearing a face mask walk at a street at Causeway Bay shopping district in Hong Kong, Feb 18, 2022. (VINCENT YU / AP)
It was a Monday. I had my third shot of the vaccine in the morning and returned to the office at noon to complete my work. I felt a little bit weak at work and developed a slight cough and a sore throat after returning home at night. But, I didn’t think too much about it as I already had the third jab in the morning, and thought they were probably the side effects of the vaccination.
But, on the second and third day, the symptoms, such as coughing, a sore throat and headache, did not subside and became more intense instead, rendering me unable to sleep at night. Since I had already taken three shots of the vaccine, providing me with a certain degree of resistance, and I rarely went out, except to work during the outbreak, I had not thought of the possibility of me contracting COVID-19.
It wasn’t until the morning on the fourth day when I had to go to work again, I sent a message to my boss saying I was ill and might not be able to show up. His reply woke me up: “Could you have been infected with COVID-19? Why don’t you go for a test?”
I immediately went to the nearest private clinic to see the doctor who prescribed me some common medicines for sore throat. I also received a specimen collection pack and bought a Rapid Antigen Test kit. I went home and tested positive. I was frightened, not because I’m scared of the virus and I’m confident I could defeat it as I’m still young, but because I’m living with my grandparents who are in their 80s. I was worried about infecting them. I then decided to move out to my mother’s apartment. My mother had prepared food and medicines for me in advance and had moved to my grandparents’ home.
As the rapid antigen test might not be accurate, coupled with reports that local hospitals have been overwhelmed with COVID-19 patients, I decided to self-isolate at home. Two days after submitting my specimen samples to the authorities, I received a text message from the government confirming I was indeed infected. The message merely said: “Stay at home and wait for the CHP (Centre for Health Protection) to contact you.” However, no further notice was received. I was worried, without knowing what to do next. But then, the symptoms had begun to subside and I had got used to working from home amid the pandemic. I resumed working and felt it wasn’t too boring self-isolating at home.
On the eighth and ninth day, I had almost recovered, having tested negative through the Rapid Antigen Tests for several consecutive days. My 14-day home isolation finally ended. I then went to a testing center for a proper PCR (Polymerase Chain Reaction) test. I felt so relieved after I tested negative to the virus.
Maybe I’m still young and I had been vaccinated three times against COVID-19, the symptoms weren’t as bad as I thought. I’m now back at work and I had climbed Sections 9 and 10 of the MacLehose Trail in a day. I guess I’ve defeated the virus.
