Catching a Cold During a Global Pandemic
With the rise of flu season, people are more scared than usual to see symptoms of the common cold. Runny nose, dry cough and headaches could mean more than just being sick; for these symptoms are common indicators of the coronavirus. A virus that has swept the nation, taking lives of millions, causing a global pandemic.
I Knew flu season would come with extra precautions this year but what I didn’t know is the fear it would cause.
For my family and I, we’ve been following the COVID-19 precautions, but knew flu season would still strike our household. With my daughter going back to daycare, it was only a matter of time until we became infested with coughs and runny noses.
The problem with being sick during a global pandemic, is people assume you have been struck by the deadly virus. The long list of symptoms is similar to those of the common cold and influenza. The majority of stores and public facilities do not allow people inside who show more than two of those symptoms.
That meant, for me, I had to become a couch potato as I started coming down with cold-like symptoms. Luckily my schooling is online so that was easy to continue without falling behind. What wasn’t easy, was doing my weekly errands such as getting groceries, filling my car with gas, and taking my daughter to daycare. No matter where I went, I either was not allowed inside due to my symptoms or was holding my breath in fear of coughing.
Along with the public’s fear, came personal fear, even though I knew I did not have the virus for I had seen a doctor. It was a sinus infection accompanied with a slight cold, but that confirmation did not stop my anxiety from running rapid.
“What if it is COVID?”
“What if I gave it to my daughter?”
“I could just not be showing other symptoms.”
“Maybe the doctor overlooked something.”
My partner, Mike Lord, feels peoples fear behind getting sick may cause more harm than good. “My only concern is everyone’s going to freak out and everyone’s going to get sick and all think they got COVID, and then they’re going to shut everything down again. Just because people are feeling ill,” he said.
For him getting sick meant lots of questions from his co-workers and boss, confirming it is not COVID. “They all thought I got the COVID,” he laughed. He too found out from a doctor early on that he had a sinus infection.
This flu season is taken more seriously than previous years, due to the state of the global pandemic. This year, Fredericton is offering free flu shots at places such as UNB. I strongly advise people to call around and book a flu shot, so this may be avoided.
For my family and I, we are going to continue to follow the safety measures. We know there is no way to avoid the germs my daughter may bring home. There are however, ways to avoid the spread.