We are back in school, going strong, then, one-by-one, the common cold descends upon my family. First, it's Lucille, with a slight stomach ache over night and a headache. She's fine the following day, so heads to school. Comes home and a headache returns, but nothing a little Tylenol can't cure. Two days later, Gabriel begins feeling congested with a stuffy nose and a headache. We take his temp and it is within normal range, so he has a choice to go to school and he does. At 10am, we get a call from the school... he now has a fever of 100.3 and is heading home to quarantine for 14 days, or 10 days if he tests positive for the coronavirus (anticipating a positive test would mean he likely already had it in his system for 4+ days, so hence the lessened time out of school). We take him into get tested Friday afternoon and receive results back Saturday morning, via a phone call, that he tested negative for the virus.
My sister-in-law texts us that her husband isn't feeling good (chills and achy) Saturday evening and will be getting tested. We find out on Monday that he did test positive for the coronavirus. We have not seen him for almost two weeks, however, I did go to the Holy Hill Art show with my sister-in-law, mother-in-law, and my niece, my brother-in-law's youngest daughter. Ironically, her husband has been working remotely (from home) as has my husband since March/April, when the initial Safer at Home mandate began
Sunday, late morning, Noah begins to complain of a headache and felling stuffed up. We decide to just allow him to stay home on Monday as an extra precaution. Noah gets a text from a friend, stating his name was called on the loud speaker to come down to to the main office at school... (We already called him in sick anyway, but somehow this was not in the system quite yet?) Noah anticipates this is likely because he was "exposed", as this is how the school is telling kids, having them quarantine in the office until a parent can pick them up. Sure enough, we get a call Monday morning, stating he was with 6-feet for 15-minutes+ (current CDC guidelines of potential) of a classmate who tested positive and he needs to stay home for 14 days if negative and 10 days if positive. We call the testing site and it is recommended he get tested 6 days after exposure (9/18), which would be September 23rd.
In the meantime, Ryan is also starting to get stuffed up over the weekend, feeling absolutely miserable and unable to breath. Shortness of breath, which he believes is likely his sinuses being full. His employer, knowing our son was contact-traced, requires my husband to quarantine and get tested himself. He sets up a test for him and Noah for Wednesday, the soonest they can get in.
I begin getting a running nose on Monday evening/Tuesday morning. Feeling it is likely this "common cold" Lucy had a few days ago and thinking it will pass as Gabriel, too, is beginning to feel better, I head to work. (In addition to the fact he tested negative.) By Tuesday evening, I begin sneezing uncontrollably, as Ryan points out he was doing the day prior, and needing to blow my nose non-stop. My throat is like sandpaper and my temperature fluctuates from the average 97.6 I am to 98 to 99. I am not sleeping well because of my throat and sinus congestion. I roll over at 5:30am to check my phone and see a confidential email, stating I may have been exposed and I need to go in for testing as I have been contact-traced to have been exposed within my school district. I call and tag onto my husband's already made appointment for 3:05pm, a "drive-thru" testing service at the clinic. I spike a fever later in the evening of 100.3 and head to bed early after filling a basketful of tissues to leave me with a raw nose from blowing it so much. Three cups of tea in hopes to ease the pain in my throat later, and I finally fall asleep, waking up periodically to check my My Chart for test results.
The sheets from overnight are soaked from my fever eventually breaking, however, I feel about 80% better, with the slight residual soreness my throat, and ready to go back to work. I check my "My Chart", the electronic charting from Froedtert clinic, and find my long anticipated test results to be negative. Joyously, I announce to my husband and text my principal, asking if I am able to come back today. Shortly thereafter, Ryan checks his results and he is positive for COVID. I re-text my principal and he rescinds his initial invite for me to return to school, letting me know he will get back to me.
Noah's test results came back later in the morning via a phone call. He, too, is negative.
Due to my husband's positive test, we all are required to continue to quarantine. Lucy will need to quarantine for 14-24 days; the boys and I for 14 days. (As stated above, we are told a positive test result means the kids can return to school in 10 days; a negative test result would be 14 days. The fact that Lucille had symptoms without getting tested may be the difference in protocol?)
I spent the morning setting up My Charts for the kids, since children the ages of 12-17 cannot have access to their own medical charts, nor can I access their charts without signing off as a Proxy. This way, if we need to go through testing again the results will be dropped into their My Charts vs us having to wait for a phone call, a difference between a few hours of getting the results via phone vs. in My Chart. One of my employers told me I can return to work on October 5th, when my husband's Quarantine is over, another said to take care of myself and just go virtual so I can continue working if I feel up to it. The third place, the school district, I have yet to hear back from for directive.
