Surprisingly enriching, yet not saddening: My experience with coronavirus as an asymptomatic person

BY SOFIA MENDEZ

Experience can knock us down, but it can also strengthen us. It all depends on our attitude as this plays an important role in the lessons we take from the obstacles we encounter. 

Currently in our worldwide pandemic, one of the peculiarities of the coronavirus is that a person who is infected may not present any symptoms throughout the course of having the disease. These people are known as asymptomatic. I was one of them—this was one of my obstacles.

This all started Sunday, November 22. My mother woke me up in the morning saying that my two younger brothers had a temperature and a cough, so the best thing to do was to get the whole family tested for coronavirus just in case. The next morning, Monday, November 23, my mother received the results back from our COVID-19 tests. 

I was downstairs making myself breakfast when my mother called me to come upstairs immediately to share the important news. The thoughts in my head during that moment were that “Oh no, my brothers tested positive for COVID!” Of course, as a big sister I have to remain calm and not make a big deal out of it so that they don’t feel overwhelmed. 

With their voices breaking, both of my parents said that I was the only one in my household to test positive for COVID-19.

However, when I got upstairs, the least unexpected thing was said by my mother. As a matter of fact, she told me the opposite of what I expected. With their voices breaking, both of my parents said that I was the only one in my household to test positive for COVID-19. 

At that instant, I had immediately slipped into my room to start quarantining. Over the next 11 days is when my experience with the virus occurred. 

Honestly, the first couple of days were a roller coaster full of emotions. I had moments throughout the day when I’d just cry because of the frustration and confusion that was constantly present in my mind. I couldn’t help but think, “Why did this happen only to me?” “How did I get COVID and why didn’t anybody that I was with recently get COVID as well?” 

Everything was very uncertain to me as the unexplainable seemed to play around with my emotions. The two days that hit me the hardest were most definitely Thanksgiving Day and my dad’s birthday. Seeing my family six feet apart while celebrating the day where one most appreciates the blessings of life was miserable. 

Seeing my family six feet apart while celebrating the day where one most appreciates the blessings of life was miserable. 

Despite this, Thanksgiving also made me realize how lucky I am to have such an amazing support system in my family. I am truly grateful that I was diagnosed as an asymptomatic person and didn’t have to experience any rough symptoms whatsoever. Every single day millions of people are dying and suffering from this terrible disease, and I easily could’ve had an experience like that. However, I didn’t and I have to be very grateful for that. 

Fast-forwarding to the days ahead, I started them off with great positivity and serenity. Things that kept me distracted and kept me productive during the day were watching a bunch of TV shows and movies, FaceTiming with my friends, exercising, meditating, reading, journaling and drawing. I finally had some essential time to really reflect and enjoy the little things I usually never had time to appreciate. As I took charge of my health and happiness, I decompressed and filled up my energy, getting rid of stress and clearing my mind.

I finally reached the day to get retested again and it felt nerve-wracking. After waiting a couple of hours, I finally got my results back. I came back negative this time for COVID-19. Teardrops started falling from my eyes, but this time, they were tears of joy as now I was in the arms of my three younger brothers and my parents. 

I’ve always lived by the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason,” and as much as I desired not to have COVID-19, at the end of the day there is a reason as to why I got it and no one else did. Right now it might seem unexplainable to me as to why I ever got the illness, but I know in the future this will all make sense. 

I’ve always lived by the phrase, “Everything happens for a reason,” and as much as I desired not to have COVID-19, at the end of the day there is a reason as to why I got it and no one else did.

Having radiance, positive thoughts and gratitude outweighs anything negative in life. We must be grateful that every day we all have the opportunity to wake up, to open our eyes and see the world in which we live. 

My family has cared for me a lot these days and they made the effort to be constantly aware of my well-being, so quite frankly I am very thankful for everything. In retrospect, this experience of having COVID as someone asymptomatic has been one that I will always remember and look back on for the rest of my life.

Photo courtesy of Medpage Today