Well, this is ironic, I suppose

[luzula]

So I moved home to my parents again because my flatmates wanted to take too many risks for my taste (taking friends home, visiting friends at home, when we were well into the third wave). I was isolating myself within the home, so I felt that was safe.

But now my dad has tested positive! Oh joy. It seems unlikely he got it from me, which is a relief (I got home Friday evening, he first got symptoms early on Sunday). His symptoms were very vague, so he didn't even think to warn us--it was only on Friday evening that he said "Why does this horse radish not smell of anything?", and I was like, oh fuck. My dad is the epitome of the distracted scientist with his mind in the clouds, and while it's impossible to know where he got it, I can well imagine him neglecting basic safety precautions at some point. I don't know why I felt safer here.

His symptoms are now gone, and it seems he got off easy, which is at least a relief (he's 65). Of course we immediately started isolating within the home, but it had been days! Neither Mom (who is 70) nor I have symptoms, and we got tested, but haven't got the results yet. Augh.

And on the way home from testing, Mom insisted on stopping at the supermarket because she wanted some spinach for her salad, despite me arguing vehemently against it!!! She could very likely be infected and contagious, and sure, she wore a mask, but I still consider that completely unethical. We had food at home and she didn't really need that spinach. She said that Swedish guidelines say it's okay for people who have infected family members to go to the grocery store, and I reminded her that she has herself criticized the laxity with which Sweden has handled the pandemic. So, what, the rules should be stricter but they should not apply to you? This is why we are in this situation...

Why am I surrounded by covidiots?? (Thanks james, for that term.)

Comments

[nnozomi]

Oh dear! I'm glad your dad is probably okay, and hope the rest of you are too. Take good care, and I hope you have something to do that will help work off the AARRGGH feelings.

[luzula]

Thank you! Yes, I am full of arrgh still. I guess I'll call a friend and vent...

[james]

You're welcome! I got it from somewhere, but don't recall where.

[luzula]

It has probably been coined many times, considering the need for such a term...

[desireearmfeldt]

Ack! I hope you and your family remain okay.

[luzula]

Thanks! Nothing we can do now but wait, and continue to isolate as best we can, in case one of us has it and the other one hasn't so far...

[lilysea]

Oh no! :(

May you and your mother both test negative!

and yes, I am LIVID at your mother - Spinach is not worth potentially killing a supermarket cashier or another shopper for.

Here in Australia the rules are "while waiting on your COVID test results you may not leave your house for any reason except urgent medical treatment"

[luzula]

Thanks!

I guess I would consider your rules a little excessive--I mean, if you can do straight out your door into the woods, as we can here, that doesn't pose a risk to anyone else. But arrrrgh to what Mom did!!

[tei]

Ugh, I’m sorry about your parents (both in different ways, I suppose!)

[luzula]

Thanks, much appreciated!

[ride_4ever]

*agrees that your aarrgghh is justified and thinks wellness thoughts for you and yours*

[luzula]

Thanks for the support and the good wishes!

[feroxargentea]

Oh no! I hope you'll be okay!

Ugh to the spinach. I do understand the annoyance of going without fresh food (I was literally on the doormat about to go food shopping when my partner came back from a nightshift saying "I don't feel well", and we were down to one lemon by the time we were allowed out again -- I was considering how to make grog to keep off the scurvy).

[luzula]

Thanks! I do feel rather tired now, and it's the perfect timing to get sick if we had 5-7 days incubation from when he would have been most contagious. : ( But I'm not actually sick yet; we'll see, I suppose. : /

We had lots of fresh food, she could've put something else in her salad--she's just very particular about wanting just the right food, and (as you can tell) not willing to compromise on it, arrrrgh.

(At least you know about vitamin C! Have you read this fascinating blog post on scurvy?)

[jesse_the_k]

You beat me to it with pinboard's epic blog post.

I don't know what your mother was thinking--maybe some magical "if I pretend it's all okay then nothing bad will happen"?

Glad your dad's doing well now.

Fingers crossed for you!

[luzula]

Thanks! <3

I dunno, I think it was just selfishness, but then I'm still a little mad at her for it.

[hyarrowen]

The knowledge of how to prevent and cure scurvy seems to have been strangely easy to forget. It was forgotten between Lind's day and Nelson's, and apparently again since then. In a seafaring nation, this begins to look like carelessness.

[luzula]

Yes, but as the blog post explains, it's quite understandable! I mean, they didn't know the actual mechanism, and also, it seems that lemons were switched for limes which have lower vitamin C content, and then with steam ships, passage times were so fast that they didn't notice the lower effectiveness until the polar explorers needed it...

[hyarrowen]

Eh, I must've faded out at that point...!

[feroxargentea]

I had not read that blog, but thank you for the link -- it was indeed fascinating! (and a good primer on how not to design clinical trials!)

[regshoe]

Argh, how awful. Ugh, and having to deal with other people taking silly risks must be just the worst on top of the anxiety of all that... But I'm glad your dad is feeling better now, and I hope you and your mom are OK. <3

[luzula]

Thanks for the good wishes! No result yet, but I'm feeling fine.

[seascribble]

I'm glad your dad seems to have got off okay, but I am VERY disappointed in your mom. Does she think she's American!

[luzula]

I don't know, I think she's just selfish. /o\

I'm still feeling fine, but I'll just have to wait and see...

[hurry_sundown]

Hey, hey, hey! Don't be broad-brushing your neighbors to the south. Some of us actually believe the science.

[seascribble]

I'm American too!

[skygiants]

I'm so sorry, I hope everyone in your family ends up OK!

[luzula]

Thanks! No results yet, but mom and I are feeling fine...we'll just have to wait and see.

[lyr]

Gah. I'm sorry, but it's good your dad seems to be okay. I hope you and your mom are, too.

[luzula]

Thanks! No results yet, but mom and I are feeling fine...we'll just have to wait and see.

[mergatrude]

Ugh! So many hugs!

I hope things go well for you.

[luzula]

Thanks! Mom was positive, I was negative, but I think it just hadn't finished incubating. I definitely have some sort of infection now. : (

[hurry_sundown]

Oh geez. I hope everyone is all right. *hugs you from afar*

[luzula]

Thanks! Mom was positive, I was negative, but I think it just hadn't finished incubating. I definitely have some sort of infection now. : (

[chestnut_pod]

May you and your mother both test negative! And may your father stay well!

And gosh, ugh to the rest. Much commiseration and support.

[luzula]

Thanks! Mom was positive, I was negative, but I think it just hadn't finished incubating. I definitely have some sort of infection now. : (

[chestnut_pod]

Oh no :/

I hope it’s as easy and fast as it can be <3

[luzula]

Thanks! <3

[hyarrowen]

Oh, hell's bells. I hope you've got your results by now, but such a worry that you had to have the tests at all. I'm glad you were feeling OK when you made this post... Your mother - well, I know you have your ups and downs with her and this sounds like one of the downs. And I always though Sweden would be one of the more sensible countries with regards to the pandemic, but no! Even though you're nothing like as idiotic as the Brits.

Take good care of yourself.

[luzula]

Thanks! Mom was positive, I was negative, but I think it just hadn't finished incubating. I definitely have some sort of infection now. : (

Well, I'm resting and drinking enough water, don't know what more I can do.

[garonne]

I'm so sorry to hear this. I hope you and your Mom are getting on okay.

[luzula]

We're both still fine physically, so far! Socially, um. We grate on each other a bit. : /