Sketch by Xu Huan
Cheng Jiashu and Xu Huan are our good friends. Xiao Qun once sketched for Xu Huan.
Last winter, they went to San Francisco. From the 13th to the 22nd of this month, they experienced ten days of intense COVID-19 for their son. Xu Huan's diary vividly and concretely tells the story of the family's fight against the epidemic. We suspect that her personal experience will be of interest to readers. It is published below for your reference.
Ten diaries in the middle of the recruitment
Xu Huan
January 13, 2022
At four o'clock in the afternoon, the eldest son flew from Houston to John Wayne Airport, and I drove to pick him up, and in the distance I saw my son sitting on his luggage, tired, already waiting. In the excitement, I rushed out of the car door as soon as I stopped the car, to give my son, who had not been seen in a few days, a big hug. The son used his hand to block, said that the throat was a little sore, let me suddenly startle, immediately braked and retreated, let him not take off the mask, do not sit in the co-driver, move the back row, more or less keep a certain distance.
Asked all the way, he said that his throat was uncomfortable the day before, and this morning's self-test was negative, which should not be the new crown. Back at home, I insisted that he go through the side door and go straight into his room. But he said how to get the living room and dad to say hello, filial piety can not be stopped, father and son are six feet apart, no handshake, only greeting, the son was immediately urged into his house by me, to take a hot bath.
We ate dinner together, but the vigilance forced me to prepare another bowl of chopsticks, not only to eat but also to divide the seats, and my son sat on the other side of the table.
He said he was tired and would be fine with a good night's sleep. I hope so!
I often had a premonition and suspected that he had been hit by the virus.
January 14, 2022
When they came together in the morning, they asked their son how he felt, and he said that his throat was still sore. Immediately with the home of the covid-19 home test self-test, less than a few minutes, showing two red bars, showing positive, sure enough!
Quarantine, right now!
The son covered his mask with his hand and muttered repeatedly before being "confined": "I'm fine, really, you two don't get sick, don't pass it on!" ”
The epidemic is raging, who can guarantee that Qiu will not commit any crimes? How many families in the United States have fallen as a whole, and the priorities depend on the physical age. My husband and I are both sixty plus eight, and we take anti-blood pressure and blood sugar stabilization drugs every day, which is already a "high-risk group". Now that the soldiers are in the city, the virus is close at hand! I'm afraid I can't hide from it.
The couple shook their heads in confusion and looked at each other dazedly. Calm down for a moment, then realize ~ Take the call! At this time, the most intolerable thing is panic!
Therefore, first do disinfection and cleaning: vacuuming in the house without falling on any corners; alcohol wiping all the table and chair door handles; large doors and windows, ventilation and ventilation; then driving around: visiting many pharmacies, buying ten boxes of self-testing agents (one person can only buy two), and essential common drugs, disinfectants, mouthwashes, etc.; patronizing Costco and Dahua, buying enough bottled water and vitamin C solvent at one time, adding fish, eggs, milk and vegetables and fruits.
In the future, try to go out as little as possible, protect yourself and maintain others. At the end of the day, I was nervous and tired, but "I had food in my hands and my heart did not panic." In the United States, no one will send things to the door, so bring your own self-sufficiency!
When I got home and had a video conversation with my son, he had no other symptoms except a sore throat, so he was somewhat relieved.
To be on the safe side, the couple separated tonight just in case.
January 15, 2022
After a night of nothing, the recruiter did not deteriorate, and the two close contacts did not show any signs of infection. If it comes, then it will take over!
Recruitment principle: disinfection outside the home from time to time, touch the east and the west often wash hands, drink a lot of water every day, the sun will be sunny, green vegetables and fruits contain vitamin C will be supplemented, fish, meat, eggs and milk are continuous every day, maybe they can survive!
Coincidentally, the house that was just moved in last year, the master bedroom is a suite, the two second bedrooms are independent portals in turn, each has a sanitary bath, and several "dormitory" porches are connected, around an open space, a bit like a Chinese bungalow courtyard. Three people and three bedrooms, absolutely suitable for isolation.
The son can't go out of the house, still network to work, although the headache in the morning, the throat is still itchy, but there is no fever and cough, it should be a mild disease; the father and mother do not leave the house, the next room reads books, sometimes the kitchen meets, the most topic of the day is what to eat today...
Two main meals a day, there are meat and vegetarian, food and drink collocation, placed on the tray, placed in front of the son's room, knocking on the door to remind, quickly return to the back room, looking through the window, seeing the son take the meal before eating his own meal.
The son is very self-conscious, even if he goes out to get food, he also covers the mask tightly, and when he puts the plate back, he still wipes it with wet wipes, and the question is always: "Are you okay?" ”
The youngest son, who is far away from graduate school in Washington, D.C., is also a phone message to pay attention to the advice. At any time, I miss caring for each other, and I seal my own small courtyard, and I have a strong sense of love.
January 16 - 17, 2022
During the isolation period, contact with mobile phones, fitness on their own, timely disinfection is external, fresh air is a must, the most important thing is "food", immune resistance comes from the enhancement of nutrition. Nutrition comes from protein, vitamins, fat, fiber, minerals, water, etc., so meat, eggs, milk beans, vegetables and fruits can not be less. You have to eat something every day. Not in many, in fine, in full, in quality!
Weekday breakfast: egg milk walnut avocado, carrot cucumber tomato celery, plus freshly squeezed orange juice.
Unfortunately, my son did not eat breakfast until noon, and did not open the door to pick up the plate until noon. That must be a big meal! Beef pork chop lobster fried fish take turns, egg green vegetable soup juice basically does not fall, every time the son "complains" too much, back to the parents also ask "enough?" ”
The father who is in charge of cooking, every day on the Internet to seek the scriptures, the refrigerator to take materials, because the material is made in detail, changing with each passing day, basically not the same.
The mother who delivered the food on the plate wiped the east and the west, rummaged through this and that, cut the meat and washed the vegetables, sprinkled the garden, and rarely could idle.
The two days passed quickly, and I didn't feel covered by the pandemic. Attention shifts to the careful focus of eating, and emotions also change from inner tension to gradual calm. Maybe the virus also deceives people, the more you are afraid, the more crazy it is, you look down on it, it is boring.
January 18, 2022
The son did not panic in the event, tested himself again, and Yun lightly reported the result: "Positive." It's been less than a week, and it's all right. "He's still closed and working from home.
The second old heart can be tightened, such as the burden of the mountain, the virus is more persistent than imagined, all say that young people are good for three or five days, it seems that it is not inevitable. The danger is not over, the contagiousness is strong, and the threat is always there.
Mr. sensitive to come, first said that the body is sour, and then said that the throat is uncomfortable, I can hear that I also have an itchy throat, quickly rinse my mouth and nose, suddenly feel hot and spicy, swirling and cool.
Mr. Gao also came: "Sleeping is the best maintenance." The book is not read for the time being, the mobile phone is also put aside ~ he can really do it, where to sleep, the size of the sofa, skewed and sloping, is not lying flat on the bed, just talking to him, the instantaneous snoring has sounded.
I was not at ease, and took out the only medicines in my home: anti-fever, throat spraying, runny nose, pain relief, check the efficacy one by one, and take precautions.
And take advantage of the sun outside, sunbathing and inhaling, practicing eight danjin, California has a pleasant climate, and winter is often sunny.
In the afternoon, the sky had changed, the clouds were dense, the sky was getting darker and darker, and the stratus clouds were still in my heart, pressing heavily.
Fortunately, after half a day's sleep, I finally woke up and said with a smile: "Hungry!" My throat doesn't hurt anymore, and I have the strength to cook! "Maybe sleep is really a good medicine?"
January 19, 2022
But I couldn't sleep for several nights, and I couldn't stop looking at the news on WeChat text messages, saying everything, listening to everyone's right, and vice versa!
The son does not have a fever or cough, how can he still be positive? It is said that the virus infection is extremely fast, under the same roof, close to the "high-risk" close contact, we did not respond for a few days, is the prevention effective? Or is there a problem with the test?
I'm starting to have questions. These are two self-testing agents, one in each box. The above is passed by the US FDA tick. $49.9, made in the USA, the program is a bit complicated and has not yet been enabled. We used the following one, COVID-19 Antigen Home Test, which is obviously produced by ACON Laboratories, Inc USA, for $9.9, and the side sticker is marked MADE IN CHINA. There is also a product certificate certified by the official seal of Zhejiang Hangzhou Aikang Technology Co., Ltd. in China. There are three small packages inside, which are very convenient to use: use a cotton stick to penetrate deep into the nasal cavity, poke five times left and then five times right, take it out and stir in the vial reagent water for 30 seconds, so that the nasal mucosa is fully dissolved in the liquid, and then squeeze the vial reagent into the bottom area of the test box for four drops, waiting for the result. Within minutes, it was shown that one red bar was negative and two bars were positive.
Self-test up to 15 minutes, so good to make something, Made in China? Why not in China?
Watching the news, the people of Xi'an lined up in the cold to wait for the test, round after round; people who were anxious to go home for the New Year were anxious to wait for the test results, hour by hour; more economic and social pressure! Made in China for foreign use, how to understand? There may be a patent issue. Is it so difficult to buy a patent to serve Chinese people? How much manpower, material resources and wealth can be saved!
If you look closely, things are not as simple as I thought: "Product Certificate" - "Novel Coronavirus Antigen Home Test Kit", is it only guaranteed that the packaging bag is qualified? And nothing to do with reagents? I don't understand! Or believe in science!
January 20, 2022
More and more people are recruited, and the epidemic map in the United States has long been "a red in the national diagnosis", and many places are even dark red, purple red, black and red. The son's stroke is inevitable. He went to a friend's wedding, there were many people gatherings and came from all over, young people didn't care, they were sick and basically mild.
We are different from those who receive the recruitment, once we are recruited, we don't know how to suffer it! Forbidden for many days, although there is no sleep and food uneasiness, somewhat worried; try to find something to do, ask for peace of mind; carefully prepare meals for the son. WeChat dried his son's "food", causing friends to laugh and comment: "Eating so well every day, why rush to turn yin?" Talking to relatives and friends, he was persuaded that the epidemic is on a downward trend and that it is now "darkness before dawn". I hope so, but we seem to be in the dark, how can we take it lightly, although the vaccine has been given three times, the age is here, and we still have to take precautions. Believe that science can save mankind! May God bless!
January 21, 2022
To this day, my son's test turned yin!
The joy is not colorful, the son is indifferent: "There was not much big deal." But he really has symptoms, and he is positive for many days, although it is mild, it is also a stroke.
After thinking about it, if: the son is grinning, a little sore throat and does not care; mother and son meet at the airport, as usual, first come to a close hug; just arrived at home, take off the mask, father and son talk very happily; dinner together, chopsticks and spoons; shared dishes. The reappearance of the stroke may be that the whole family is in the same quagmire.
The old two were happy with themselves, and secretly breathed a sigh of relief: there was no "if" in the loss, and they were glad that they did not cause a big problem. Although for a few days, we both had a throat discomfort, when we felt sore, wouldn't it all be nervous, maybe the virus tried to invade and offend? Or is the three-shot vaccine effectively guarded? Sealing the home, clearing zero, lying flat, coexisting with the virus, all done, but that's all. Cautiously, so far it has been a disaster.
Qu index to do: absolute isolation, comprehensive disinfection, purchase of objects, do not touch outsiders, clear throat gargling, drink a lot of water, improve nutrition, ensure sleep, respect science, according to the rules and regulations, not in a hurry, calm state of mind, the virus is not invincible!
For safety reasons, quarantine needs to continue, check the refrigerator food, it is still enough, properly prepared, still able to eat a meal. The mood is much easier, but people are getting fatter.
January 22, 2022
For several days, every other window shouted: Son has eaten!
Today, the father shouted excitedly: Son, it's time to go out of the mountain!
Still "imprisoned" in his own room, the son held out his palm to show that there were still five days! Even though I always say "It's okay!" He still cares about his parents and needs to test the yin again before he is willing to talk and eat with his parents.
He and we, and he, are looking forward to a long-lost hug!
An unforeseen battle of the century, we actually rushed to the front line of the epidemic, close to the crazy virus, fortunately did not catch up with the "hand-to-hand combat", good to pass by.
Sir and I clapped our hands together, and my life survived again.
Fortunately, the combination of "cooking class", in this world war of tens of millions of people, accompanied by the lightly injured, walked on the line of fire, passed through the smoke and fire, that is, did not fall down and did not seriously injure, and achieved these ten days of talks one after another, and it was not in vain!