In late February and March, I received the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine; in late September, I received the Pfizer booster.
I was exposed to COVID-19 Nov. 22. I took immediate measures to inform my family members scheduled to come for Thanksgiving dinner, and we agreed it was better to be overly cautious and cancel dinner.
On Thanksgiving I sat down to a meal that included a 24-pound turkey, stuffing, turnip, squash and dinner rolls. Everything was tasty and celebratory, despite being alone.
On Nov. 26 I developed a runny nose, watery eyes and headache right behind the eyes; by Saturday I lost my senses of taste and smell.
Over the course of the weekend, I napped a lot and endured these cold-like symptoms, but the virus had yet to go into my chest. I knew that I had COVID despite no testing yet.
On Nov. 30, using the Abbott BinaxNOW over-the-counter test that my son dropped off because I was determined to stay quarantined and did not feel well enough to drive, COVID-19 was confirmed. Six days after symptoms showed up I am feeling much better, though not 100%, and I think my vaccinations helped prevent really serious complications as I am 71 and fit but “husky.”
But here is my question: who counts my infection, as the CDC’s methods for reporting seem geared toward official venues who perform testing and are obligated to report positive cases? It would seem that OTC testing cases are going unreported, thus the number of positive cases must be under-reported.
Mark Wood, Poland
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