Age: 50.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19-2
Symptoms: Rhinorrhoea, SARS-CoV-2 antibody test positive, SARS-CoV-2 test negative, Streptococcal infection, Streptococcus test positive
Clinical narrative: I received the Moderna Bivalent booster for COVID-19 on 9/10/2022. On 10/25/2022, I was on a cruise ship when I began to get the sniffles. On 10/27/2022, my sniffles got worse, so I took a home antigen test, which yielded a negative result. I felt like I was cycling through cold symptoms. I developed nasal congestion, sore throat, laryngitis, and congestion in the upper chest and laryngeal area. I took another home antigen test on 11/4/2022 and got a strongly positive result. I notified the cruise medical center. They came to my room and conducted a PCR test. In comparison with previous PCR tests I had received, their swabbing wasn't very thorough, since I could barely even feel the swab. Two hours later, they called me and let me know that the PCR result was negative and that I did not have to mask or self-isolate. I wasn't happy about this, because I was certain that I did have COVID-19. I had to eat, though, so I masked when I left the room to get food and then brought the food back to my room. I self-isolated as much as possible. On 11/5/2022, I wasn't feeling well, so I went to the ship's clinic. They did not perform another PCR test, but they did do blood work, a chest X-ray, and an oral swab to test for strep throat. They told me that I had tested positive for Streptococcus pyogenes, which I found strange, since I did not have classic strep throat symptoms. They prescribed me 300 mg of cefdinir, which I began taking on 11/7/2022; I was to take one pill twice a day. They also put me on an intravenous antibiotic, ceftriaxone sodium, on 11/5/2022 and 11/6/2022. I felt a little better after I started the antibiotics, but not much. I continued to have the symptoms of an upper respiratory infection, which included laryngitis, nasal congestion, and upper respiratory congestion. I measured my blood oxygen level, which remained in the normal range. I also ran a low-grade fever of 99-100 for a couple of days. During this time, I lost my appetite. I had a lot of post-nasal drip, which was just out of control. On 11/13/2022, the cruise ended, and my symptoms were about the same as before. I was still very congested and even wheezed a little. On 11/9/2022 and 11/12/2022, I had taken home antigen tests that had both yielded negative results. On 11/14/2022, I still had no appetite, plus I was dizzy and sweaty, so I went to an urgent care. My vitals were taken, and everything was normal. My lungs were clear, but the doctor thought it would be a good idea to switch out the antibiotics. I was prescribed an amoxicillin/AUGMENTIN combination, prednisone, and an albuterol inhaler. I started the medications that day, and I felt significantly better on 11/15/2022, though I still had respiratory congestion. I flew home on 11/18/2022. I continued to feel fatigued; the nasal congestion was gone, but I still had post-nasal drip and upper chest congestion. On 11/30/2022, I went to my workplace health center. They told me that my lungs sounded clear. They wondered if I had some acid reflux that could have aggravated the other symptoms. They prescribed me PRILOSEC and advised me to sleep with my head raised. I didn't feel noticeably better until 12/10/2022. Ever since then, I have continued to feel better, though I still have mild congestion and post-nasal drip. I also feel less fatigued. More than anything, I feel like I have been battling a drawn-out virus for the past 2 months.