Age: 28.0
Sex: F
Vaccine: COVID19
Symptoms: Impaired work ability, Nasopharyngitis, Oropharyngeal pain, Photophobia, Rhinorrhoea
Clinical narrative: I received my second Moderna booster for COVID-19 on 7/13/2022. On the morning of 8/15/2022, I felt like I had a really bad head cold. I didn't think much of it, because there was a head cold that was being spread around at my workplace. I had a sinus headache, sinus congestion, fatigue, and an itchy throat. I felt the same way on 8/16/2022. On 8/17/2022, the symptoms were worse. I began to have a runny nose and a bit of a cough. I was also even more fatigued. I didn't feel like working, but I had to go to work, because we were short-staffed. I just took some ADVIL sinus and went to work. I went to work and felt a little bit better. At around 10 AM, though, I got a text from my sister, whom I had recently visited. In the text, she informed me that she had tested positive for COVID-19. I immediately put on a mask and informed my manager that I needed to go home. I went home and took a COVID-19 test, which yielded a positive result. I stayed home afterwards. I called and emailed my doctor to inform her of my test results and to ask for suggestions. Because I had had asthma when I was a child, the doctor prescribed me an albuterol inhaler, which I didn't need. She also prescribed me benzonatate. She recommended that I also buy some OTC medicines like MUCINEX and AFRIN nasal spray, plus a NETI POT. I obtained all of these by the end of the day. I stayed at home and followed the doctor's orders. On 8/18/2022, I felt even worse than before. My fatigue, cough, and head congestion were more intense. I had a sensitivity to light. My nose was running constantly. My sore throat also hurt worse than before. I used the NETI POT and took the medicine, which helped some, but not much. Of all the medicines, the benzonatate helped the most, because it got rid of the cough. I wasn't sleeping well during this period; I would wake up multiple times at night. This was largely due to generalized discomfort. The worst day was probably 8/19/2022. I had zero energy and had to make an effort to get up and eat and drink water. I still had a severe cough and a severe sinus headache. I still had a runny nose. On 8/20/2022, I started to feel a little better. The headache was less severe. The fatigue was also less severe. On 8/21/2022, I felt fine enough to go for a walk, though I still had a cough and fatigue. I still had a headache, though it was manageable. When I was walking, I had to pause every 15 minutes or so to rest and catch my breath. On 8/22/2022, I felt significantly better. I felt less fatigued. I wasn't coughing as much. The headache was now more of a feeling of pressure rather than pain. The sore, scratchy throat was also gone. On 8/23/2022, I felt much better and took another home COVID-19 test. The result was positive, though the line was very faint. I also went for a walk that day. Unlike the previous walk, though, I never had to pause to rest. On 8/24/2022, I felt pretty much felt back to normal. I took another home test, and I finally got a negative result. On that day, I actually went for a run. The run was slower than my usual speed, and I had to slow down and walk at one point. However, I did feel well enough to help a friend move. At the time of this writing, I still pretty much feel normal. I'm usually a very active person. I am gradually resuming my previous activity levels, though it will take some time to rebuild my stamina. Throughout my illness, I drank copious amounts of water. I also consumed protein shakes, because I didn't feel much like eating, but I knew I had to ensure I still received nutrients.