[Capt Spaulding]

My outrageously fit 26 year old son moved from the DC area to the Seattle area in January of 2020. Around the last week of February he got sick. For two weeks he was feverish, brain-fogged, suffering intense night-sweats and nighttime hallucinations, crawling to the bathroom fatigue, dizziness, wheezing, and dehydration to the point of orange urination.. After two weeks the worst of the symptoms subsided. After three weeks he was able to resume working - from home. 2 - 4 hours a day. The week he fell ill his employer adopted a remote-only work model. Another three weeks later he tried taking a few short runs. His habit prior was two runs a day - sprints in the morning - 4 miles or so in the evening. He lasted less then 400 yards and almost collapsed from shortness of breath. It took three months to get back to 3 miles.

At the time he got sick King County was inundated with Covid cases. He called them about getting tested the first week he was ill. They told him that wasn't possible. The few tests they had were being used on hospitalized patients. We "suspect" he had the 'rona. In October he tested negative for antibodies. It could have been a really ass kicking version of the flu. Several decades ago I had a flu that closely resembled his experience.

The point to this? A fair number of really healthy, very fit people got very very sick last year. If you didn't have any symptoms, you really can't assume anything. Even if you had severe symptoms, my experience with the flu in the 90s suggests you still can't assume anything in the absence of a test. You probably got lucky. We did. He's still with us.