On Thursday morning I woke up at 5 am sweating with a migraine wanting to be sick.
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For the next two hours I sat on the couch convincing myself that none of these symptoms were similar to those of COVID-19.
They call that denial.
Eventually I decided I should look at the DHHS website, just to double check the COVID-19 symptoms.
The same COVID-19 symptoms I have literally read hundreds of times before.
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The symptoms I had, which matched COVID-19 were:
● Fever
● Temperature
● Headache
● Wanting to be sick
● A cough; and
● A runny nose
In spite of my attempts there was no level of cognitive dissonance I could display that would convince me I could avoid getting tested.
Which was my next dilemma.
I'd heard horror stories of the ‘swab’ and did not want it.
And regardless of my symptoms I knew deep down I didn't have coronavirus.
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Which turned out to be true, but I honestly had no way of knowing that at 7 am on Thursday.
The reality is I didn't want it to be true.
So, I forced my own hand and decided as soon as I mention it to someone else it is out of my hands.
The external pressures would force me to have the COVID-19 test.
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So I sent a Facebook message to a friend, and knew instantly that I may as well phone Benalla Health.
The lady I spoke to confirmed exactly what I had thought. I needed to have a test. I was booked in for 10.30 am.
Then the next dilemma hit. Work.
I'm as sick as a three-legged dog on Thursday morning, and can't just turn up at work on Friday with none of the front half of the paper written, re-written, collated or at least planned.
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Thankfully we have a great team, which was able to take up some of the slack.
So even though it was still 9 am on a Thursday I was content that being sick would not be too much of a nightmare for the paper.
However, I now had a one-and-a-half hour wait for a COVID-19 test I really didn't want.
I’ll be honest, the anticipation was much worse than the test itself, which, while uncomfortable, was at least quick.
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I had decided to do some work from home after the test.
However, while some of my early morning symptoms were subsiding, I still had a migraine and temperature.
I didn't manage to do much work on Thursday.
I just hoped I felt somewhat normal Friday morning - and I did.
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Now I faced the next dilemma.
Convincing myself not to leave the house.
At The Ensign we are all very aware of the COVID-19 information and advice on offer.
Which is, of course, the advice of the Chief Medical Officer, the Prime Minister and the Victorian Premier.
And despite pockets of conspiracy theorists popping up questioning what is going on, I would say the main reason Benalla Rural City has remained COVID-19 free is the hard work and caring nature of the local community.
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Which was my mantra - and helped me to not stray past the front fence until my results came in.
Those results appeared in a text message about 1.30 pm on Friday, and as I mentioned earlier were, thankfully, negative.
I had been concerned I would be housebound until at least Monday.
However, as an essential worker my results were able to be fast-tracked.
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I was still impressed with how quickly they came back.
However, I can almost understand the mentality of those people who were self-quarantining for two weeks and were found out shopping, for example.
I'll happily stay at home for plenty of 48-hour periods if it is my choice.
However, when I'm told I have to stay at home my desire to finally take that walk through the Reef Hills, or pop into Mitre 10 for some tools to get to a job I've been putting off for six months, instantly kicks in.
I guess it's the rebelliousness ingrained in human nature that makes us hear the famous Rage Against the Machine lyrics in our heads.
I can't print those lyrics in The Ensign. But those of you who know, know.
And those of you who don't - and are not easily offended by bad language - can google them.
However like me, many people have made sacrifices to do the right thing.
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Unlike me, many of you have had to make those sacrifices for a much longer time - and I respect you all for it.
My advice to anyone who wakes up exhibiting seven of the 10 listed COVID-19 symptoms, or even one of them, is just get tested.
It's annoying. It causes issues you need to address, but it's the right thing to do.
And if we all keep doing the right thing COVID-19 will simply end up a story we tell others about one day.
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It is now Saturday and I can leave the house.
And at some point, I will take that walk through the Reef Hills, followed by a quick trip to Mitre 10.
But then again, it looks a bit overcast. I might just catch up on some Netflix instead.
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