COVID-19 Is Making A Comeback In Southwest Florida – What To Look For
With all eyes on Hurricane Idalia, there’s something else happening in Florida. COVID-19 is making a comeback. And it’s a lot more prevalent in Southwest Florida than the numbers show. How do I know? Because I have it.
For the week ending August 17th, there were 724 new cases reported in Lee County. Collier County reported 323 new cases. The number of new cases is much higher because people like me don’t get reported in that number. I do an at home test, call in to work, then settle in for a day of Netflix. I’m now on second season of Suits.
Let me be clear, COVID-19 is everywhere, even though you’re not hearing much about it in Florida. The virus keeps mutating and developing new strains. So what’s this one like?
I’m going to tell you what this round of COVID-19 is like for me, and a few others that I’ve talked to.
Some people get it much worse and require hospitalization. So it’s different for everyone. But here’s what happened to us. If any of this sounds familiar, you may want to be tested.
Mild Fever. 99 degrees. Not a big time fever.
Runny Nose. This is the one that crushed me. My nose was running so bad I couldn’t sleep. I would wake up coughing because I was choking on it. I was able to get a little bit of sleep once I propped up all the pillows and was nearly sitting upright.
Chills. With the thermostat at 79, I had on sweats, a jacket, and my fish slippers. That’s what I was doing when Hurricane Idalia went by.
Cough. The COVID cough. I remember this one back from 2020. That nagging unproductive cough.
Again, this is just what we were experiencing. I’m not passing along medical information, just what was happening with us. If you’re having some of these symptoms, it may not be just a cold. It could be COVID.
This is all happening as we get into football season. Packed bleachers at high school games. Sports bars. Or parties with friends. So if you have symptoms, don’t go. Just because your symptoms are mild doesn’t mean the person you give it to will get off as easy.
I checked with Lee Memorial in Fort Myers. Their COVID admissions are WAY up.