COVID19 - Is it possible to avoid it?

I thought I would never get COVID because some how I managed to avoid it until October 2024. However, I believe I was exposed to a new strain of the virus which may be very contagious and got it (I had three vaccinations). Like most people I had a headache and sore throat but unusually I had no cough. I could not smell anything at all. I was not desperately ill, and made a full recovery after a week. 

One symptom I should mention is called ‘brain fog’. I suffered from some minor memory loss which may be more common than you may think. Some people may have been very ill with COVID and suffer from what is known as long COVID. Long COVID, also known as post-COVID-19 syndrome, refers to a range of symptoms that persist for weeks or months after the initial COVID-19 infection. Psychological symptoms include problems with your memory and concentration, depression and anxiety. Physical symptoms include, for example, dizziness, joint pain and muscle aches, loss of smell or taste, difficulty sleeping and extreme tiredness. Little is known about long Covid but it is currently being studied. 

The psychological and poor mental health effects of COVID may have been caused by living in seclusion away from family members and taking part in self isolation. The effects of lockdown may also have caused some mental health problems. The trauma of losing a loved one to COVID for example in hospital might be extremely difficult to come to terms with. There was also dread about the future and if COVID might become a global killer (no one knew whether the vaccinations would work).

There are many different strains of COVID. Vaccinations have really helped and brought the country out of illness. However, unfortunately, new strains mutate all the time before a new vaccine can be developed. COVID is likely to be with us forever - as common as flu or a cold.

COVID is usually not too severe. However it can be serious. I recommend using a COVID test to see if you have the illness and if you are contagious. You usually get through the illness within 5 to 10 days.

I hope this helps..

UPDATE: It looks as though I have caught the XEC variant which seems to be more contagious than previous strains. The XEC variant is thought to be responsible for 50 percent of new Covid cases within the United Kingdom.