There must be stages to pandemic response - like stages of grief or something.
I’m at the “everyone please calm the F down” stage.
Because the thing is, people find out you are a presumed or confirmed positive and they FLIP out. Demanding timelines and symptoms and even asking med and making demands I see a doctor and on and on. It’s good they are reaching out, sort of, and info can help in many ways, but damn it people are getting really invasive and demanding in their fear and I will have none of that behavior in my life about my health. I’m actually sick and need to chill and my phone and email and social media are blowing up because word got out I’m sick. I have possible covid not confirmed so it’s extra complicated. I notified those that needed a heads up as doc advised with the info the needed and everyone else needs to back the f down. There are people demanding info for others on when my cough started. People who have not been around me in months. People in other states asking for an exact description because they heard from so and so I have it (not confirmed but possible) and they need to know now my exact symptoms because they sneezed 7 days ago and are terrified they will die now. Wtf. I haven’t said how much this is getting to me, not wanting to burn bridges but I am copy pasting, “I assure you I have been isolated for some time, the very few at any possible risk have been notified, and have all the info they need. I am getting care and the details are private heath info between me and my doc. If you would like to know what symptoms to watch for or or have any symptoms of concern please contact your doc and/or local health authorities. That’s going to be more useful than what 1 unconfirmed case might be experiencing. Please follow all precautions, stay home, and reach out to friends and family in this difficult time for mutual support and don’t panic. Please know most are ok in a few days to a week.”
Copy pasting and sending that over and over.
People are backing down fast, and that’s good, because I nearly snapped this morning managing the trigger of these requests. Not going to kiss goodbye to my health privacy except when someone else needs to know about a confirmed specific risk to them. Even then, my meds are off limits. Ugh.