Tamara

PHOTOGRAPHED BY MORGANA WINGARD

“I'm not gonna lie, before I caught it, I was one of those people who believed COVID was a government conspiracy theory, like the 5G towers and new world order kind of stuff.”

HAGERSTOWN, MARYLAND: I'm not gonna lie, Before I caught it, I was one of those people who believed COVID was a government conspiracy theory, like the 5G towers and new world order kind of stuff. Once I got it, I was like, “Oh, this is real”. I don't really think that the government has anything to do with it. I don't know if they could, but I do know that COVID is real.

I am an environmental contractor for a federal facility. It started at work like a wave hit me. I told my coworker, “I gotta go to the bathroom” because I had GI symptoms. I got tested on a Friday and in three hours got a positive result. 

My first thought was, “I screwed everything up.” I worried I’d give it to my son or lose my job. 

I had to inform my boss. News travels fast, so many people were upset. I wondered if I screwed up with my contract or got any of my coworkers sick because I work with older people. Looking back, I shouldn't have cared that much. I should have focused on my health. 

I had a fever, sore throat and lost my sense of smell initially. 

Dealing with my mental health and other emotional issues as well while being isolated was the hardest part for me. When I tested positive, I was really depressed for a little bit, and to be honest, I had suicidal thoughts. It was hard because I'm pretty extroverted. I don't like to be in the house. I like to do things and be around people. I was also going through a breakup, so there were a lot of things going on at the time. I was feeling sad. But thinking about my two year old son gave me strength. 

Being a single mother, I wanted to make sure that my son didn't get it. I isolated myself in a room with my own bathroom. His father took care of my son and they were able to spend more time with each other.

My mom was a huge help. She lives in Lancaster, Pennsylvania so she came down and went grocery shopping and took care of other household things because the father of my child didn’t have his license. Praying and talking to my mom helped me get through it. 

After that first time that I caught it, I was fine. But, I kept testing positive. I tested positive three times. I wasn't sick the whole time physically, but I guess it was still inside of me. 

Overall, being inside for two months, I learned a lot about myself. I really got to understand what I want in life and the type of person I want to be and what I want to do. I like to keep a journal and write things about what I'm going through, so I focused on that and started to read more books. Being in isolation changed my perspectives towards the future, from wanting to buy a house before getting COVID to now wanting to write a book on a footballer. I also started a business with bags and shoes, during quarantine. I reached out to some vendors which I hope will start next year.

After two months, my fourth test came back negative.  

At first it felt like I had come out as a survivor of COVID, so I was really happy. But, then I was still dealing with the aftermath. I have a lot of family and friends who didn't want to be around me because they didn't trust that I was better. That was hard. Initially it was like a slap in the face, but everything is fine now.

I was recently discriminated against at my job because they said that I didn't follow quarantine guidelines when I was home. I did stay in the house for two months, but I had to go running to try and sweat it out which the doctor recommended. So it was not like I was spreading anything, but that was upsetting. I just stopped dealing with it two days ago. I still want to file a complaint or something because I feel it's not right on the part of employers to discriminate against their workers because they had COVID. 

I have also joined a survivors group and I started to get in tune with that.

People say that young people who are healthy aren't gonna get it. That is a myth. I'm healthy. I was in the army for five years. Even now, I do a lot of physical activity. That's why it threw me off that I caught COVID. But, it's a pandemic. Anybody can catch COVID. Even if you're young, be cautious and take precautions. 

Symptoms: Fever, loss of smell and taste, sore throat, headache.

Treatment: Prayer, vitamin C, herbal capsules , daily vitamin, water, cardio

Coping Mechanisms: Reading, music, working out, meditation.