Disclaimer: I am not a medical professional and do not have any medical or health training. In this post, I simply share my personal experience with COVID after having been vaccinated.

Day 1 - Initial Exposure

Riddhish and I attended a friend’s social event with about 60 to 70 guests. The event was hosted indoors for 6 hours and the majority of guests were unmasked. Since we were both vaccinated and based on CDC’s latest guidelines at the time, we spent most of that time also unmasked. In hindsight, I have a renewed appreciation for masking after our experience and always mask up and encourage others to do so too!

Day 3 & 4 - Testing & Results

By day 3, Riddhish had started to show symptoms, specifically - coughing, congestion, headaches, fatigue, and body aches. By day 3, we were also informed that another vaccinated guest at the event had tested positive so I immediately made COVID test appointments for Riddhish and myself.

By day 4, we got the results of our PCR tests. As expected, Riddhish tested positive, but surprisingly, I tested negative. We had been by each other’s side since Day 1 so it really goes to show how COVID is so unpredictable and hard to trace because of so many variables.

Technically, this was considered a breakthrough infection since he was infected with COVID after having been vaccinated. From my understanding and from conversations with medical professionals:

• Vaccinated people can still get COVID, but chances of severe symptoms or hospitalization are greatly reduced with the vaccine. And I believe this was true in our case where symptoms were not as bad as they could have been had we not been vaccinated.

• Transmission of COVID between vaccinated people is lower than non-vaccinated people but still possible.

Days 4 - 10

Days 4 through 10 were really rough for Riddhish. All of his initial symptoms worsened, and he had no option but to rest and sleep during this timeframe. I stayed masked and in a separate room except for when I would bring him food and medicine (as directed by a doctor). I also monitored his oxygen and temperature, which stayed stable throughout. Lastly, I would sanitize the kitchen and bathroom everyday with wipes and wash the towels and sheets every few days.

By day 10, Riddhish started to improve, and I started to show symptoms. My symptoms were similar but milder - only a slight cough and some congestion, but worse headaches and a lot of fatigue.

Day 11 & 12 - Chandni’s 2nd Test & Results

I made an appointment to be tested once more, and this time my PCR test came back positive.

Day 12 - 15

If we both had to get COVID, at least we had it staggered so I was able to take care of Riddhish while he was sick, and then he was able to take care of me while I was sick. Though my symptoms were milder and my recovery time was half that of Riddhish’s, let me tell you that the headaches and fatigue are REAL. It became so exhausting and tiring to do even the most basic tasks. You really are confined to the bed just resting and sleeping it off. Similar to Riddhish, I did not have any fevers and my oxygen stayed stable.

Day 16 & 17 - Testing & Results

It had been 13 days since Riddhish first tested positive and 6 days for me. At this point Riddhish was feeling almost normal besides some lingering fatigue, and I felt almost fully recovered as well. We both went to get PCR tests done, but they both came back positive.

Days 18 - 25

Over the next week and a half, Riddhish and I felt completely normal and the only symptoms that remained were some lingering fatigue and headaches that would come and go. We both were able to function in daily life and resumed working from home.

Day 26 & 27 - Finally Negative!

We probably waited longer than we needed to, but 10 days after our last COVID test, we went to a local drive-through testing facility, got one last nasal swab for the PCR test, and were relieved when we finally received negative test results!!

Apparently, remnants of the dead virus can still remain in your body for extended time even after you feel recovered and are no longer contagious, which causes you to test positive. But keep in mind that everyone is different and will have varying experiences. COVID does still take a toll on you even after vaccination so the moral of the story is to do your best to stay safe and healthy by masking, maintaining distance, washing your hands often, and using sanitizer.

If you have any questions about my experience, feel free to email me at cj@carryonjetsetter.com, and I will be happy to share more.