During that first week in early July 2020 my symptoms were mild and included an overnight fever, a couple of days of mild fatigue, and a hint of nasal pressure. Oh yeah, and my total loss of taste and smell on day 3, continuing for several weeks. My ability to taste and smell again returned very gradually, and honestly, I bet even today I'm only 95% back to normal. I can't really smell some subtleties like my body odor or my breath in a mask. Seriously, though, I'm not able to tell if a shirt can be worn another day or needs to be tossed in the laundry :-O There are instances where I've not been able to smell some aromas or spices from foods. But honestly, it's not been a burden.

Since my COVID, I caught one cold around Halloween time. I've had good energy, and I continue to put in a couple of days a week running trails and doing resistance training. I've cycled through some intermittent fasting goals and carnivore diet resets. My jogging hours have been lower since pre-COVID, but I think that has more to do with a busy Summer and Fall work schedule.

My Thoughts on the Vaccine

I know the vaccine will be available to me in a few months, but I'm still leaning toward not getting vaccinated. A couple of people have told me that's an easy decision for me since I already have antibodies. But I don't know that it's that straight forward in my mind. I'm personally concerned about the short- and long-term side effects from the vaccine, though most of my opinions have been formed by research and opinions from months ago. We have more information today about how the new and circulating vaccines can rev our innate immune responses, and, like the rest of you, I'm watching very closely at results and reports. The vaccine became much more real for me when a friend of mine—a front-line health worker—received her first injection just last week.

Heather reminds me that getting the vaccine is a much clearer choice for many people—the immunocompromised and higher age groups, to name a couple. I'm more open-minded now than I was even a few weeks ago. I still think it's important for each of us to remember that we have a choice in the matter, and that there are pros and cons on both sides of this coin.

Continued Immune Boosters

For the most part, I've stayed pretty constant with my regimen of a low-sugar low-carb diet, inclusive of regular activity, outdoor time, and list of immune-boosting supplements. I still take Vitamins B12, C, D3, zinc, elderberry, Acetyl-L-carnitine (for neurology), and a couple others, though not daily. New science talks about how our COVID-captured cells battle with cytokynes a bit differently that originally thought, and there's more evidence of longer-lasting effects on our brains—an added reminder that COVID's attack on so many systems is nothing to take lightly. For this reason I've tried to stay vigilant about any new symptoms of my own, and to learn more from others who have had COVID.

Here are "long hauler" symptoms that I've watched out for but haven't personally experienced (other than perhaps my 95% taste and smell):

• Coughing
• Ongoing, sometimes debilitating fatigue
• Body aches
• Joint pain
• Shortness of breath
• Loss of taste and smell — even if this didn’t occur during the height of illness
• Difficulty sleeping
• Headaches
• Brain fog (i.e. forgetfulness or being in a funk)

What Does Ôura Say?

Here's a 5-month report from my Ôuraring wearable. I'm showing a lot of charts here, but my general takeaway is that COVID has not yet affected me with any longer-term challenges. The peaks and valleys you see below likely have more to do with life's general stresses and workloads with my job. I should also emphasize that, although I like geeking out on the charts, I place a lot more relevance on the way I feel than what my wearable apps are telling me.

Stress Markers

Readiness Score was strong in July - all things factored (sleep, activity, body temp, resting HR, etc.) HRV was strongest during my COVID month (best parasympathetic to sympathetic balance), maybe due to more deliberate rest and downtime, attention to supplements and nutrition, etc. There's nonetheless a pretty noticeable decline since COVID, and I'll continue to monitor.

Heart and Lungs

Resting HR has continuously climbed—not by much, though. Respiratory rate has improved, probably due to more deliberate nose breathing and Co2 conditioning during cardio. Contrary to popular belief, carbon dioxide is a good friend to healthy cell functions and overall longevity. I've been taping my mouth shut during sleep as well.

Sleep

Better sleep in July - More efficient sleep time during my hours in bed.

Activity

Other than giving my body time in July to focus on healing, my overall activity and energy have been very consistent.

Here are some links to additional resources:

• Day 6 - More on supplements and immune boosters
• Ouraring bio-wearables
• Body to Brain Wellness - An Introduction