I woke up that morning feeling pretty ordinary, but by the evening I had started feeling inexplicably off. I felt overwhelmingly tired and a little bit grouchy, but put it down to a busy day, too much alcohol and not enough water.
Waking up on December 26, I knew something wasn't right. Despite a long and deep sleep, I felt exhausted and headachey, so I decided to take a rapid antigen test (as recommended by the government in the U.K., where I spent the holidays) just in case.
Within minutes, my test showed two very clear red lines — signalling that I had tested positive for COVID-19.
In Wales, health officials urge anybody who tests positive via an at-home antigen test to visit their nearest drive-thru COVID-19 testing centre to confirm the results via a PCR test.
So, my partner and I cancelled our plans for Boxing Day and stayed at home until our local testing centre reopened on December 27. A day later, on December 28, it was confirmed that we had both contracted the illness.
After catching COVID-19 and spending 10 days in isolation at home during the holidays, here's everything I wish I'd known.
Symptoms vary
One of the things that surprised me most about my experience with COVID-19 is how different my symptoms were to those around me.
The first sign I had that something wasn't right was extreme fatigue, which got worse as the days went on.
By December 29, I was struggling to do simple things like climb the stairs in my home and eat a meal, because they just felt so tiring. All of my muscles ached, and I genuinely felt as though I had been beaten up!
Around this time, I'd also completely lost my appetite and was nauseous at the thought of eating anything.
I didn't have many of the most common COVID-19 symptoms though, like cough, shortness of breath or difficulty breathing, fever, or loss of taste or smell.
My boyfriend, on the other hand, experienced a sore throat and runny nose almost immediately, as well as fever, chills and extreme fatigue.
It played out differently for my sister-in-law too, who experienced almost no symptoms at all (despite testing positive), apart from a short-lived blocked-up nose.
Overall, I'm glad I listened to my body telling me something wasn't right, as it meant I was able to get a test result and start isolating pretty early.
That said, I wish I'd known more about the different possible symptoms and how they present themselves in different people, as I may have spotted the signs even sooner.
Get in touch with your contacts
It probably goes without saying, but it very quickly became clear to me how important it is to contact everybody you've recently had close contact with if you test positive for COVID-19.
In Wales, the government urges anybody who has had close contact with a COVID-positive person to get a test as soon as possible.
Within days, almost all of the close family members we spent Christmas Eve and Christmas Day with had tested positive for the illness. Because they got tested so quickly — despite some of them having no symptoms at all — they were able to isolate and prevent it from spreading further.
Don't underestimate it
Everybody in our immediate family is fully vaccinated (and boosted, in most cases), healthy and not considered to be vulnerable when it comes to COVID-19. However, that doesn't mean we weren't knocked off our feet.
Although it only lasted a few days and none of us needed to see a doctor or go to the hospital, I felt pretty rough, and a number of us did need to take additional time off work to rest and recover.
Although my case of COVID-19 would certainly be considered "mild" from a health care perspective, I felt much worse than I would have ever expected to given my vaccination status, age and general health.
Isolation is rough
In Wales, people who test positive for COVID-19 are generally required to isolate at home for 10 days. If they test negative on two occasions between day 6 and day 10, they are able to stop isolating.
Whether you stay at home for 7 days or 10, it's a pretty long time to be cooped up, especially during the holidays.
Despite feeling frustrated that my New Year's Eve plans had to be cancelled and sad that I would not be able to see my family and friends over the holidays, I also felt very grateful that I had somebody to isolate at home with.
I can't imagine how lonely it must be to live alone and test positive for COVID-19 or be required to isolate without any company.
I promised myself that I would keep in regular contact with anybody I know who tests positive for COVID-19 and lives by themselves, because the little check-in calls and texts I received while at home made my day.
Ask for help
Once I was isolating, I found it quite difficult to ask other people for help.
For a number of days, we went without things like milk, bread and painkillers because we didn't want to put anybody out by asking them to go grocery shopping on our behalf.
However, when we ran out of toilet paper, we knew it was time to reach out!
Those around us who had not tested positive for COVID-19 were more than happy to help us out by picking up grocery items and dropping off goodies (on the doorstep, naturally!) when we were too unwell to cook, and we were so, so grateful for the help.
In hindsight, I just wish we'd asked for support from the outset.
Plans change
In the run up to the holidays, we got a booster vaccine dose, worked from home, wore masks, limited our contacts and tested regularly for COVID-19 — but in the end, it still wasn't enough.
Instead of catching up with friends, taking a break and celebrating the New Year, we stayed at home and played board games, read books, took long baths and even longer naps.
It wasn't how I planned to spend my time off in December, but it was a good opportunity to stop and be thankful for all of the things I am usually too busy to appreciate, including my loving family, cozy home and overall good health.
The opinions expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Narcity Media.
