nichepoetryandprose

poetry and prose about place

Posts Tagged ‘sense of smell

my COVID-19 kit

with 4 comments

Since March 12, I have been almost nowhere. I am so careful, washing my hands until I have developed a thin outer layer of skin. I have stood six feet apart, even when no one else is there. I wore a mask when I went into the only store I’ve been inside in two months. My husband does the same. We quarantine every bit of mail coming into the house. I wipe down all our groceries. The grocery bags go into quarantine as well.

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In spite of all these precautions, I worry. I am probably paranoid. The only thing that helps me be OK is my COVID-19 kit. Each morning and each night I pull it out. I take my temperature with my thermometer. 36.2 Whew! I lift my little bag of lavender to my nose. Sweet, potent, floral. Whew!

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A high temperature and loss of the sense of smell are not the only symptoms of COVID-19. Our New Brunswick Department of Health lists the following:

fever above 38°C or signs of fever (such as chills);

a new cough or worsening chronic cough;

sore throat;

runny nose;

headache;

a new onset of fatigue;

a new onset of muscle pain;

diarrhea;

loss of sense of taste or loss of sense of smell; and

in children, purple markings on the fingers or toes.

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Do you have a ritual that makes things seem OK? Even when they are not?

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All my best,

staying at home,

Jane

Written by jane tims

June 1, 2020 at 7:00 am