I’ve Reported Covid for Two Years. Then I got it.

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It was two years after the coronavirus became the focus of all my coverage as a science reporter for The Times (and all my thoughts at every waking hour): I tested positive for the virus.

My case was mostly mild, as the virus is usually for any healthy individual in their 40s. But still, this experience gave me perspective that I couldn’t gain from reading scientific papers or interviewing experts.

In the last two years, I’ve written hundreds of articles about coronavirus, about asymptomatic infections, testing, our body’s immune defense, breakthrough infections, and boosters. I have interviewed myself dozens of times to answer questions about the disease, the pandemic, and the US response to the virus.

But from the beginning, my relationship with the virus was not academic and personal. Even when the Delta variant swept through India and I was laying awake worrying about my family, it was still not at my door.

To be honest, I’m surprised it took me this long to catch Covid. As someone who studies infectious diseases, I’m not shy about pathogens, and my family and I took some risks during the pandemic. My husband teaches squash at home, usually unmasked, my kids have been going to school in person, albeit with masks, since fall 2020, and I traveled by plane, including a 20 hour trip to India on the Omikron surge.

But we are all vaccinated and empowered (with the exception of my 10-year-old daughter, who is not yet eligible for support) and relatively healthy, so we knew we could develop some symptoms if we got COVID. It will likely heal quickly. We were especially careful around sensitive people like my mother-in-law and my friends with small children.

At a (closed) dinner in early March, a friend and I marveled at how our families recovered from Covid. The virus seemed to be receding, and cases in New York were lower than they had been in months. We thought we were in the open.

I should have known that I was seducing fate.

Three days later, I found an email from the city’s school testing program in my spam folder informing me that my son had tested positive for the virus. I immediately informed the school. That evening, a friendly man working for the city called me to let me know. It started with “Covid is a disease caused by a virus called coronavirus”. It was almost dinner time and I was still finishing my story – on coronavirus science, of course – so I asked if we could skip ahead. But he needed to review every detail about the disease, the symptoms, and the quarantine protocol.

After 16 minutes of this one-sided conversation, he asked me if I had any questions. I didn’t, and I’m lucky enough not to need the city’s quarantine lodging or free supplies.

It was Thursday, March 10. Looking back, my husband felt he was under the weather earlier that week, but a quick test said it was virus free. My son also had a scratchy throat, but he attributed it to seasonal allergies. As the experts I spoke to said, the symptoms were indistinguishable.

Even though my rapid test came back negative, I decided to pretend I had Covid. I warned my colleagues. I went on a tour with friends. My kids have canceled all their activities. I finally tested positive.

My daughter had a low-grade fever on Friday night, but by the next morning it had rebounded. As expected, we adults were most impressed. A severe cold and a relentless fatigue took over me. The next Wednesday, I was too sick to work. I’ve learned that even those with a mild case can experience severe symptoms.

I have the privilege of working from home when I feel available and having the luxury of taking time off when I can’t find it. I am also lucky that my children are too old to need constant care and attend a distance learning school. I knew even before I got COVID that the disease has a hugely disproportionate impact on underserved communities, but as I said Times podcast “The Daily” Being sick with the virus put this information into sharp perspective.

I have written about many diseases that I have never experienced, such as HIV, tuberculosis, malaria, leprosy, polio. I could do without this Covid grabbing experience. I’m not worried about these symptoms lingering for too long – vaccination significantly reduces the risk of long-term Covid – but I’m still extremely fond of sweets.

I am grateful to have gained a richer, broader immune defense against the virus. But for the most part, I’m glad to have a deeper understanding of what our readers are experiencing.