Our respective COVID-19 rapid antigen tests, courtesy of Mark’s school board, are gathering dust on a bathroom shelf. Two red lines, two red lines, and one red line—one, two, three, we are a weird COVID-mystery family.
3, 2, 1 shots of vaccine
Feng, Mark, and I could almost participate in a medical study evaluating mixed doses and various vaccine schedules.
I got two doses of Pfizer in April and May 2021 when I was stuck in France. I wasn’t eligible for the booster shot in Canada, so I ended up getting it in Maceió, of all places. Brazil put its trust in vaccination programs and the Nordeste had plenty of doses in February 2022. As truck drivers protested COVID-19 pandemic restrictions in Ottawa, vaccination trucks were supporting immunization efforts in Brazil. I gave out my CPF and I got my third dose of Pfizer in my bikini in front of an amazing beach—best vaccination experience ever. I was sent my Brazilian vaccination certificate a few hours later and I submitted it to the French government by email to have my EU digital COVID certificate updated.
Why did I take the booster shot? For two reasons. First, in most of Europe, “fully vaccinated” means “three doses,” so I wanted to avoid future issues with vaccine proof (if still applicable) when going to France. Second, it had been eight months since my two doses and I figured it wouldn’t hurt to get boosted since life was going back to normal in Brazil and I was bound to be exposed to COVID.
Feng got his two doses—Pfizer and Moderna—as soon as he was eligible and as per the recommended interval in Canada, so May and August 2021.
As for Mark, he got his first dose in December 2021 when the campaign started for children ages 5 to 11.
So why only two doses and one dose for the guys?
Well…
COVID Case #1, Feng
In January 2022, Feng and Mark took their mandatory pre-departure PCR test at GRU—São Paulo’s international airport—48 hours before going back to Canada. It took hours for them to get tested but both results came back negative later in the evening.
We spent the following day wandering around São Paulo, then we got ready for our respective trips—Feng and Mark to Canada, me to the Nordeste. We said goodbye at the hotel and Feng gave me a last call at the gate, just before boarding.
“My throat is kind of scratchy,” he complained. “I hope I’ll be fine…”
I wasn’t worried considering Mark and I didn’t have any symptoms and their PCR taken less than 48 hours earlier had been negative.
“You seemed just fine three hours ago… It’s probably just stress or the airport air con!” I advised.
When Feng called me the next evening from Canada, he actually had a mild version of classic COVID symptoms.
“Mark and I were tested again upon arrival in Toronto, I guess we will find out soon enough.”
Mark was in mandatory quarantine because he was only partially vaccinated and Feng had been told to quarantine until the airport PCR results came in. No big deal. There isn’t much to do in Ottawa in January anyway, so the guys just stayed home.
It took ten days to get the Toronto Airport PCR test results back—both negative.
But Feng didn’t wait. He used the last rapid test we had.
“Oh, I’m positive alright. It wasn’t like when you tested Mark in Floripa. I didn’t have to wait for 15 minutes, the thing was almost screaming COVID, COVID!”
Feng wasn’t sick for long, just a few days. He did lose his sense of smell. Mark was fine, but we assumed he had been asymptomatic. As for me, zero symptoms, and I self-tested negative.
Two COVID mysteries here:
- How come two medically administered PCR tests (São Paulo and Toronto airports) came back negative when Feng clearly had COVID?
- How did I not catch it considering Feng and I were together 24/7 until his flight to Canada?
COVID Case #2, Mark
A few days before I came back to Canada in April, Mark told me on Skype he had a headache.
“Did you tell Daddy?”
“Yeah… and my throat hurts as well. I think I have a fever…”
Gee, I really wonder what he could be…
Of course, it was COVID. Apparently, Mark didn’t catch it when Feng had it, or maybe he was asymptomatic the first time and not the second time, who knows.
Mark was promptly quarantined at home and I prepared myself to finally catch COVID in Canada because I wasn’t going to lock myself in the bedroom.
But Mark got better and I remained stubbornly asymptomatic and negative. I know it’s not fair. Some of my friends were very careful and pretty much stayed home throughout the pandemic and still caught it. One of them caught it twice, and she was sick both times even though she had three doses. Meanwhile, I wasn’t careless, but I was definitely exposed—I stopped actively avoiding people and crowds after getting vaccinated.
And now, what?
I’m sure I’ll get COVID eventually. It’s not over yet.
I don’t know what’s a good booster schedule now. Information isn’t consistent. Should Mark get his second dose before the summer or in the fall, considering he got COVID fairly recently? How about Feng, who got two doses plus an infection? Isn’t it wiser to wait until the next variant or vaccine update to get boosted?
I have no idea.
Still, get vaccinated. It saves lives and reduces symptoms.
And let’s stop politicizing science or listening to “experts” on social media.
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Same around here… I got it, but not my boyfriend and neither my son who still lives with me. The mysteries of Covid.
Crazy, isn’t it?? Good for them, though. It sucks when the entire household is sick.
The rollercoaster of emotions!
I am so anxious about it that I think I just want to cross the border and get boosted. But then can’t live in fear, right?
I hope I can get kiddo boosted before school start.
I know a couple of people in the same situation (i.e. who have personal reasons to be more careful with COVID) who are crossing to Gatineau to get the fourth dose. I’ll ask them about it if you want.
I was going to cross to Gatineau, but I hear the clinic now has refused to accept Ontarians 🙁
That’s annoying… hopefully Ontario will open the 4th dose to anyone who wants it soon.
I was infected back in March (assuming from my dad). We shared dining table. But my kids didn’t (all of us live in the same house). I only got fever for a day and that is it.
But i asked my kids to stay in hotel for a while.
Lucky for me, in 5 days i tested negative again :-/
Poor you! It’s good that they didn’t catch it. Did they test negative or did they just have zero symptoms?
My kids tested negative. In indonesia we have to do twice to make sure, so after first PCR, the kids undergo another one in next 5 days. Both negative
Fortunately, despite the third world country or whatever, 😀 , pcr test is quite affordable. Used to USD 200 2 years ago, now it is less than USD 20 and the result is quick. Goes to your mobile phone (via a goverment app)
Just returned from Malaysia visiting my ailing mom. I was very careful this trip because of my mom (KN95 mask on both segments of flight, surgical mask in public, not eating in enclosed air-conditioned restaurants, not meeting any friend until the final day before I left for the airport). Drastic change considering Texas has been mask free for at least a year. I did Covid home tests for first 4-5 days after I arrived just to be safe. Wearing mask in hot humid weather was uncomfortable but I did it for the first 2 days with my mom, just in case. People in US may think it is paranoia but it is a real risk. 2 months prior, my family (3 separate households) in Malaysia went out to a restaurant for the first time in 2 years to celebrate Easter and majority of them got infected with Covid (not everyone in the same household, some managed to evade with proper isolation). Fortunately my mom and maid didn’t catch the virus (they were home). This time, my friend who is an expat in Beijing (zero Covid tolerance country) flew back to Malaysia in a chartered flight and her sons got Covid 3 days after, and she 5 days after. They didn’t go anywhere in other than visiting her dad and family (who didn’t have Covid). Then I heard of my family members’ colleagues catching Covid when I was there. It was everywhere, mild symptoms, some with long tails, but prevalent. My sister and family from US went for vacation in Paris and caught Covid there. All the people I mentioned prior about catching Covid have had 3 vaccination shots, a couple have 4. I read that the current booster shots are not effective vs. variants (BA 4 and 5). Therefore, I don’t plan to have the 4th, ie 2nd booster shot. As you mentioned, 3 shots are convenient for travel because you are considered fully vaccinated. With US govt doing away with 24hours PCR test prior to entering US, I have heard of people getting on the flight knowing they have tested positive for Covid and having full blown symptoms. Therefore, I wore KN95 mask all the way home, even when many people ripped their masks off for the US segment where it was optional. Just thought I might as well not get sick and miserable after I get home.
I’m happy to read you had the chance to go home and see your mum. The pandemic has been tough on immigrants… especially when you have aging relatives. I feel sorry for my mother-in-law who really wants to travel to China (their last trip was in 2018) and as you know, it’s almost impossible to enter China (not to mention long quarantine requirements and potential lockdowns).
I agree entirely, there is a real risk of catching COVID pretty much anytime and anywhere. Now, what we do to minimize risks is a personal choice at this stage of the pandemic, it depends on your health and on the people you’re living with (or meeting). I wore a mask around my neighbour when she had her baby because I didn’t want to risk potentially getting a newborn sick. I’m careful around my grand-mother in France. Other than in a few specific situations, I no longer wear a mask and I don’t think I’ll get a second booster, it’s not worth it for me at this stage.
My siblings in Paris (both of them triple vaxxed) had COVID… four times. One of them is married to a doctor and the other one has a baby in daycare, so they are constantly exposed… and there isn’t much they can do.
On a side note, your own trip makes me want to travel to Malaysia again. It’s one of the best countries I visited, with great food and a fascinating culture!