Though everyone has their own unique set of circumstances and risk tolerance, we’re all pretty much rolling the dice on a regular basis when it comes to COVID. At this point, who hasn’t played the odds and risked infection for some degree of normalcy, fun, or simple necessity – from eating in a restaurant to attending a special event to going to the dentist?

Alas, the luck runs out eventually, and when it does, here’s what to expect from a moderate case (not mild, not severe, but quite crappy enough to take one out of commission for 5-10 days and leave lingering after-effects for an indeterminate period of time):

C – coughing (for hours – procure many cough drops), chills (requiring multiple blankets), and crankiness (probably good so others will be inclined to steer clear)

O – occasional fever (low to high – suggest Tylenol), nausea (suggest Ginger Gravol and peppermints), body aches, insomnia, volcanically hot feet, chest tightness, ear blockages, random heart palpitations, headaches, and desperate sensation of breathing in hay dust when no bales of hay are near (suggest asking doc about an inhaler)

V – variable sore throat (suggest Tylenol and throat spray), and nasal congestion (suggest much facial tissue and Vicks vapo rub/inhaler)

I – insurmountable fatigue to the point that any usual daily activity more than the absolute minimum is going to fall by the wayside 

D – drenching sweats, dislike of certain foods, and disgust at how long the damn sickness lingers

So…please take care out there, people. Protect yourself, protect others, and prepare. Unless you’re living off the land and off-grid with no human contact, COVID is lying in wait to turn the tables – even if it has done so before. While it’s not yet the Star Trek Borg – resistance isn’t futile – every risk makes assimilation into the statistics that much more likely, and there’s no way of knowing how hard you’ll be hit – from seven to snake eyes.