从2月25日到3月11日，我们两口子依次感染新冠病毒，在家隔离恢复。谢天谢地，我们目前已经康复了。

From February 25 to March 11, Frank and I contracted the COVID-19 in turn and recovered from home isolation.

我们的症状比较重，除了嗓子一直不适外，建军曾经高烧至40度，我主要是严重的偏头痛。比较庆幸的是血氧饱和度一直都在正常范围，没有呼吸困难等症状。我们怀疑症状比较重的原因是没有打上加强针疫苗。我们前两针疫苗是在2021年一月份打的，去年8月份出国前，国药和科兴的加强针还未上市。到日本后，发现在这边只有辉瑞或莫德纳疫苗可以打，我们这种情况被视同没有打过疫苗，必须从第一针重新开始打。我们有点犹豫，听说国外疫苗第2针反应大，且都不能百分百防止感染奥密克戎，我们住的地方地广人稀，还在心存侥幸时，不知怎么建军就先中招了。下面是生病与康复过程的一些记录。

Our symptoms were relatively severe, in addition to the throat had been uncomfortable, Frank had high fevers to 104℉, I mainly had severe migraines. We suspect that the reason for the severe symptoms is that we didn’t get booster shot. I'd like to take a note for this unforgettable experience. 

2月25日周五凌晨，建军说好像感冒了，量了一下体温37.2度，喝了一袋感冒冲剂，他决定在家工作。我中午去打了网球，虽然球场通风很好，这次打球时我一直戴着口罩。下午4点左右，建军觉得发烧了，测量体温，到了39度。用网上买的新冠病毒唾液抗原检测试剂盒检测，结果是“一道杠“阴性，我们大大松了口气。吃了退烧药，又喝了一袋莲花清瘟颗粒，睡了一觉起来37度多，但是晚上睡前又烧到了40.1度。我们网上查了一下，说是奥密克戎病毒一般是轻症，发烧的不多，高烧更少。又因为测试是阴性，喉咙虽不舒服，怀疑这是急性扁桃体炎。只能接着吃退烧药，喝莲花颗粒。      

In the small hours of Friday morning, February 25th, Frank said that he seemed to have a cold, had a temperature of 98.96℉. He took Chinese medicine and felt better when got up. He worked from home. I played tennis and wore a mask. At about 4 p.m., Frank felt a fever and took his temperature, which reached 102.2℉. I bought the latest COVID-19 Antigen Test Kits at Amazon JP. We were greatly relieved when the test result was crystal negative. Frank took both Chinese cold medicine and anti-fever medicine we bought in Japan. His temperature dropped to 98.6℉ but raised again to 104.2℉ before going to bed.

2月26日周六，建军晚上又烧到39-40度，上午感觉好些，胃口和嗅觉都很好。因为他检测是阴性，我在家里也就没有增加防护，但是谨慎起见，也没有外出。中午他又烧到39度多，想着如果是急性扁桃体炎，应该需要有处方的消炎药。我强烈建议他去医院诊断，再拿一些对症的药。查了附近的医院，周六下午只有一所开门，还不太远，我们骑车过去也就十五分钟。医院门口的体温探头测试他不发烧（估计是吃了药，路上吹风的缘故），但我还是与护士说明了这两天的情况（通过手机对话翻译软件），希望再做核酸测试并开些消炎药，建军公司给外国员工设置的翻译热线也帮助了沟通。护士一听说发烧，就让建军先到室外等候，然后进去请示，过了五分钟又来了另一个护士，会一点英文，向我解释不能让他进去做检测和看病，因为医生英文不好，即使有电话翻译服务也不行，但是他们会想办法解决，让我们再耐心等待。二十分钟后会些英文的护士终于又出现了，给了我们一张纸条，上面是另一个诊所的地址和电话，说那里有会说英语的医生。可惜我们到那里的时候，前台刚要下班，已经不接诊了，当时大概下午四点半左右，我们只能悻悻地骑车回家，好在天气不错，一路上还经过几种风景特别宜人之处，也没觉得特别累。不知道是不是这么折腾的原因，建军晚上和夜里的体温都在39度以下。

On Saturday, February 26th, Frank had high fevers before dawn. He felt better in the morning, and his appetite & smell no change. Due to his negative result, I didn't take measures to protect myself from infection at home, but to be cautious, I didn't go out.
At noon, Frank’s temperature was over 102.2℉ again. He thought that he got acute tonsillitis. He got it before. We rode bicycle (no car yet) to an only-opened hospital on Saturday afternoon for having COVID test again and taking some anti-inflammatory drugs. However, Frank was tactfully rejected to enter the hospital after the hotline translator of our health insurance company explained everything to the nurses. The reason was that the doctors on duty didn’t speak English. One nurse spent 20 minutes to find a clinic for Frank. She said that the doctor there can speak English. But the clinic was just closed when we arrived. Although it was a long and troubling journey for Frank, he didn’t feel very tired and his temperature dropped and below 102℉ at night. 

2月27日周日：我们加强了室内通风，并大量饮水，包括鲜橙汁。自定治疗方案是一天三次莲花颗粒和超过38度就服用退烧药，加上多吃蛋白质高的食物、多休息睡觉。晚上精神好些，烧也下来了。

Sunday, February 27th: We enhanced indoor ventilation. Frank drunk plenty of water and fresh orange juice. The treatment plan we set was to keep on taking Chinese cold medicine three times a day and antipyretic drugs once his temperature was over 100.4℉. Besides, to eat more protein-high foods and take more relax. In the evening, Frank felt better and the fever kept lower than 100.4℉.

2月28日周一：建军早起还是37.8度，继续在家上班，上午又到了38度多，吃了药可以很快恢复正常体温，另外鼻子右侧和嘴唇左侧出现些红肿。我们理解是感冒病毒发出来了。我的右膝盖在周五训练中抻了一下，也总是有点担心，就取消了当天训练。晚上感觉上火，嗓子咽炎厉害了，怀疑和吃瓜子多了有关，喷了国内带的咽喉宁。

Monday, February 28th: Frank continued working from home and his fevers was about 100.4℉. The new symptom was that he got some redness and swelling on the right side of the nose and the left side of the lips. I canceled the day's tennis session. At night, my left throat pharyngitis seemed more severe, I suspected that it was related to eating more nuts, and sprayed traditional Chinese medicine.

3月1日周二：凌晨，睡梦中我忽然感觉很冷，真是全身每块肌肉都在疼痛，感觉动不了了。早上挣扎着起来，一量自己体温，38.5度。因为夜里每块肌肉疼痛符合新冠症状，我也做了新冠检测，用的也是针对奥密克戎的试剂盒。与建军用的差别在于，他用的是唾液检测，我用的是擦拭鼻腔检测，他的鼻子极度敏感。令我欣慰的是，我的结果也是阴性，清清楚楚的“一道杠”。接下来就是两个人轮着吃退烧药，我最高烧到过39度，对我也是破天荒了。夜里我感觉嗓子又干又痛，网上订了治疗咽喉痛和发炎的药。

Tuesday, March 1st: In the early hours of the morning, I suddenly felt very cold in my sleep, and every muscle in my body was aching, and I couldn't move. I struggled to get up in the morning and checked my temperature was 101.3℉. Because every muscle pain at night was in line with the symptoms of the COVID, I did a corona antigen test. The difference with the Frank’s one was that he used saliva test while I used a wiping nasal test. To my delight, my result was also negative, a clear "one bar". Then we both taking traditional Chinese medicine and antipyretic drugs in turn. At night, I felt my throat very dry and sore. I ordered medicines for throat pain relief and anti-inflammatories online.

3月2日周三：建军不怎么发烧了，他的嗓子还是不舒服；我发烧38度左右，嗓子非常难受，我嗓子左侧有咽炎，这次更痛了。另一新症状是头痛，剧烈的像针刺一样的点式刺痛，厉害时5秒左右疼一下，幸亏家里有止痛药，我吃了两种，服用了允许的最大剂量。针刺式头痛从左侧耳根开始，逐渐上移至左侧头顶，好些后，又到右侧耳根，顺延到右侧头顶；最厉害的时候，不能梳头，手指不能碰头皮，头发好像一碰就会掉了，好在每次吃了止痛药后，半小时疼痛感就能消失。虽然我们检测都是阴性，我还是邮件和短信通知了俱乐部和球友们我们的情况，取消了一周的所有网球活动。

Wednesday, March 2nd: Frank didn't have much of a fever, his throat was still uncomfortable; I kept a fever of about 100.4℉, my throat was very uncomfortable. My new symptom was headache, like the needle was stuck in the skull one after another. From left side to right side of my head. The shortest interval was each 5 seconds. On a scale of 1 to 10, I rated my pain at 8. I took two different painkillers at the maximum allowable dose. Although we tested negative, I emailed and texted the club and my friends about our situation and cancelled all tennis activities for the week. 

3月3日周四：建军一天都没发烧，就是有些咳嗽。因为想周五去公司上班，他又做了第二次核酸检测，结果是阳性。我们倒也不十分惊讶。但是第二道杠杠非常浅，必须很认真看才能看出来。他向公司汇报，公司所有与他上周一至周四有接触的同事立即做了检测，神奇的是每个人都是阴性。建军的一位日本同事费了不少功夫帮我们联系了一家有会说英语的医生的诊所，而且离我们家非常近，骑车不用五分钟。因为听说要求带着自己的检测结果去诊所，我也做了检测，果然也是阳性，而且是立马有显示，非常清楚的两道杠杠。

Thursday, March 3rd: Frank wanted to go to office. He had a second test and the result was positive. The second bar was very shallow. We weren't surprised. He reported to the company and all of his colleagues who had been in contact with him from Monday to Thursday last week were immediately tested, and the result of everyone was negative. A Japanese colleague of Frank took a lot of effort to help us and found a clinic with a doctor who spoke English, and it was very close to our home. It said that we needed to take our “positive” result. I also did a test, and sure enough, the result was also positive, and it was immediately displayed, and there were two very clear bars.

3月4日周五：去诊所之前，医生先电话了我们，了解了一下情况，之后特别叮嘱我们今天去的时候不要进诊所也不要见她，直接在室外的小棚子里由护士测个核酸。我们照着做了，在诊所外的小棚子里，“全副武装”的护士给我们做了核酸检测。夜里睡梦中，感觉右侧嗓子非常痒，心想是不是快好了。

Friday, March 4th: Before going to the clinic, the doctor called us first, learned about our situation, and then specifically told us not to enter the clinic or see her when we went today, and to test the COVID directly in a shed outside. 

In my sleep at night, I felt that my right side of my throat was very itchy, and I wondered if I was getting better.

3月5号周六：建军偶尔还是有些咳嗽，嘴角鼻子边上的红肿已经消退了。我低烧，继续右侧头顶点式疼痛，嗓子不怎么痛了，但咳嗽的比较厉害。上午十一点左右医生来电话，说我们确实感染了奥密克戎。告诉我们没有什么药吃，继续在家隔离休息。自第一天出现症状起计算，十天后就可以外出了。我们与她反复确认，既不需要再做核酸检测，也不需要去诊所检查，我们3月11日就可以外出。经我们一再要求，医生同意给我们开一些止咳药。一位药店的员工把药送到了家门口，还非常耐心地用英语加手势解释了用量。

Saturday, March 5th: Frank still occasionally had coughs, and the redness and swelling on his face was disappeared. I had a low fever and continued to have a point pain on the right side of my head, my throat was not very painful, but my cough was worse. The doctor called around eleven o'clock in the morning and said we were indeed infected with Omicron. Tell us that there was no medicine to take, continue to isolate and rest at home. Counting from the first day of having symptoms, we would be free and go out after ten days. We double confirmed with her that we did not need to do a COVID test again or go to the clinic for a check-up. As our strong request, the doctor agreed to prescribe us some cough medicine. A pharmacy employee delivered the medicine to our house and patiently explained the dosage in English and with gestures.

之后就是在家继续隔离，门一直没有封，没有受到国内那样的重视，当然我们也没有因此而感到失落，唯一的管控是通过手机上网汇报每天的体温和一些健康问题。建军在家一直上班打电话，偶尔要咳嗽了，就给话筒静音一下，工作基本没受影响。我的头痛到3月9日基本好了，每天睡觉起来都会感觉嗓子好了一点，但也还是有些咳嗽。到了周五3月11日，虽然我们自由了，但还是没有外出。

After that, nothing changed, we continued to be isolated at home. The only thing we needed to do was to report daily body temperature online. Frank had been working and calling from home, and occasionally coughed, he muted the microphone, and the work was basically unaffected. My headache was almost gone by March 9th, and every day I felt better, especially after a good sleep. On Friday, March 11, we were free, but we still didn't go out.

3月12周六：按要求去诊所支付了检测费和药费，不贵，自己付的部分也就几百元人民币。我们进入诊所时前台几个护士都和我们热情地打招呼，看上去一点也不担心，诊所里也坐着一些待诊病人，大家都只是带了普通口罩而已。

Saturday, March 12th: We went to the clinic as required to pay for the testing fee and medicine, which was not expensive. When we entered the clinic, the nurses at the front desk greeted us warmly. There were some patients waiting in the lobby, all of them were just wearing ordinary masks.

3月13周日：我们在家又做了核酸检测，都是“一道杠”阴性。😄 从3月14开始恢复正常生活，建军继续每天去单位上班，我又开始打球。虽然我们嗓子还是有些不舒服，但都不咳嗽了。而且我打球的时候感觉最好，可能是专心的时候注意力转移了。适当的运动对恢复也许有帮助。

Sunday, March 13th: We were still worried. We had another COVID test at home, and it was all negative. 😄
From March 14th, normal life resumed, Frank continued to go to work every day, and I started playing tennis again. Although our throats were still a little uncomfortable, we didn't cough anymore. And I feel the best when I play tennis, probably because of my concentration. 

小总结 sum-up:
1. 检测准确度：试剂盒的检测在得病初期结果不准确。

Test accuracy: The test may not be very accurate in the early stage of the disease.

2. 新冠症状：对我们而言确实有点儿像重感冒，具体症状会因人而异，我们俩的症状就不完全相同。另外到目前为止没有明显后遗症。

COVID-19 symptoms: It's a bit like a very heavy cold for us, the symptoms vary from person to person. In addition, so far there are no obvious sequelae.

3. 治疗：新冠没有特效药，最少在日本没有。确诊之后，只要能正常呼吸，基本就是在家养病，没特别要求，什么药都不给。只能等着自身抗体击败病毒。

Treatment: There is no specific drug for COVID-19, at least not in Japan now. After the diagnosis, as long as you can breathe normally, you are isolated at home. You can only wait for the autoantibodies to defeat the virus.  

4. 疫苗作用：我们一年多之前打过两针疫苗，虽然时间久了，可能还是有些帮助吧，如果没打过疫苗，说不准症状更重了。建军日本单位的同事都打了第三针，和他密切接触的没一个确诊阳性，说明疫苗对防止感染新冠病毒是有效果的。打过第三针疫苗的健康人不用太担心这个病毒。老年人和有过往疾病或慢性病的，尤其没打过疫苗的，还是要小心。

Vaccine effect: Both of us injected two doses of vaccine more than one year ago, although it has been a long time, it may be still helpful. Frank’s colleagues in one office all injected the booster shot. No one infected with COVID. Healthy people who have received the third dose of the vaccine should be safer. The elderly and those with past or chronic diseases, especially those who have not been vaccinated, should be very careful.

5. 自备药品和设备
去年八月来日本之前，我把能想到的防疫抗病东东都带上了。除了在海运行李中带了一个家用制氧机，随身带了指夹血氧仪、医用测温枪、防护隔离衣、医用口罩、手套等。药品有莲花清瘟颗粒、金嗓子含片、天津清咽滴丸等，莲花是很早以前在药店买的。后来在日本网上买了如止痛退烧药一类的非处方药，都很管用。

Preparing some OTC medicines
Before I came to Japan last August, I brought with me everything I could think of to prevent and fight against the epidemic. The traditional Chinese medicines and the medicine I bought in Japan are useful.

6. 食品
平常储存了不少食物，但是蔬菜水果等新鲜东东和速冻饺子只够吃一周的。我们生病这段时间胃口一直挺好（新冠病毒对吃货也没有办法），这也是初期感觉不像感染了新冠的原因之一。这边主要一个送餐的网站叫Uber Eats，我们初来日本住酒店时，经常在这儿叫外卖。但是生病这段时间，竟然只有一家店提供送餐服务，其它的店只提供自取，不知道快递员是不是也都与我们一样，中招了？这家伟大的店就是Domino's Pizza（达美乐披萨），种类又多又好吃，送餐也快。只是建军不吃芝士，只好想其它办法。

Luckily, both Frank and I kept good appetite during COVID infection. Uber Eats is a popular food delivery website here. But there were nearly no delivery people nearby at that time. Only Domino's offered delivery service and delicious food as they always do.

另外，亚马逊在日本的网站帮了我大忙。买到了新鲜蔬菜、鸡蛋、亚洲物产店的酱牛肉。其中最令人高兴的记忆就是一套特选26-28个品牌冰淇淋（固力果、明治和森永乳业等），200多元人民币，每个都很有特点，很过瘾很好吃，我上网认真查了，吃冰激凌对新冠治疗有好处。还发现值得再次购买的美食有：大版王将炒饭（Osaka Ohsho Frozen Fried Rice）- 葱是葱、肉是肉、鸡蛋是鸡蛋，炒饭快速不粘锅; 饺子王国店的4种组合（冷冻饺子、烧麦、锅贴和包子）- 方便好吃; 亚马逊限量组合-精心挑选的6种SONOKO冷冻面包 - 新鲜好吃有特色。

I got fresh fruits and vegetables as well as instant delicious food from Amazon JP (English) website. The best deal is ice cream set. Love it.

Can ice cream help COVID-19 symptoms? （没有患糖尿病的话，吃冰激凌有助于舒缓嗓子不适、减轻症状）(If you do not have diabetes, eating ice cream can help relieve throat discomfort and reduce symptoms.)

https://www.yahoo.com/lifestyle/ice-cream-help-covid-19-181000131.html
Healthy Eating When You Have COVID-19 （感染新冠后更需保证饮食质量）
https://news.christianacare.org/2020/04/healthy-eating-when-you-have-covid-19/

7. 垃圾处理：
我们社区都是一户建的独立小房子，不同垃圾在指定的日子放到垃圾站。我们把厨余垃圾在放到指定地点之前包了很多层，进出门酒精消毒。后来在网上找到了日本厚生劳务省（卫生劳务部？）的指导说明。感染了新冠处理垃圾时，只需要将垃圾袋系紧保证不漏，放到垃圾站即可。

Garbage Disposal:
I found COVID-19 Q&A from Ministry of Health, Labor and Welfare website. For the garbage, people just need to securely tie garbage bags to avoid direct contact. Wash hands immediately after disposal.

COVID-19 Q&A （日本厚生劳务省）https://www.mhlw.go.jp/stf/covid-19/qa.html

8. 为何只需隔离10天：这个也在上述的网站找到了答案。他们认为得了新冠，从有症状起的10天内，病人是有传染性的，10天后就不具传染性了。

Why the patients only need to quarantine for 10 days: I also found the answer on the above webpage. They believe that the patient is contagious within 10 days from the onset of symptoms, and not after 10 days.