You know you live in a small town when a member of your family becomes sick; the outpouring of support and love is unparallel. But, on the other end of the spectrum, the ugly side of gossip and rumors can bear its head in smaller communities. So when we were told we had a Stylebook article due this week, we couldn’t get around to showcasing our exciting new arrivals (which, for the record, we love and think you will too) but we felt compelled to write about our experience with Covid.

Megan:

What started as a lovely gesture on Katie’s part to host her annual birthday party for my sweet Hayden turned into the last moment the cousins would see each other for two weeks. Ashton spiked a fever that night, and I knew that I would not be sending him to school the next day or until he received a negative COVID-19 test. The fever lasted 24 hours, and he had no other symptoms. Fast forward to Wednesday morning when I got Ashton tested - as a routine test, assuming that it would be negative, and I could send him back to school on Friday. Thursday night, I was about to celebrate Mint Collective’s birthday party when I got the email that no one wants to get… Ashton was positive.

How could this be? He had a fever for 24 hours and no other symptoms.

I went home immediately, and the rest of the family got tested! It turns out my husband, and I were both positive, and Hayden and my niece, Ruby. My husband and I had been complaining all week of sinus issues. But these issues are very common for both of us, especially in the early fall. So, naturally, we thought nothing of it until Ashton was tested and came back positive.

We were contacted by the health department immediately and told exactly what we needed to do. We followed all guidelines and hunkered down as a family for the next ten days. Ethan is vaccinated and was negative, so he was able to live his life and go to school, sports, etc. Luckily for us, the symptoms were very mild, and we all came out of this OK.

I will say the toughest part for our family was the judgment that we received and felt because we were stricken with the virus that our community and the world has been fearing and dealing with for two years. Did we do the wrong thing by getting together outside as a family for a birthday party? No. Our children are in school and not vaccinated yet. It’s inevitable that Covid was going to spread in the classrooms; some will be lucky enough to dodge it, some not. We cannot place a stigma on this virus.  Doing so will discourage individuals from getting tested and to avoid feeling the judgment that my family felt.

Do your part for your family, and please don’t judge others for testing positive. If you feel cold symptoms coming on - get tested. We cannot stop the spread if we don’t get tested and quarantine accordingly.

Don’t assume to know other’s experiences with Covid. The health department is very helpful and gives the proper instruction to each individual case. It’s hard enough to stay home from school and work for the 10-day quarantine, harder to hear the chatter... We are all in this together as a community here in Alexandria. We lift people up, and we do not tear them down; Covid shouldn’t be any different.

Katie:

When we found out Ashton tested positive, the entire family dropped everything and went to get tested. At this point, no one in the family was showing any symptoms, so we were all shellshocked, to say the least. We knew Covid would get to us at some point, and to be perfectly honest, I am surprised we made it as long as we did… (If you haven’t had it yet, aren’t you!?) A part of me was praying Ruby would test negative, but Ruby and Ashton are best friends, and both have returned to school. What are we supposed to do? They love each other. When one is sick, the other gets sick- every single time!

It was still surprising to read positive on Ruby’s test results. This is the virus that has claimed the lives of millions, and it is now in our household. I immediately called Ruby’s school, my close mom friends, friends we had seen that week, work colleagues... the whole list. I had no fear, no shame because by no means were we going to continue to spread this virus; it was going to stop with us. Once Ruby had a fever, that’s when the anxiety and sleepless nights set in. I kept waiting for her to go downhill, waiting for her not to be able to breathe - every parent’s worst nightmare. Luckily, her symptoms resembled her cousins and were very mild. If she hadn’t gotten tested, I would have attributed her lack of appetite and sleepiness to growing pains.

We quarantined… we went a little crazy… my husband and I started having our adult beverage albeit a bit too early in the day, but what day was it anyway?! We survived. What came after survival was the most disappointing part - the judgment from others. I was truly a deer in headlights with the stigma of Covid.

So, we write this piece pleading for others to open their eyes and realize it starts and stops with you. Covid does not discriminate. It doesn’t care what color, shape, favorite Misha’s coffee you like, classic or not so classic biscuit you prefer, boutique you like to shop at, and it doesn’t care! What we should care about is how we handle our expectations of our fellow community members and would think and hope they would not knowingly expose anyone if they knew they had Covid. Doing the right thing by getting tested and alerting the proper people is all you can do to stop Covid in its tracks. Don’t think about the consequences of having Covid - the worst thing you can do is spread it to someone who might not have mild symptoms and ultimately not win the fight against Covid. There’s no turning back from that.

As always, love conquers all, and we hope the next time you hear about a covid case, you have compassion instead of spite. Kindness instead of cruelty, love instead of hate.