Cold

 

The cold incubation period is the time from catching a cold virus to the first symptoms, typically 1 to 3 days, though it can range from 12 hours to a week. (Google AI)  

Yesterday, I started to feel like I had a cold coming on: I had a couple of violent sneeze attacks, and felt a bit congested and generally "weird". I dismissed the idea, though - because where (or who) on earth would I have caught it from?? I haven't been anywhere recently, nor had any vistitors. Could it perhaps be an allergic reaction rather than a cold? But since January has been such a chilly month here (temperatures below zero), that didn't make sense either. I know pollen can drift  with the winds from further south in Europe even before the season really starts here, but still... 

Today, no doubt any more: However I managed to catch it, it is definitely a cold. It's kept me in bed most of the day, half-slumbering to an audio book - and falling properly asleep for a couple of hours in the afternoon. (Just now trying to keep myself sitting upright at the computer for a while, though.) 

This is the extent of my off-line human interaction over the past week: 

Last Thursday I had groceries delievered. I went down to open the entrance door for the delivery girl (it was a young woman this time), and we rode up in the lift together. I live on the 2nd floor, so that only takes seconds. She then put the bags down in the hall just inside my front door and left. We exchanged one or two sentences, no more. She seemed healthy to me - and it also really seems a bit too long ago to be of relevance. 

On Saturday, I spoke to a neighbour in the basement corridor outside the laundry room (looking at the booking board). But we probably stood like two meters apart and only exchanged a few words. (She had booked the slot after me, and I told her that as it seemed like I'd able to start an hour early, she could count on doing the same. We did not meet again.) 

I have gone up and down in the lift a few more times during the past week, but then without meeting anyone. I can't think where else I might have come across some lingering virus though! (The laundry room, possibly - but it's rather "airy" down there, and I wear rubber gloves most of the time, and always start by wiping the surfaces...)

I can't actually recall when I last had a winter cold. Having had flu and covid shots every autumn has in later years seemed to protect me fairly well throughout the winters!

No doubt I'll survive this one too - it just still puzzles me when/where/how I picked it up!