TLDR: I tested positive for Covid today, and while I hadn’t shown any symptoms yet then, it might have been possible for me to spread it when I was there last Friday and Saturday. I don’t think it very likely that I did, but I needed to warn people.
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After dodging bullets successfully for 27 months, I got hit. I tested positive for Covid this morning (via a PCR test). My first symptoms appeared Saturday night, but they’ve been very mild. If it weren’t for the test result I would still be debating whether or not I was actually coming down sick. (I got tested mainly as a precaution preceding taking my mother to get oral surgery this week; I’m very glad I did.) I will likely be fine, I’m fully vaccinated and double boosted and just started an antiviral treatment.
But I wanted to notify everyone, because I was at the space at times when I was not yet showing symptoms but could possibly have been infectious. Fortunately, because I had been hearing about more cases recently, I had resumed masking up more frequently than I had been. (And I never stopped masking in more public spaces like grocery stores, etc.) Though this turned out to be a case of closing the barn door after my horse escaped, hopefully I closed it before I ran any of your horses off too.
I was at the space Friday, an hour in the morning and an hour in the evening. I was in the main room and I didn’t mask as consistently yet, unfortunately. But I don’t think I was in close proximity with anyone more than briefly. I was there Saturday also, but I was masked the entire time, plus I was almost exclusively in the machine shop away from everyone. (Before that, I was there Monday, which is almost certainly before I was infected.)
In general, the size of the space and constant air circulation from the dust collection greatly reduces transmission risk as well. I really hope this all means I didn’t spread it to anyone. But I thought I should give warning.
I obviously won’t be in the space for a week or so. So @Devmani, I won’t be picking up that acrylic. CDC guidelines suggest I should still be able to teach the class on the 28th, but I’m a bit dubious of those. We can defer that decision for now. (I also had something I wanted to show off soon, but it will have to wait too, sigh.)
