Just after the first of the year, and despite being fully up to date with our shots, COVID finally found its way into BRAD BLOG World News Headquarters for the first time, after we’d successfully avoided it since the jump. Desi unknowingly picked it up in Texas, then brought it back to me about a week later.

Quick prescriptions for the anti-viral Paxlovid knocked it out for each of us almost immediately. In my case, over a single weekend. I didn’t even miss a BradCast!

Then, about a week or so later, I got a rebound case of COVID, as is sometimes the case, even with Paxlovid. Desi didn’t. That bout was far worse than the first, particularly since they won’t prescribe the anti-viral drugs again in such a case. Largely had to suffer it out. Wasn’t too bad. Like a mild cold, though it kept me from the show for a couple of days.

Now, a month later, guess what?…

No, not COVID. But, somewhat related. The symptoms, as they came on last week, appeared to suggest a common sinus infection. Annoying, but workable. If you heard yesterday’s BradCast, you could hear it coming on.

(SIDEBAR: I thought it was an excellent and important program yesterday, if I say so myself. Though a number of others, including veteran investigative journalist and author Russ Baker seemed to agree. In it, I called out elements of the theoretically “anti-war” Left who, nonetheless, now appear to be — either knowingly or unknowingly — finding common cause with Useful Idiots on the Right in becoming enthralled by Kremlin propaganda on Ukraine. As noted, while I take no particular joy in calling out old friends on the progressive Left (where you will also find me), it must be done. In kind, I strongly recommend Baker’s own take-down this week of similar elements on the Left [and Right] in his important, fact-based column: “Investigating Your Vaccine Concerns: Some think I’ve lost my ability to see ‘what’s really going on.'”)

If you listened to this morning’s Green New Report, our 15th Anniversary episode, my encroaching illness was obvious there as well.

I’d hoped I’d be able to muscle through today’s BradCast as well without a prob, but I was wrong. The symptoms got quickly more acute following the latest GNR, as whatever infection I seemed to have in my sinuses moved down into my chest, for uncontrollable coughing fits that, enjoyably, bust apart my already inflamed sinuses.

Some suggest a Paxlovid “rebound” isn’t really a second infection at all. But, rather, the drug serves to mask the virus and its symptoms for a while, only to see it reemerge a week or so later. Desi, on the other hand, never got a “rebound”. We both strongly recommend Paxlovid for quick COVID recoveries.

Either way, after defeating what seemed to be not one but two recent infections with COVID, I thought I’d be damn-near indestructible, at least for a while. Especially since I hadn’t been sick with any sort of virus for, I dunno, almost a decade prior! But I was wrong.

My doctor told me today that folks recently recovering from COVID have been getting slammed, of late, with other respiratory ailments, like colds and flu. Apparently, while emboldened against COVID, the immune system is a bit exhausted and other stuff is getting in. No signs, in my case (yet) of it being either a new infection or a case of long COVID.

So, what apparently has felled me is little more than a common cold. No fever or other alarming symptoms, but enough coughing, chest congestion and swollen sinuses to flatten me at this point and keep me from today’s BradCast. Maybe tomorrow’s as well. We’ll cross that bridge in a few hours. For now, hoping the antibiotics are taking hold and we’ll be back soon.

Thanks for understanding. I’m hoping this is the last of personal COVID Chronicles. Oh, and get your shots if you haven’t lately. All of this could have been much worse. (Vaccine skeptics would be wise to see Baker’s piece above for more on that!)