Navigating COVID remains a constant gamble

I went to Vegas and lost at the casinos. And to COVID.

For most of the pandemic, I’ve worked from home and adhered to public health advice for masking and avoiding crowded places. But like many people, when the shutdowns ended, I relaxed my precautions, and I started traveling again.

Last month, two days after returning home to San Francisco from Las Vegas, I sneezed and felt the onslaught of a cold. I’ve had these symptoms before during the pandemic but always tested negative. This time, the red line in the test cartridge emerged immediately on the dreaded T-mark for positive.

The coronavirus finally got me.

It seemed like a mild cold at first, but soon my sinuses filled, my head ached and my body felt like it was a punching bag being abused at a boxing gym. Every movement, no matter how slight, made it worse.

So, this was COVID. I wouldn’t wish it on anybody.

My road to infection started a few months before when a friend invited me to go on a guys’ trip to Vegas for a long weekend. Why not? I’m vaccinated with all the boosters, and I had been to Vegas recently and have traveled to Hawaii, Los Angeles and Seattle in the past year. Back home, I’ve gone to Giants games, Warriors games, concerts and festivals in the two years since the world reopened. California was on the verge of declaring an end to the emergency phase of the pandemic. The federal government planned to follow suit in May. UCSF’s Dr. Monica Gandhi, one of the nation’s leading experts, says it’s time to learn and live with COVID. That’s what I was doing in Vegas.

Almost nobody on the Strip wore a mask, including our Vegas group. But why would we? There are no longer COVID restrictions at most public places. The only time I wear a mask is on public transportation or on a plane even though there’s no mandate.

From the moment I left Las Vegas airport, nobody masked. So, I didn’t, either. I was in Vegas. Fun awaited.

The late-January crowds in Vegas were plentiful, and the city is recovering from the pandemic. During 2022, hotels averaged 79% capacity and 38.8 million tourists visited, 20.5% more than in 2021, according to the Las Vegas Convention and Visitors Authority.

Clark County, Nev., where Las Vegas is located, has a population of more than 2.2 million and was averaging about 130 COVID cases a day when I was there. San Francisco, population 800,000, was averaging about 70 cases a day. The community level of COVID is considered low in both counties by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Looking at the data, there was no significant risk in either city. And who looks at data other than betting odds before going to Vegas?

My friends and I had a great weekend eating and drinking and gambling. Most of the guys lost money, but if you stay within your means, it’s the entertainment that counts.

My fond memory of splitting aces and drawing two blackjacks faded when COVID’s punches started hitting my head and body.

I could barely move.

I alerted my Vegas mates about my positive test. They all replied saying they tested negative. Go figure?

The morning after my symptoms surfaced, I logged into my Kaiser account to see if I could get Paxlovid, the treatment for COVID symptoms. Just typing on my laptop hurt.

I wondered if I would be prescribed the drug because it had been restricted to people 65 and older or those with certain health conditions earlier in the pandemic. After answering a few questions about symptoms on the Kaiser website, my case was referred to my doctor’s office. A reply came in about 90 minutes: I was prescribed Paxlovid and it would be delivered to my house by 7 p.m. I had severe enough symptoms, and I met the new 50 and older age parameter.

Wow, that was easy.

I was concerned about side effects like “metal mouth” but decided it was worth the risk because anything was better than feeling like a punching bag.

A delivery guy dropped off my Paxlovid ahead of schedule. The treatment was two doses a day for five days. I took my first three-pill dose and fell asleep. A few hours later I woke up still feeling like a punching bag — but one that was no longer being punched.

My symptoms gradually improved. By day five, I had largely recovered, though I still have congestion and phlegm now a month later.

The coronavirus is endemic and it’s not going away. A trip to Vegas isn’t in the cards for those with conditions that put them at risk of death due to COVID.

I’m fortunate to be in good health, have medical coverage and a job that lets me work at home. This helped me keep COVID away for three years.

Could I have avoided COVID if I’d masked up or not gone to Vegas at all? It’s the same dilemma as being dealt a 16 in blackjack. Whether you hit or stay, the house has the advantage.

You lose half the time no matter what you do.