Even though I had a flu shot before, I developed flu-like symptoms from Jan 18-21. The symptoms were nothing extraordinary - fever of about 101 and tiredness. No breathing problems, no loss of smell, or any other telltale signs. I made a quick recovery. I think this was the first fever I had in several years.
I probably rode the New York subway in the days before I got sick. I didn’t do any traveling before this.
According to this article, the first confirmed case of COVID-19 in the US was Jan 19: https://www.nejm.org/doi/full/10.1056/NEJMoa2001191
It seems like a long shot but is there any possibility that I caught an early case of COVID-19?
The 2019 US influenza vaccines (CDC: U.S. Influenza Vaccine Products for the 2019-20 Season) were not a particularly match to the most prevalent flu strains for the 2019-2020 North American flue season, so just having a flu shot doesn’t mean that you won’t get the flu, although it should attenuate an influenza infection similar to the symptoms you describe. The P&I levels for this season have slightly exceeded the epidemic threshold (Pneumonia & Influenza Mortality Surveillance), so despite the fact that is hasn’t got a lot of press we’ve been in the middle of a flu epidemic. So, short of an antigen test while you were symptomatic or a (not yet extant) antibody test to see if you have been exposed and developed immunity, and without any of the symptoms that are typical (but not universal) of COVID-19, it is possible and even likely that you were just experiencing a mild bout of “normal” influenza. I would not make any assumption about immunity to the SARS-CoV-2 virus and follow all of the recommendations for physical distancing and hygiene until antibody testing is available.
CDC: “Influenza (Flu): What you need to know for 2019-20”
Stranger
Thanks for the quick response Stranger. I am definitely taking precautions, working from home and not assuming any immunity.
Possible but maybe not the likeliest possibility.
About that time (~mid January), several of my co-workers came down with doctor verified cases of the flu and strep (different groups in different cubes) and exhibited several of those symptoms and nearly all had the flu shot this year. Didn’t appreciate some of them coming into the office, and maybe that won’t happen so much anymore.