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As we close in on almost one year of COVID-19, the virus and the actions people take to manage the spread continues to affect the nation, and Sanders County as well.

Some advocate for mask wearing while others say it is their right to unmask. Some people are chomping at the bit to get the vaccine while others oppose it entirely. Some are socially distancing while others are saving that for their enemies only.

Most viruses and diseases come with a standard set of symptoms. With COVID-19 you can expect anything. Nausea, coughing, sore throat, difficulty breathing, fever (or not), loss of taste or smell, body aches, fatigue, congestion, runny nose, diarrhea, pain and pressure in the chest, confusion, headaches, and the list continues. Symptom severity is also uncertain. Though some experience a mild case, others suffer extreme illness, all while the long-term effects of this virus remain unclear.

Based on firsthand experience, Julie Repp is a mask supporter. She is one of the 72.6 million people who have contracted COVID-19. “I feel like I dodged a bullet,” she said. As a former smoker, she says she understands her symptoms could have been much worse, although her symptoms are still present almost seven weeks after experiencing her first symptom.

“I got it over Halloween. My first symptom was the day after, a sore throat,” recalls Repp. She continued to develop symptoms of head and body aches, loss of taste and smell, and intestinal problems. After the 14-day recommended quarantine time, she continued to develop symptoms, including continually problematic breathing difficulties.

“It is labored, it feels like a brick is on me,” she reported just this Monday, 44 days after noticing her first symptom. “I have to take a deep breath every once in a while, like I am not getting enough. It takes me more time to get a breath.” Being healthy otherwise, Repp was prescribed antibiotics and steroids to combat complications associated with COVID-19, although for her, they have not made the symptoms disappear.

Repp is looking forward to vaccine availability. She commented that her family is deeply passionate about music and cannot wait to attend concerts in person again. “If this [getting the vaccine] is the way we are going to be able to see concerts again, then I am getting it.” She also explained that she sees a trend where younger and younger people are contracting the virus. Her suggestion is getting the vaccine to “nip it in the bud.”

“It’s amazing that I got it because I don’t have much of a social life,” Repp commented, still unsure where and when she was exposed to the virus. She sincerely hopes people follow government recommendations, socially distance and wear masks.

“I wish that I was getting better faster,” Repp said with respect for what the virus can do, and how it “can hit you so hard.” She reiterated for a fourth time, “I just want people to take this seriously. Wear a mask, socially distance and listen to the recommendations.”