Man Contracts, Survives COVID-19 Without Really Noticing
CHICAGO, IL — Late one Thursday night in October, Denver McKinley, 33, received the news that most of us have been dreading since February. He was positive for COVID-19. “I didn’t even realize I was sick,” McKinley told us in a Zoom interview, “but I was at my nephew’s second birthday party, and my brother told me he had it so I should probably get tested.” COVID-19 has been devastating the global economy and quality of life for millions of people since the beginning of 2019. Most countries have gone through multiple lockdowns and quarantine cycles to restrict the infection rate of the virus. It has killed over 235,000 people in the United States this year alone, and because of political and social bias towards how to handle the situation, experts agree that number will only get worse as the US moves into colder seasons. “I had like a runny nose, but other than that I was fine. It really wasn’t a big deal,” McKinley reported from his isolation pod, “My mom cried when she found out, but now we just laugh about it because it was like, literally nothing. I have to go back to work on Tuesday though, which sucks.” McKinley continued to complain about his job despite the fact that millions of Americans are still facing record high unemployment due to massive layoffs caused by the pandemic. McKinley currently lives with his parents both of whom have contracted the virus. They are in critical condition at Northwestern University.
