I got an unexpected positive test last week.
It wasn’t a pregnancy or STI test but instead Covid and honestly, I don’t know which of the three is worse for a single mid 20's gal.
So after coming to terms with the 10-day isolation accompanied by the compulsory 10-day dry spell I got productive and instead of sending a text to a guy who I'm not sure is interested in me or not, I let art imitate life and created this weeks column, 10 Tips For 10 Days In Isolation.
The first tip for the hot gals doing iso is anything is chic if you make it so instead of crying for five hours straight about being locked up, look on the chic side of life. You literally have 10 entire days to sort your life out. You know how influencers do those ‘day in the life’ TikTok’s that make even the most mundane life look super romantic? Channel this energy.
As if I even need to say it, number two, fill the shelves- with a non-contact supermarket delivery of course. The minute you or your bubble buddy tests positive, run to the pantry like a wild animal and make a list of all the comfort foods you need. Chocolate? Obviously. Vitamin C? Absolutely. Panadol? 1000 times yes. Nothing is off-limits, it’s your panic shop and the supermarket is living for it.
Three, let your workplace know you, or your housemate has contracted Covid-19. There might be processes your workplace needs to implement upon a positive result so keep them in the loop and let's be honest, you’re going to want a sick day or two.
Forth, decide whether your boo thang is going to be around for the next 10 days. Easy if you live together, not so easy if you don’t. As much as it kills you, follow public health rules and ban them from entering your Covid pit for the next 10 days. Not only does distance makes the heart grow fonder but they won’t have to see you being a sick sooky baby.
This is debatably step four part b, but minor details darling so let's agree to call it step five. If you’re a single gal, pull your Missy Mini charger out immediately because once you come through the other side of Ms. Rona aka the compulsory 10-day dry spell, you are going to need a big O.
Sixth, any hot girl knows the key to staying hot and ahead of the game is drinking lots of water. No, not wine, water. Make sure you are drinking one or two litres a day. The challenge here is not drinking so much you pee every three minutes but drinking enough so you don’t replicate the Sahara Desert.
Tip seven is to get your hands on some RATs to test on days three, five, and ten. The sooner you can rejoin civilisation, the better.
Number eight, Netflix is your best mate. While feeling extremely sorry for myself and milking Covid for all it's worth I ended up watching Vikings Vahalla and let me tell you, it didn’t cure me, but seeing half naked men fighting on the battlefield certainly made me feel better. So if you can’t escape your house, at least escape to a fictional world.
Tip nine is for those who want to feel fine with self-care, baby. Isolating, possible stress, and even sickness is not a vibe so grab a face mask, hydrogel under eye masks, run a bath, put a conditioning treatment in your hair, meditate, journal, whatever makes you feel good, do it.
And finally, ten, listen to your body. If you don’t feel up to exercising, don’t. If you need a couple of days off work, take them, if you know something isn’t right and you’re experiencing any extreme symptoms, call Healthline or skedaddle to the hospital. Whatever you do, remember you know your body better than anyone so listen to it.
And if you do end up getting Covid or isolating, stay safe, stay sane and remember it’s only 10 days. You got this.
— Lillie Rohan