Negative vibes only ✌️

After focusing my last newsletter on how strange it was to be the only masked person at a corporate event, I developed symptoms.

I woke up at 5 am Monday with a sore throat and headache. My home test appeared negative and I went back to sleep, woke up again, did the whole hustle-my-kids-to-the-school-bus thing. Came back and noticed that same test still sitting on the countertop — apparently faintly positive. (Yes, I realize you are not supposed to read the tests after a couple of hours.)

Went for a rapid PCR test: positive. This result seemed consistent with the data: I had symptoms, and there’s a classroom outbreak at my kids’ school. (My son’s own deskmate had COVID.)

So I hid in the bedroom for two days working on my laptop while my husband slid food through the door like a prison guard. (Yesterday he also handed over a bag of rainbow Twizzlers from a Hershey’s press mailer and I might have eaten every last one of those.)

All the while I was obsessively popping home rapid antigen tests like so many Tic-Tacs: negative.

Yesterday I repeated the PCR, this time not willing to spring for another $120 for the expedited version. So I waited until this morning for the results: negative.

Thus, we now know that either the positive PCR was wrong, or my body has already cleared the virus. This explanation seems more feasible in combination with the symptoms and the school outbreak. But it’s a mind game. And one with ramifications for my family, as I’ve been locked away. I have an appointment Friday for an antibody test capable of confirming whether I was actually infected. (Evidently, CVS does this for $69. Science!)

What are the takeaways here? I’m sorry, I’m not sure. Perhaps it’s that tests are not reliable. Or perhaps it’s just a heads up that COVID is back, up 85 percent over the last 14 days in L.A. County. So I’d advise adjusting protocols for any events accordingly.

And if anyone else has had a similar experience, I’d love to hear about it.

Anyway, I guess I’m back… if I ever left?

Open Press Opportunities

• For Verywell Family, I’m working on a roundup of the best kids’ bedding. Please feel free to pitch both 1) products as well as 2) relevant experts qualified to recommend bedding for kids.

• Still accepting best waterproof shoes pitches for Prevention this week (open to boots, flip-flops, sneakers — all styles).

• For Insider, I’m working on a roundup of must-visit destinations this summer (international or domestic). I encourage pitches for places with strong summer news pegs.

• For Insider, I’m working on a story rounding up domestic hotels with large standard rooms (not talking about suites, unless it’s the standard accommodation) that are well-suited for spreading out with a family — such as ample space to set up a pack-and-play, or a separate sitting area with a pullout sofa. Please pitch relevant spots in desirable family destinations.

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