Day four was when the lockdown became a war of attrition. The initial shock phase of testing positive gradually wears away, as the dull nature of the situation becomes even more apparent.

Of all days for this to wear off, it was of course a Friday. For me, I have no real responsibilities outside of practice these days which, given the circumstances, I obviously don’t have. Because of this, I am essentially lost in a vacuum of no responsibility.

Time doesn’t really take a form in this setting; hours pass as though they are short intervals that only take minutes. Waking up at 9:30 a.m., I try to find something that engages my mind. Typically, that’s the internet; silly videos on Instagram are really, really time-consuming but so entertaining. Social media is a rabbit-hole that is the opportunity for an escape.

After some time, it strikes me to look at the clock; two hours pass by in an instance. It is hard to tell whether this is good or bad.

There are different numbers that call to check up on me, from those associated with the university’s health center to others just concerned with my help. They ask about symptoms, what I need, or how I feel, all of the typical checklist items that actually do provide a sense of security.

The number of times that I’ve had to list off the names of my housemates and anyone else I came in contact with is beyond repetitive. However, the processes are in place to ensure containment; besides, it’s not like there’s anything better to do than talk on the phone.

I still try my best to have three meals a day, with my housemates dropping it off outside my door as I wait for them to leave before I take it. For a fly on the wall, it has to look like the weirdest thing ever. I pull the food into my room and eat it sitting “crisscross applesauce” as if I’ve lost all sense of civility. The mounting dirty dishes are funny looking, actually hysterical when paired with the number of empty water bottles strewn on the floor around them.

The good news in all of this? Symptoms are beginning to improve. It is a boost of confidence that you have to take with a grain of salt, due to the ever-changing nature of COVID. For today though, this is a battle-tested victory as I move into my next days.