Diaz Dixon doesn’t seem like the kind of person to be bullied. He’s friendly and easy to get along with. But, when he realized he had contracted COVID-19 from someone he knew, he experienced the worst bullying imaginable.
“COVID was like a big bully in the playground,” said Dixon. “You go out to play and there’s someone who wants to kick you in the gut. Then you go to another part of a playground and you might be having fun playing with another kid, and they say oh, by the way, I invited COVID to play hoops with us. And you turn around and he throws it in your face.”
The symptoms were brutal. For the better part of eight days, Diaz went on a roller coaster ride of terrible headaches, fatigue, blurry vision and muscle pain — all in an irregular, irrational pattern. “I would wake up one day with a shooting headache, the next day, it would be gone. Then, I would cough for hours, or sneeze without any respite. One sneeze left me with pain shooting across my chest and back which almost brought me to my knees.”
The symptoms were off and on, toying with him like a mean kid waiting to mess with him at school. When the symptoms were on, they were fierce. The pain shifted and moved around in his body. Sleep wasn’t easy and all he could do was sit or lay on the couch. Sore throats. Excruciating back pains. Unpredictable bouts of being drained. Simply put, COVID-19 proved to be no joke.
Fortunately, Diaz knew who he had gotten COVID-19 from and he and his wife got tested. They quarantined. That meant no Thanksgiving gatherings with family, no grocery shopping and no errands.
“I didn’t think I was going to get it,” said Dixon. “I let my guard down inside my house when a visitor came. COVID doesn’t know the difference if you’re outside your house or inside.”
Having two relatives who died of COVID, he emphasized it is a matter not to be taken lightly.
Dixon, who is the CEO of the Eddy House, a nonprofit organization that serves homeless and at-risk youth, said everyone at his office, including young clients, have been wearing masks and/or face shields and are being diligent about cleaning protocols and social distancing. For those youth who may still be on the streets, he advises them to take the precautions for anyone they love and come in contact with.
“There’s no reason not to wear a mask and be safe,” he said. “We all have to take every precaution in the next few months. It’s a short amount of time to show responsibility.”
His message?
“People are having COVID fatigue. We complain about a lot going on in this world. We have to start with being compassionate about other human beings. You can be there for people when times are good. But are you there for them when times are rough?”
The sooner we all do our part to slow the spread of COVID-19, the sooner we can all get back to living our lives and doing what we love. For more information about COVID-19 resources in Washoe County, visit MaskOnMoveOn.com.
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