This might be useful information for anyone planning a trip. My doctor just referred me for coronavirus testing, and thinks I have a textbook "mild" case. This is one example of what a mild case might look like, and how much I could have enjoyed a trip I was in the middle of. I don't have any material pre-existing conditions, and I'm under 50.
I'm not going to make any commentary on prevention of spread, or my treatments because I don't want to derail this thread. Just to be clear, I was home the whole time - this is a hypothetical trip, and I'm using Pop Century as my reference resort because that's where I stayed last.
I woke up on Wednesday of last week feeling generically yucky. I totally could have gone to a theme park, but I had a headache, a sore throat and an annoying cough. By Wednesday afternoon I was light and sound sensitive and it kind of ached when I took a deep breath.
Thursday I spent most of the day in bed. My most bothersome symptoms were fatigue and body ache with some chest tightness. I could take care of myself fine, but conversations were really hard. I'd probably have stayed home from the parks (or possibly gone to a skyliner park and turned back when it was too much exertion). I was well enough that getting from the room to the food court and back would have required me to rest both ways and in the food court, but I could do it.
By Friday, I'd have needed an
ECV to get from my room to the food court, and probably needed to rest on the way anyway. I could sit up and use the computer for short periods of time, but was more comfortable lying down. Breathing was generally a little labored.
Saturday was pretty awful. I did manage to sit at the table and eat a meal someone else cooked. I could barely get my own drinks from 10 feet away. Had a few instances where I thought I'd faint or collapse, but never did.
Sunday I started to improve. I thought about being on vacation and almost cried at the idea of getting through an airport in a wheelchair. It would just be painful, slow and exhausting. Even getting into a car to get to the airport would be miserable.
Monday was better. I probably spent half the day sitting upright! I could could myself fed and hydrated. I probably could have ambled through a theme park in a
scooter or ECV and enjoyed the sunshine. Rides would have been too much. I looked up some paced breathing exercises and they helped the breathing.
Tuesday I still had to stop and rest to recover comfortable breathing, but I could do laundry and offer useful suggestions for enriching our earthquake supplies.
Today the difficulty breathing with minimal exertion is back. I can't pick up the room without stopping to catch my breath, but I could probably manage simple rides like Dumbo. Safari would be too much. Pirates would be too much. Flying today would be really difficult, but probably doable. I'd want long layovers between my flights.
I wouldn't call this a cold, and while the symptoms are similar to the flu, my fever has been mild enough that the shortness of breath has really been the limiting factor.
For people who are going to Disney, here are my suggestions:
- Plan your travel with lots of flexibility and loose connections. If you are sick coming home (incubating when you left home, or exposed on the flight out, whatever) you'll really appreciate not having to hurry.
- Have a plan for what to do if someone in your group gets sick, or is too ill to travel home on your scheduled travel day.
- Bring the kind of medication that usually helps you for bad colds or the flu. It's all symptomatic relief, but I'll take what I can get! My doctor called in prescriptions without seeing me, but the non-prescription stuff can be a surprising hassle to get.
- Value resorts are good IMO - you can sit outside your hotel room and get fresh air and sunshine without the hallway interactions and with minimal exertion. Deluxe with a balcony would be even better - room service -and- fresh air.
- Take as many precautions as you can to avoid getting sick or spreading sickness.
- Bring an inexpensive pulse-oxygen meter and know what your normal values are/how to use it. It lets me self-monitor and know when to call my doctor/get help.
Likely, nothing will happen. But a week and a half ago, we didn't have local transmission here.
but this raises another issue as everyone is using the same serving utensils and reaching in to get their food, etc etc. Virus or no virus, I'm not skipping Cape May, Crystal Palace, and Boma. I waited all year for them 
. For me, the reason I'm not freaking out so far is no one in my immediate family is in the danger demographic and as has been said previously, this is tantamount to having the flu. Just keep on keeping on and try to be smart about things, I guess.
