Hello! I am a 28 year old healthy woman, who has just had a breakthrough COVID infection. I am double vaccinated and mask everywhere, but I guess I just have bad luck? I’ll occassionally slip my mask down at the gym to take a sip of water - that’s the only place that I can think to where I have gotten it. Symptoms are low (splitting headache the first few days, fever the first few days) and I am feeling incredibly lethargic. I am on day 5 of quarantine and have 5 more to go. Should I have any considerations for returning to training once my quarantine is over?
Also, and forgive me if this is dumb (and I won’t stop masking!!), but am I now… super safe against COVID? For at least the next 2-3 months? Having gotten the virus while vaccinated? I only ask because I know people will tell me that it’s stupid to go back to the gym…
There are no specific guidelines that need to be followed for return to exercise in this situation unless you have unique, persistent symptoms. We have a few resources on returning to training (podcasts and articles) after being sick and/or otherwise away from training that you may find useful.
As far as your infection risk goes, it is likely that your risk of re-infection is likely lower for the next ~90 days or so compared to someone who was either vaccinated, but not infected or infected, but not vaccinated, in the same time period. What degree of risk reduction this represents is not currently known, however.
Hey! Breakthrough infection here as well. This probably isn’t helpful to you because we’re all so different, but I hit the gym running the day I got out of quarantine (26th of August). That probably wasn’t the greatest idea I’ve ever had. It ended up setting me back quite a bit, both in my return to training as well as how I was feeling in general.
If I had it to do over again, I would do as Jordan suggested and work my way back in to training. Hope you feel better soon!
i so appreciate this perspective!!! I have been feeling really low energy and my parents assume it’s because I am not doing a lot of physical activity (it reminds me of Christmas holidays, when I wake up and read all day, you know?) so I had been planning on hitting the gym running - this is a good reminder to take it slow.
can I ask how you felt after leaving quarantine? I feel normal now (I am on day 9), but just feel much more tired than usual. I wonder if I even know how to take things slow or pace myself at the gym…