First Going Out With Friends After 9-Quarantine-Months

My Personal Story

Hi all! I don’t usually do this kind of story, but, I was so excited about seeing my friends after 9 months, that I thought it would be nice to share my personal experience here, with the Medium family! So, let's start with it.

Some Background

Probably, you don’t know, but I’m from Argentina (Santa Fe, precisely) and I’m working as SD Web UI Developer (At home, for a large company), and, oppositely of what you may think, I have a nice social life, I have friends and my own family (I’m the father of 2). So, from 9to18 I work and play with my kids (Shh, don’t tell it to my big boss), and the rest of the time I try to plan the future with my wife and texting with my friends.

My Friends Life

They have been very actives during the pandemic, they assisted to parties, birthday, even massive Christmas and New Year celebrations, so, for them was like another day, but, for me, it wasn’t like the last 9 months, it was revealing!

I decided to be in a bar, because, knowing my friends, they were not going to follow any COVID-19 protocol in a house (distance, hand-wash, chinstrap…) so, I thought that in a bar, it will be safer…. But, I was wrong, it was worst!

Bar’s protocols were not being respected

I was the first to arrive at our appointment. I was so excited about seeing my friends faces, talk to them directly, without WhatsApp or phone call. Face to Face.

But the first thing I noticed, was the chairs, they were too close.

The table was like before the pandemic, small-size.

No temperature control, no gel alcohol.

Ok, something is wrong here, I visualized this, but, at the opposite way
That is what I thought.

So, the first 2 of them arrived (a total of 6 including me), my face was something like 😃, such emotion!! But in a few seconds, I was worried, they weren’t wearing chinstrap 😳!

I knew that 2 of the 6 that I was going to meet had COVID-19 like 1 month ago. So, they have some kind of defense. But not the rest! And about the guys who recently came in the story, just one of them had it, so, 50/50 now.

We said hi, how long, And all that kind of stuff people say!. The rest of the group came a few minutes after the beers touched our table (side note, waitress gave us a cup of peanut… I didn’t touch them, you know the reason).

Same face 😳, they were not wearing chinstrap!

We talked about what I’ve done with the money I saved, because, I didn’t spend it on drinks hahaha! And we start talking like any other normal day.

My friends insisted on taking two chopped tables when we should have been asked for pizza or some individual meal, but, it’s ok, I will serve my portion in a dish.

Food Arrives

With chopped tables there, I proceeded to serve my portion (some fries, cold cuts and sausages, fried chicken and meat, sauces … yeah, light meal hahaha) and all my friends serving directly from the table, smearing the food into the sauce, biting and smearing the food again in the sauce that later another would use! (At that point, my brain was just going to explode!) I couldn’t stop thinking about where they have been living for the last 9 months!

Once the foods over, we took another round of beers 🍺.

When I put my self up-to-day with my friends, I decided to go home (2 hours after I arrived). I paid my bill and cleaned my hands.

Once in the car, I messaged my wife that I was coming on.

She made the kids sleep.

I came to my house, I put my clothes in a chair in an unused room and I took a bath - bed - sleep.

Some days after our going out.

One of my friends texts in our group… hey guys, I'm with some covid-19 compatible symptoms, I called the doctors and they are coming to do the test!

😳

I was panicking again!!

Fortunately, I had not seen my parents either my wife's parents, so, they were safe! But I was worried about myself and my family!

Obviously, we continue chatting with him the following days, and… Yes, covid positive!

Young person, very athletic, good health. He had no major issues, just fever, and headaches!

Four days after the important message, one of the 2 guys left (without counting me) said, hey man ,I hate you, I'm with symptoms now.... cough, fever, headaches... , next day, the last guy…. ok, me too... but, just fever and nothing else . So, at this moment, I had mixed feelings, because I had nothing, but maybe the following day I probably could start feeling bad, so, calm.

Our meeting was on January 2nd, so, 9 days from that day…. I can safely say that precautions and protocols saved me and my family to get COVID-19!

So, please, follow all the known protocols, wear your chinstrap, use gel alcohol, touch just what you are going to use/eat (to protect you and the rest). And please, go with your friends carefully, don’t stop hanging out with them, just take care — be safe.

Hope it helps!