Half of Sweden has been coughing since last fall – whatever virus the aliens have release is really doing a number on us. Dry coughing is the new normal, but last week I came down with something more serious, and this past weekend has seen me violently coughing up enough lung tissue to feed a small family, and I’m so fatigued that just walking up the stairs is taxing.
It’s not as bad as back when I had Covid but according to my sportswatch my SpO2 dipped well below 80% some nights, and my average is hovering under 90% – during the pandemic the recommendation was to seek a hospital if you went to 92% so my blood oxygen levels are really shit. I mean, they are shit even in normal circumstances given my asthma, but this weekend was truly a giant pain.
And as much as I have hated hacking and spitting all day, I can only imagine the panic if I’d become too weak to even cough up the garbage that the infection is producing in my lungs: I’d literally be drowning in it. So: despite having torn my throat raw and given my abs the most intense workout in years, I’m thankful that I’m in good enough shape to be able to cough.
As a side note, this ordeal got me motivated to finally read the Kurzgesagt book Immune: A Journey into the Mysterious System That Keeps You Alive and we truly are made up of an aweinspiring collection of mechanisms. I can recommend the book if you’re looking for an easy introduction to the human immune system – it’s accessible and pedagogical, just like their videos.