My wife and I recently had COVID. One star, do not recommend.

OK, let's not bury the lead here (NOTE: I should have spelled that "lede" since that's how journalists spell it and I used to be one of them.)

Three things that should first be noted:

• Yes, I had coronavirus, as confirmed by a test at CVS (which I realize isn't exactly the Cleveland Clinic) and a host of symptoms that simply wouldn't go away for the longest time.
• My wife also contracted the virus, though hers was never officially confirmed by a test. But she was right there with me in the duration and severity of her symptoms.
• As annoying as the whole thing was, we had decidedly mild cases in that they did not result in either of us having to go into the hospital or be put on a ventilator like several people we both know.

Like many who have had COVID, I would compare it to a nasty flu bug that hangs on and on. The funny thing was, I really didn't think I had it all the way up until the moment the nurse practitioner from CVS called to tell me my test had come back positive.

Yes, I had been experiencing symptoms for a week-plus at that point, and when I get sick it never lasts that long. But I also never lost taste or smell, nor did I at any time have much of a fever.

I thought those were the two main telltale signs of coronavirus, and in many people they are. Just not in everyone. It turns out the virus manifests itself very differently from person to person.

My main symptoms were constant fatigue and an overall heavy sick feeling that hung over me for two weeks. I was also pretty congested, though that part isn't uncommon for me in the winter.

Terry had an on-and-off fever, that same general sick feeling, and congestion. She was a day or two ahead of me in the cycle, so I could always look to her to get an idea of how the next 24-48 hours were going to go for me.

Thankfully, none of our younger three kids who still live with us got it from us. My daughter Melanie was actually the first in the family to contract the virus a few weeks earlier and managed not to relapse (helped by the fact that she temporarily moved in with a friend after I was diagnosed). And despite significant exposure to both of us, neither Jared nor Jack got it, either.

That was a blessing.

Bottom line: If you get it and are fortunate enough to have a mild case, it's going to take you a while to really feel normal again, but you'll be fine. It's annoying, but it's light years better than a severe case.

Still, if you can avoid it, I would. Stay home when you can, take care of yourself, mask up to protect others in case you are carrying it, etc. You've heard all of this before.

Oh, and break out that Beverly Hillbillies DVD boxed set. You're going to want something to distract you from the fact that your head feels like it got run over by a truck.