Covid testing, perilous investing

 ---On Tuesday March 30th, my good friend Tracy had planned to visit on what was her 40th birthday.  In the early morning she texted urgently saying that she was sick and would not be able to be here.  After waking up sufficiently, I switched to FaceTime and as she began to explain her voice broke, and tears were running down her face. She explained, "Call your doctor, you need to get tested, I have tested positive for Covid. I don't want you to get sick."

Obviously this was not good news.  Recently she had been working extra hours at her workplace as others had developed flu like symptoms.  Just one week earlier Tracy had been tested and was negative and it's in her nature to be obsessive about cleanliness and always wearing a mask.  Calling my nearby doctor's office, he said come immediately.  At 11am the test was done with doctor saying that it's unlikely that I have the infection, and the nurse telling me that they would call with the results later in the day or the next morning. 

While the test seemed exactly like others that I have had before, this was apparently more comprehensive and the results would not be immediate. When a call did not come by noon Wednesday, I called and was told that the analysis was not completed. Called again at around 5pm, not ready, was anxiety beginning to build.  YES.  Finally at 6:30pm the doctor called and said that the test was "negative".  Pent-up anxiety did not mitigate immediately but eventually easing into a good book and a lousy television movie the day ended.

As to my friend Tracy she is either "pre-symptomatic" or "asymptomatic", as she is very tired but has no fever, and can eat and taste her food.  Her apartment mate is taking care of her.  This is not over yet for her but all's well for now.

---In the midst of this, managing investments is a weekday activity, keeping me busy even if not actively trading major names or indexes, just testing the waters regularly with a few new investments.  "Stay-at-home stocks" turned into "re-open stocks" as investment themes over the past year, or should I say investment rationales that were touted on CNBC.  Yep, there's always a reason to invest but, in the midst of the unremitting Covid uncertainty, it seems entirely possible for there to be a day when the markets simultaneously just say "OOPS", the world has changed and valuations adjust downward.  

Be safe all.