IMAGINE FOR A MOMENT that I’m a sports reporter. That’s a big ask since I’ve never written a sports story—unless you consider a feature on now WCCO TV sports director Mike Max a sports story. I interviewed Mike, 14, and his brother Marc, 9, in 1979 about their baseball card collection, which numbered in the thousands.
I digress. Today I want to focus on basketball, a game I mostly understand.
Imagine a team driving the ball down the court. Dribbling and passing. Closing in on the basket, a player shoots, but misses. The ball bounces off the backboard into the hands of a teammate. He then shoots and scores to win the game. The player, who’s just come off the bench after recovering from an illness, is suddenly surrounded by cheering fans. All because he caught the rebound.
This recounting is totally fictitious. There was no game. But there was a rebound. Mine. I am currently in the midst of COVID rebound, meaning I have COVID again. Within a week of symptoms abating and testing negative for COVID, I’ve developed symptoms and once again tested positive for the virus.
What are the odds? Some sources say one in five can experience COVID rebound.
So here I am, back in isolation, my body fighting the coronavirus. My symptoms this time are different. This rebound bout started with feeling congested coupled with sneezing, lots of sneezing. Sneezes so strong they could flatten a building. I’m also tired. Symptoms of my initial infection were post nasal drip, sore throat and severe coughing. I took the antiviral Paxlovid, which quickly killed the coughing and, I’m convinced, kept me (along with the vaccine) from getting sicker. I would take Palovid all over again. And, no, the antiviral did not contribute to my rebound case, based on the research I’ve done.
Why did I catch the rebound? Who knows? I’m no athlete. Never have been, never will be.
© Copyright 2025 Audrey Kletscher Helbling
Minnesota Prairie Roots 
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