# A Personal Experience with COVID-19

A mild COVID experience mitigated by vaccines.

- **Source:** [The Big Picture](https://ritholtz.com)
- **Published:** 2026-08-14
- **Topic:** [Career Growth](https://brifing.si/c/growth)
- **Original article:** <https://ritholtz.com/2026/08/ugh/>
- **On Brifing:** https://brifing.si/s/cb2773a7-ae47-4df2-af05-87f2f8d49caa

## COVID After Vacation

Barry Ritholtz started feeling tired after returning from Maine. What seemed like fatigue from five days of fishing, drinking, and cigars turned out to be the first symptoms of COVID-19. During this time, he had to cancel a podcast recording and a family event. He noted that vaccines helped him recover mildly.

## Mild Symptoms

Ritholtz described his COVID-19 symptoms as similar to a mild summer cold with slight brain fog. He emphasized the significant role vaccines played in this mild progression. This experience highlighted once again the impact of vaccines in preventing severe illnesses.

## Cancelled Plans

During his illness, Ritholtz had to cancel a podcast recording and a family event. This situation provided a concrete example of how COVID-19 can affect daily life. The postponement of plans demonstrated the disease's impact on social and professional life.

## Role of Vaccines

Ritholtz stated that vaccines helped him recover mildly from COVID-19. This underscored the critical role of vaccines in preventing severe symptoms. The effect of vaccines not only alleviated the disease but also allowed him to return to daily activities more quickly.

## Brain Fog Experience

Ritholtz mentioned experiencing mild brain fog during COVID-19. This highlighted the disease's impact on cognitive functions. Brain fog has been frequently cited as one of the long-term effects of COVID-19.

## Summer Cold-Like Symptoms

Ritholtz likened his COVID-19 symptoms to a summer cold. This comparison showed how the disease could be confused with seasonal allergies. However, he emphasized that vaccines ensured the symptoms remained mild.

## Social and Professional Impacts

The events Ritholtz had to cancel during his illness demonstrated the impact of COVID-19 on social and professional life. This situation revealed that the disease affects not only physical health but also social interactions.

## Importance of Vaccines

Ritholtz's experience once again emphasized the critical role of vaccines in preventing severe COVID-19 symptoms. Having recovered mildly thanks to vaccines, he reminded everyone of their importance. This experience reinforced the place of vaccines in public health.

## Sources covering this story

- https://ritholtz.com/2026/08/ugh/ — 

---

_Summary written by Brifing from the original reporting. Copyright in the original article belongs to its publisher; read the full piece at the link above._