I was lucky enough to attend last week's Democratic National Convention in Chicago after scoring a last-minute guest credential from DNC Chairman Jaime Harrison.
The first in-person DNC since 2016 was full of excitement, joy, and surprise guests. No, not Beyoncé or Taylor Swift.
COVID-19.
Unfortunately, like a lot of the DNC attendees, I tested positive on Monday, my first bout of the virus since the pandemic began.
"#DNCCovid" seemed inevitable, even for those like myself who are vaccinated and boosted, thanks to a recent late summer surge of a new strain of the virus.
Chicago's United Center was packed every night, with a lot of meeting and greeting in the hallways and special lounges for creators, Governors, donors, and other VIPs.
But there were also some MAGA people in our midst, such as the famously unvaccinated Mike "Pillow" Lindell, who yelled in my face right after he was owned by a 12-year-old he was yelling at.
Wearing a mask remained a choice at the DNC, and online critics of the gathering aren't entirely wrong when they say there should have been better precautions taken. Paper masks were available to anyone who wanted them.
Several attendees have tweeted about their positive tests, including fellow first-timer Dr. Mary Trump.
Several members of the Harris/Walz campaign staff have also tested positive, two sources told NBC News.
Even people who took all of the precautions were unfortunately testing positive.
The Biden administration is once again making free COVID tests available by mail, beginning in late September.