DEAR HARRIETTE: I think that my friend keeps lying about having COVID-19. Since April 2020, my friend has claimed to have contracted COVID-19 about five different times. I don’t see how this is possible, especially since I have not contracted the virus once. I think that she does this to avoid spending time with me. Would it be wrong to confront her about this? I don’t have any evidence that she’s lying other than the unlikelihood of catching COVID-19 so many times. -- Suspicious
DEAR SUSPICIOUS: First of all, it is possible for your friend to have contracted COVID-19 multiple times. Is she a front-line worker? By the way, that can mean a lot of different things -- basically that she is required to be out and about in the close company of other people on a daily basis. Is she vaccinated? Does she follow COVID-19 protocols? Some people do not believe in wearing masks. Even at the height of the pandemic, some people did not keep their distance from others, either by necessity or by choice. The bottom line is that your friend could have contracted the virus more than once. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention says that people definitely can get COVID-19 even after having been infected previously.
Rather than accusing her of lying about her health, why not tell her that you are sorry that she seems to have the worst luck when it comes to contracting this illness, and you wonder if there’s something more going on. Ask her if she is avoiding you. Tell her that you feel like she doesn’t want to see you, and if that is true, you want to know why. Be direct but kind.
Another reality during this extended period of isolation is that people have reassessed their lives and who they choose to see. She could have taken you off of her list of close friends, or, even more likely, she could be among the many thousands of people who have gained a lot of weight. Being physically self-conscious has kept many people in hibernation. Who knows? You can ask your friend, or you can simply express your sorrow at not seeing her for so long and implore her to meet you in person soon.