1. When I informed him, he basically said “that’s weird I don’t remember having any outbreaks”. How likely is it that this partner gave me hsv-1? I have read that ghsv-1 typically has an initial primary outbreak and it happening to me within 14 days of sex with him makes me think I got it from him.
First of all, the antibody testing that you had done was done too soon after the contact to be able to pick up a possible new HSV-2 infection. You should retest about 6 to 8 weeks down the road and see what you get. You’re a positive HSV one antibody test suggested that’s an old infection not a new one and we have no idea if the lesions that you had were due to HSV one or HSV two.
2. Obviously my IgG level was high at 18.20. Does that indicate a more long term infection, or could it be because I was having the primary outbreak when I got tested that the value was so high?
It is high because it is a longer standing infection.
3. If I do have a longer standing infection, is it possible that me having covid at the same time weakened my immune system and led to my primary outbreak?
Because you have a longer standing infection, this was not a primary outbreak if anything it was a recurrence. And that could happen because of Covid, yes. However, it could also be a new HSV-2 infection and you would not have antibody yet.
4. If that was in fact my primary infection, it has been 6 months with no recurrence. What is the likelihood of transmission from me to a partner genitally or orally at at this point if they are neg for hsv-1?
I think you are making a big leap year to decide that this is HSV one. We just don’t know that. You need to repeat your IgG test and make sure that you don’t have HSV two. If you only have HSV one then transmission to partners in the future is unlikely. What should have happened is that a swab test should have been done of the sores, not an antibody test
Terri