My brother’s stepson tested positive early last week after a co-worker became ill. He didn’t have symptoms then and doesn’t now. He is a produce manager at a Kroger. He still tested positive this week and can’t go back to work until he tests negative.
He and my brother moved some furniture from my mother’s house a few weeks ago (which I thought was a bad idea at the time because of my nephew’s job) and my sister-in-law was there with them. She is high-risk so was tested to be on the safe side, even though that visit was presumably earlier than his initial infection, and she is negative. I hope this makes my brother a little more cautious. I’ve been worried about him throughout this pandemic. He and my sister-in-law are both big Trump fans. But I think her bad health has kept them from being totally careless.
He is in a nursing home. Three staff and four patients have been confirmed testing positive.
Dad complained of feeling sick over the weekend. No fever. He is not fat nor diabetic. He just says he doesn’t feel good and has very little appetite. He is 92. No treatment or specific medication prescribed at this time.
In PA, near the NJ border. There may one or more staff members working in NJ.
Work count is up to 5 out of 500+. One early May, four the last two weeks. Much more widespread community testing the last 3 weeks. The latest all have mild symptoms and would not have been tested a month ago. According to tracing they did not get it at work. About two dozen others are now self isolating for two weeks because of this.
My dad had some blood testing as part of followup for a totally unrelated condition last week. The active coronavirus test came back negative, and the antibody test came back positive. He never had any symptoms. It’s not remotely surprising that he had antibodies given that my stepmother died of COVID-19; I am more surprised that a 79-year-old asthmatic never felt even a tiny bit sick.
What can I say? I come from a long line of very crusty people.
I nice fellow I met ten days ago, who owns a paving business and just did my driveway, had it back in March. We were just talking about how little stamina he has now. His doctor tells him that will improve. He describes feeling the sickest he’s ever been, feeling like he was dying. He’s 68. I know one other person who had it, but just barely, and haven’t talked to her about it.
2 of my customers have died. One from identified Covid, the other from “got the flu, died of respiratory failure on the way to hospital”. Both were age 75+
That’s out of a customerbase of about 25 people. All in the hospitality industry (bars, restaurants, etc…)
One more friend (age 32, healthy type) that got the sniffles and went to the doctor then barricaded himself in his house, not talking to anyone. Or answering his phone or emails. But neighbor saw him moving about in the house some 2 weeks later, so if he has the bug it’s not too bad. But whatever he heard at the doc scared him, so i do suspect it was covid.
Last week one of my sisters (not YWTF) threw a party and several of my family attended, including my parents. My cousin was one attendee. Over the weekend she fell ill. On Monday she tested positive. My mother started feeling poorly a couple of days later, but she kept quiet about it. This morning she realized she had to say something and told me. So now we are awaiting her test results as well as my father’s. He isn’t sick, but I think it’s just a matter of time.
My sister feels major guilt right now. She called me on the phone this morning crying so hard that I thought she was going to have a heart attack. It was only later after the news sunk in that I realized that part of that guilt was about me. Our mom was supposed to help me post-mastectomy and now that probably isn’t going to happen. I’ll have to come up with a Plan B.
Even though I think my sister was foolish for throwing that party, no one forced my parents to go. They knew they were at-risk. And they’ve been shopping and going to casinos and everything else. If my mother didn’t get it at the party, she would probably have gotten from somewhere else. These are the things I told my sister to help her feel better.
Two months ago, I was so mad at my parents and my sister for not taking this seriously. But I can’t muster up any anger now. Now I’m just in “let’s just get through this” mode. My mother is putting on a brave, optimistic face and I’m going to do my best to mirror it. But I know I’m going to bracing myself for the worse over the next few weeks.
Thanks, Baal. I feel so numb right now. This month has been the hardest of my life. I think I’m going to age like 20 years by the time we get to September.
I’m in Queens, NYC. For a while the Epicenter of the epicenter. Not surprisingly I know people.
Crew member/ pal of mine. Was on a Ventilator for ELEVEN DAYS. On the day he was discharged ( over a month ago ) as of that day he was the only person to be on a Vent who did not die at that hospital. ( One on Long Island ).
Old colleague/ friend in northern NJ. Never got onto a Vent. Was in ICU for 13 days. Fit, trim, slender. From what he says he is still suffering significant respiratory damage. May not recover- who the hell knows?
Random neighbors who got sick and did not die. The woman who works in the laundromat at the end of my block is Ecuadoran. She told me late in April that 5 people in her apartment building had died so far. She lives in Jackson Heights- harder hit by far than Astoria.
It’s draining. Most people are “over this shit”. And yet, New Yorkers are still dying. The masks are disappearing, the crowds on the sidewalk do not care.
My father had it and is over it. Dad is 93 (I misspoke earlier saying he was 92). He was a little sick for about two weeks but no major issues. Dad is still in the nursing home (and will probably remain there) but he has been moved to a new room outside the Coronavirus section.
The stuff is definitely still spreading. I get a message mostly every day from the nursing home that they have new patients and/or staff testing positive for the virus.
In addition to my mother and cousin, now my sister and father have it. And I’m hundreds of miles away under self-isolation and can’t be there to help them.
Thanks, thorny_locust. I’ve been bracing myself for this possibility since the beginning of March, but it is still hard to believe it’s happening. I talked to my Dad this morning and I could tell he was afraid.
I’m so sorry you’re going through this. I think so many people aren’t taking it seriously until they know people personally, so I wouldn’t blame your parents. It doesn’t feel real until it’s right in front of you.
I feel more nervous about it now than I did back in March. At least then it felt like lockdown gave us a way of dealing with it. Opening everything up and the politicians looking bored with reporting on it makes everyone think it’s gone away. And this isn’t a dig at the US by the way - I’m in the UK, and feel the same about what’s going on here.