The Star Eagle has learned of more than one NRHEG High School graduate who contracted the COVID-19 virus and have since recovered.
The first, a Mankato resident age 31, did a self-questionnaire detailing his experience, after writing this preface: COVID-19 A.K.A: 2019 Novel Corona Virus Disease or 2019-NCoV mainly spreads from direct (face-to-face) interaction with an infected person at the height of their symptoms (mainly coughing). Anyone is susceptible to infection. 30,338 people have died so far from the coronavirus COVID-19 outbreak as of March 28, 2020, 2:37 PM CST. The virus may cause symptoms that range from a temporary shortness of breath, leading all the way up to a permanent loss of critical respiratory function (the leading cause of death from this disease). It should be noted that the full range of these symptoms have been observed to occur across a full range of ages. The virus infects healthy cells, usually in the lungs, and then uses these cells to further infect the body’s immune response cells. The virus then forces them indiscriminately to destroy healthy as well as infected cells.
Where did you contract the disease? I got the disease while taking care of my wife, who in turn picked it up from an art convention in Salt Lake City.
How did it feel in comparison to other diseases you’ve contracted? Honestly it just felt like a cough until I had one night of fever and chills. After that I got a sinus headache and my chronic joint injuries ached and I was very sleepy for about a week. I did experience shortness of breath, but that could have come from lying in bed most of the time. The only difference between myself and the others in my household was that a few of the others claimed to lose their sense of taste and smell.
What measures did you take to prevent yourself from infecting others with the virus? My entire household quarantined in our home as soon as we started feeling symptoms. One of us got tested, but we didn’t receive the results until a week later! By then we had all recovered from the symptoms I already described. It was a good thing we didn’t go out too much to start.
What was the test like and how quickly did you get your results? I did not take the test as there weren’t many available to start with. But I assume that I had the same thing as the person in our house who tested positive as our symptoms were very similar.
How has quarantine and social distancing impacted your life? Some of my necessary medical appointments and job interviews have been cancelled. However, what has had a greater impact is that my 8-year-old has been home from school and has had her routine greatly disturbed. It’s going to be difficult when we do go back to a normal school schedule.
Takeaway: The true terror of this disease is not its symptoms for most people. It is the fear of spreading it to a loved one who belongs to a vulnerable population (elderly, infants, Immuno-compromised). The true purpose of all the quarantining and social distancing isn’t to keep yourself from getting sick; it’s to slow the spread of the virus to allow healthcare personnel the time to take care of those who are truly in danger. Take care of each other and be well.
The man’s 25-year-old brother and his wife, 26, who live in rural New Richland, experienced similar symptoms, though the wife’s case has been worse. Two other members of the household were also infected.
“I would say we are all on the mend,” he said “We’re currently under self-isolation. We’re all generally feeling better, but still in the two-week isolation window.”
He said that they took over-the-counter pain relievers for headaches, but no prescription medicine.
His advice?
“‘This too shall pass’ comes to mind,” he said. “Really, it’s not that bad. It’s like having a bad cold. I would say having a support system is huge. A lot of people have stopped by to drop things off. It’s huge to have people help you out. Don’t panic. Just have plans.”