Day 9 - COVID19: A 9:00 AM Phone Call

A Call from the Pediatrician's Office

DAY 9: It's Tuesday morning on March 17th when I received a phone call from the pediatrician's office. Before T.J. had left for his trip I had scheduled Joseph's yearly pediatrician visit to happen during my spring break.  I figured they were calling to confirm the appointment.



In progress...

Day 8 - COVID19: Standing in Line

An Hour Line Wait

DAY 8: On Monday, March 16 T.J. had now been completely isolated from his family a whole day. That meant he was in Joseph's room with the door closed. If he needed his meals or anything else he would call me or message me. I was taking care of Joseph. I was also working virtually. Schools were closed but classes were still in session.

The start of the week was challenging. I had to be available to answer any questions students and parents might have. There were many. My husband was isolated in our son’s room and my 3-year-old would sit next to me while I worked on the computer. Coloring books, blank paper, crayons, monster trucks, and yes, even the tablet were used to keep my son entertained. I had to keep Joseph busy one way or another. At school only the Head of Schools knew what was happening because we would communicate on a daily basis. She had asked me to not say anything to anyone. She did not want the teachers or the students and their parents to panic.

That Monday T.J. kept asking me to go get tested. I however had to finish my workday (from home) first. As soon as I was able to I drove to the hospital with Joseph. I washed his hands and mine before heading out. I wore the mask the doctor’s office had given me that previous week. I however did not have a mask for Joseph. I was as prepared as I could be. There was a lot of activity at the hospital when we arrived. There were about 30 people, give or take, waiting in line to enter the hospital or get tested. There were also a lot people inside the tent the hospital had set up the previous Friday.

I was consciously keeping my distance from the woman standing in front of me and the older couple behind me. I was making sure Joseph stayed next to me. We could be contagious. The wife standing in line behind us was wearing an oxygen type mask. I was scared for the woman. The line the hospital had set up seemed a bit dangerous. Who knew right? That standing in line with others would become a dangerous endeavor. The husband was telling the fellow behind him that their doctor wouldn’t see his wife and refill her oxygen bag until the hospital cleared her from the coronavirus. It boggled my mind. I understood the frustration. Supervisors and doctor’s offices wanted everyone to be cleared. Yet, I honestly didn’t understand how individuals in these positions of leadership expected that to happen. It was already known by that Monday that one, there weren’t enough tests in Florida and that two, you were only going to be tested if you met the criteria set forth by the Department of Health (you had traveled and were experiencing specific symptoms, you were experiencing severe symptoms, or you had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for the coronavirus).  
While the men conversed, a hospital staff member went down the line asking general questions and directing individuals to either the tent, home, or into the hospital. She never made it to us. There was an interruption.

A group of people wearing suits and masks stepped outside the hospital building. Maybe there was a doctor or two in the mix and a head nurse. The others seemed to be administration. They congregated in front of the line and through a megaphone informed that the hospital was not a free testing center regardless of what anyone had heard on the news. They said they would not be testing for the coronavirus for free. They said you must contact the Health Department and ask them where to get tested. If you choose to stay to get tested with them then you had to pay the emergency room fee. People were upset. Several individuals left.

Joseph and I stayed in line. We had been waiting for about an hour (just imagine having a 3-year-old in line for that amount of time) when someone finally approached us. I explained that we had been in contact with someone who tested positive at their hospital, my husband. I wasn’t sure if the symptoms Joseph had were remnants of his cold from the previous week (around the time his dad had returned) or if it was due to the coronavirus. We were immediately ushered aside, with lots of distance in between, to a bench far removed from the tent and the line of people. Two nurses came over and one had me put a mask on Joseph. Joseph started crying. He didn’t want to wear it. The nurse said in a commanding voice that he must wear the mask. Joseph was not happy and after several attempts to remove it he finally gave up when he realized I was just going to put it right back on. The tension could be felt from the nurses. A third nurse came over. They started barking questions. I provided answers as best as I could. I already knew what to expect. This was still all very new for them. Things had started blowing up the previous week and throughout the weekend. And here I was arriving with a child.

Once they had a room ready in the pediatric area we were immediately guided inside. A nurse came to check Joseph’s vitals. Joseph was crying and scared. After each wail he kept saying, “I don’t wanna go to the doctor’s!” The irony, one that should make us chuckle and that I did afterwards, is that at home my child is always requesting to go to the doctor’s office when he accidentally trips or has a minor scrape. Many parents can relate. The nurse was frustrated because she couldn’t get a reading on Joseph’s blood pressure. He wasn’t cooperating. He was crying too much. Soon after a doctor came into the room and swabbed Joseph’s nose cavity while I held his head in place. Another emergency room doctor then came to swab my nose. The swab is this long thin stick that is pushed far into your nasal cavity. It is an unpleasant sensation. Outside the room, through the glass, I could see the nurses and staff animatedly conversing and gesturing towards our room. And then that was it. Our emergency room visit was over. It was probably no more than 30 minutes long, if not less. We were asked to quarantine ourselves until the results were ready. I knew the drill. Joseph was happy as can be as we walked to our car. He was using his 3-year-old vocabulary to explain we had just seen the doctor. I think he was trying to express his eagerness to return home.

Now we waited. Again.

Later that day T.J. sent me an image of his updated online medical chart. It now specified that the negative results for the coronavirus did not include COVID-19. It was apparent that the Health Department had asked the hospital to update and specify the results on their online medical charts. They didn’t want a repeat of what had happened to T.J. with others.

Our normal was already self-isolation and quarantining. Everyone else in South Florida and in my family was just starting their new normal. I nevertheless kept appreciating and enjoying the multitude of memes being shared through a few of my WhatsApp groups. However, I also became very aware that our social media memes and social media PSAs (Public Service Announcements) were and continue to be the indicators of where exactly our thoughts are regarding the pandemic.


 

Day 7 - COVID19: Information Whiplash

Information Whiplash and Reactions to Test Results

DAY 7: Sunday morning, March 15. Joseph is a person of routine. No matter how early or how late he goes to bed the previous night, this 3-year-old will wake up at the same time the following morning.

T.J. usually takes care of breakfast on weekends: eggs, bacon, pancakes, the works. However, after the three of us finished our breakfast he said he was feeling tired. He decided to take a nap. It was relatively early, maybe 9:00 AM. We figured that he was still exhausted from all the traveling and especially from the coronavirus stress of the week. He was also experiencing a low grade fever. He woke up about an hour or two later. Though he was tired he needed to run a few errands before his work week started the following day. He didn't get to run his errands.

It was around 11:00 AM when he received an unexpected phone call. He was surprised to hear from the doctor who had taken the cell samples the previous day at the hospital. The doctor called him for one reason alone, and that was to inform him that he had tested positive for COVID19. You can imagine the varied emotions T.J. felt at that moment: shock, anger, worry, confusion, frustration, fill in the blank. One of T.J.'s questions to the doctor was why he received different information the previous day from the E.R. supervisor. The doctor explained that T.J. was one of the first cases the hospital had had so far. That means that he was most likely, if not the first, the second or third patient that tested positive at this hospital location.

The hospital did not have a protocol for COVID19 patients. T.J.'s online medical chart displayed negative results for the old coronaviruses but not the new one. We now speak about the coronavirus (COVID19), myself included, as if it was the only one that exists. However, there are several coronaviruses out there that cause our common colds as well as other respiratory infections. That is why this coronavirus is labeled COVID19 or called the new / novel coronavirus.

As soon as T.J. explained what was happening he started moving things around in our bedroom and in Joseph's bedroom. He needed to quarantine himself completely, even from us. And some of you might wonder, well, what was the point of doing that if he had already had contact with his wife and son throughout the week. I don't disagree but you see, there was always that possibility that Joseph and I were still okay. That we hadn't contracted the virus.

That weekend, while everyone was sending each other memes through the many social media mediums as a way to alleviate the surreal feeling of a non-visible enemy, the memes that were also making us laugh, became irrelevant to us. For us, one unexpected phone call had not only changed our routine again but made the virus all to real. T.J.'s exhaustion wasn't due just to jet-lag but to the virus. His low grade fever and need for a nap Sunday morning was due, again, to the virus. The other symptoms he was feeling were also due to the virus.

I was scared. There was so much information out there. Nothing exactly conclusive. We had been reading everywhere and everything about the virus the whole week. Those at higher risk are the elderly and the immunocompromised. Severe symptoms for them can be deadly. Though not as common, younger and healthy folk can also experience severe symptoms. Death also a possibility. Yes, my thoughts where flying at an exorbitant speed. I was thinking worse case scenarios. My husband has asthma. Was this going to be a factor?

T.J. isolating himself in Joseph's room was the first step. His second step was calling his co-workers that he had had contact with mid-week and his two buddies that he had seen the previous day. I want to say that his phone call interactions were supportive with all those he made sure to inform. Unfortunately, it did not happen that way. One of his long-time buddies that same evening and for the following several days took to social media to rant about T.J. This folks, is why as we're all practicing social distancing and quarantining ourselves, regardless of whether you have the coronavirus or not. It is not just the responsibility of individuals like my husband to isolate themselves when they know for a fact they're sick but also the responsibility of everyone else who is not sick, who might simply not know they're sick, or live with someone who is sick to stay home or practice social distancing. Everyone is responsible for protecting those you love and even those you do not know.

We cannot control how others react but we can individually always choose how to react. This isn't an easy moment, for anyone.

My husband was experiencing mild symptoms and we did not know if they would get worse. He thought he had tested negative and had no need to worry. He went to visit friends. He finds out not even 24 hours later that he tested positive. Information whiplash. Now he had a lot more to worry about.

Later that same afternoon Joanna from the Health Department called T.J. The hospital had sent his results to the Health Department. T.J. had now officially become one of the first 100 confirmed cases in the state of Florida. Joanna needed to know where T.J. had traveled to and where he had been since his return. T.J. also told Joanna about the way the hospital relayed the information to him and about the results not being correctly listed on his medical chart.

I had to now call my supervisor to inform her of the unexpected news. I had spoken to her the previous day to tell her about my husband's results. However, now, again there was a need to worry about me. Now I also had to get tested. I'm a teacher. I have close contact with students. We also needed to call Joseph's daycare. He also needed to get tested.

Not everyone can get tested. Not everyone will be able to get tested. However, my place of employment was requiring I confirm whether I had contracted the virus or not. 

Day 6 - COVID19: Hospital Results

Are You Sure?

DAY 6: It's Saturday, March 14th. T.J had been back from his trip for 4 full days now. We knew it'd take 24 to 48 hours to get the results from the hospital for the coronavirus, however, we got them much sooner than expected.

Throughout the morning T.J. kept checking his online medical chart from the hospital. At some point in the late afternoon I heard him speaking on the phone. He was speaking with the E.R. supervisor.

When T.J. saw his medical chart online he noticed that his results came back negative for the flu, some other listed viruses, and also the coronavirus. They had tested his cells for any respiratory pathogens possible. He called the hospital to make sure that indeed that was the case. The E.R. Supervisor pretty much told him that if that's what you see, that's what your results are. T.J. felt such a huge relief. I however was a big skeptic and didn't believe it. I kept asking T.J. repeatedly if he was sure. He insisted that yes, the E.R. supervisor said that my results were posted. Can't argue with hospital supervisors or medical charts, right?

By this time a lot more people were talking about social distancing. Whether they were taking it seriously or not is another conversation. There was also a multitude of memes about people going crazy buying toilet paper. I remember seeing a friend's post on Facebook about how this toilet paper shortage in stores was an element that post-apocalyptic works missed out on (think films like Mad Max and t.v. shows like the Walking Dead). He wasn't speaking about the actual buying of toilet paper but this insane necessity people felt to hoard toilet paper at home during a pandemic. His keen observation, a norm for Dr. Raggio, made me laugh: "pasan las horas y no me dejan de sorprender todos esos vídeos y fotos de los rollos de papel. tantos años obsesionados con el imaginario de las crisis energéticas y de los muertos vivientes y sin embargo alejados del de lo escatológico y la limpieza de las partes más íntimas del cuerpo. #RabelaisEraElVerdaderoProfeta."

In any case, T.J. decided he was going to visit friends. Before you think it or point it out, I am well aware that on this day he wasn't practicing social distancing either, just like the rest of his fellow Americans. He is very aware of it too. A comment I can guarantee you he heard from me that day and not again. But when the famous phrase is said, "it's up to you" or "tú sabrás", it really means that (sometimes). He felt free! I didn't blame him. I would have been visiting family and friends too. I did something similar. When he left to hang out with his friends I messaged my Florida cousins through our group chat and let them know that T.J. had tested negative for coronavirus. I did a virtual celebration. At the time no one in my family other than my mother really knew what was going on.

I want to say that that was the end of it, but unfortunately, it was not.

Day 5 - COVID19: 24 to 48 Hours Later

Results

DAY 5: I'm writing this Friday post exactly two weeks since T.J. found out his friend's results.

It must have been around mid-day Friday when I asked T.J. if he had heard back from Jeff. It wasn't the first time or even the last time I'd ask him that day. There still wasn't an answer. Jeff wasn't allowed to leave his sky-rise apartment. The authorities hadn't decided what to do with him just yet.

I remember asking T.J. at the start if he knew where Jeff had traveled.  He knew it was Austria but not exactly where in Austria. I recall making the comment that Italy's northeast border is shared with Austria. Italy was an epicenter of the epidemic in the European and Mediterranean region. T.J. said he doubted Jeff had been exposed to the virus in Austria but that it was most likely in Germany. Jeff had had a connecting flight through Germany.

Earlier that week, on the same day T.J. heard the news from Jeff (Wednesday, March 11), the World Health Organization (WHO) had labeled the spread of the virus a pandemic. Several other epicenters were starting to appear all over on the world map visuals the news channels would show. 

Late in the afternoon T.J. finally heard from Jeff. It had been just a little over 48 hours since Jeff had gotten tested.  It was Friday, March 13. The week also happened to be a full moon week. Ah, when we start thinking of all these odd connections, it does make you wonder...

Jeff's results where positive.

As soon as he found out Jeff's results T.J. called the Health Department. T.J. could now confirm that he was in contact with someone who tested positive. The Health Department wasn't much help though.  

He was concerned. He had been around his co-workers and obviously his family. He had to figure out how to get tested. One of T.J.'s friends from his office had sent him a message letting him know that a tent was being set up outside our local hospital. The hospital was trying to create a center to attend the possible influx of coronavirus patients.

T.J. immediately made the trip to the hospital. When he got there he stood in line with three other people. He pretty much got there right when the tent operation opened. T.J. did have a mask on while he waited in line. He also purposely kept his distance from the other people. The Hospital's set-up was a bit of a fiasco, however. People were coughing everywhere. There were already people inside the tent. Maybe it was just a common cold or another chest infection for many, but who knows. Some man was saying he worked at a major electronic retail chain and wanted to get tested no matter what. By this time the news channels were already informing the public how there just weren't enough tests for people to get tested. If you wanted to get tested the only way it was going to happen was if you were pretty much showing extreme symptoms or could confirm you had contact with someone who had tested positive. At the same time, Governor DeSantis was saying that there would be free testing sites available. People probably didn't catch the "would be" part of his message because the testing sites wouldn't be up and running yet. That would take almost over a week to happen here in South Florida. 

When a nurse finally approached T.J. she immediately had him sit apart in a bench. The first thing he told her was that he had been in contact with someone who had tested positive for coronavirus. He didn't even go into the tent. He was separated from everyone. He was then taken into an isolated room inside the hospital. They used a cotton swab to take cell samples from his nasal cavity and another one from his throat. Now he just had to wait 24 to 48 hours for the results.

That week T.J. hadn't completely isolated himself at home because it was just a possibility. He was being careful. He used a mask at home and was conscious of washing his hands. He kept his distance, but we were all still in the same rooms.We were quarantining ourselves from his family, our friends, and the public in general. While everyone was panic buying toilet paper, T.J. and I were just watching the news and reading the memes. Joseph, well, he was playing with his monster trucks and asking us to dance with him to Toy Story Toons: Partysaurus Rex. Watch it in Spanish if you can. Rex is un aguafiestas.

So now we knew that Jeff tested positive for coronavirus. Yet we still held hope on the possibility that T.J. would test negative.

I always feel that the waiting part is the most nerve-wrecking feeling in any situation.

T.J. looked stressed and tired. Who wouldn't, right? Plus we figured he was still dealing with jet lag from his 16 hour return flight.

24 to 48 hours. Not much of a wait time. It's nothing...

On a side note, I was right. Just a few days ago this week a news article stated that an Austrian ski resort was the culprit for a hefty number of people testing positive for coronavirus. (The article popped up on my feed. Mmmm, how did Google know I was curious to have more information about Austria?) T.J. forwarded the article to Jeff and asked him if that was the ski resort he had traveled to. Jeff was in shock. It was the same place.

If you're curious to know what's going on with Jeff as of today, Friday, March 27th, well, he's in an isolated medical prison type facility. The facility is 30 miles away from the city. The country where he lives and works does not believe in the civil liberties that we take for granted here in our good ol' U.S. of A.