The beeping of machines and flashing lights filled the room. I jumped off the makeshift bed I had created in the corner of my small chair to check on my son. As I rushed over, I caught a glimpse of the monitors displaying his vitals. Finally reaching his bedside, I could see and feel the shallow rise and fall of his chest. I knew that within moments, a rush of nurses would flood into the room. They had cameras set up to monitor him around the clock, but it would still take a few minutes for them to don their personal protective equipment (PPE).
This is COVID-19.
My son is a healthy, active 16-year-old with no underlying health conditions. The only time he had been hospitalized was for a broken arm from a snowboarding accident. Statistically, he should have been safe. Reports had been circulating for months that healthy children were largely unaffected by the virus. Many parents argued against virtual schooling, believing their kids were low-risk.
Let me rewind and explain how he ended up in the ICU at one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals. When COVID-19 first emerged, our family took it very seriously, implementing strict measures to avoid infection. We stopped shopping in stores and ordered all our groceries online, quarantining them for three days upon arrival. Everyone in our family worked from home, and we even let our mail sit for three days before handling it.
When mask mandates were introduced, we cautiously began to venture out, armed with multilayer masks, gloves, and hand sanitizer. Social interactions shifted to virtual platforms like Zoom and FaceTime. However, as life resumed its normal pace, we found ourselves back at the office and school, increasing our exposure to potential COVID-19 carriers.
We can’t pinpoint how the virus infiltrated our home, but we do recall an encounter with a coughing individual at a store and a colleague at work who was asymptomatic but had a diagnosed family member. The first sign of trouble came when my daughter returned home feeling unwell. Her symptoms escalated quickly: sore muscles, burning nose, headaches, cough, fever, loss of taste and smell, and difficulty breathing. We immediately arranged for her to be tested, and to our dismay, she tested positive.
While we awaited her results, she isolated herself in her room and used a separate bathroom. The following day, I began experiencing similar symptoms, and the body aches were unbearable. I dug out our pulse oximeter and monitored our oxygen levels, which fortunately remained around 90.
My husband moved to the basement to avoid exposure. Our youngest daughter woke up with a slight headache but quickly bounced back. We thought we had contained the virus well, but soon, my husband and son began feeling unwell too. I hoped my husband’s sore body was just from raking leaves with my son. However, within days, they developed coughs and fever.
After my quarantine ended, I was reunited with my family, but my son was still confined to his room, and my husband was down in the basement. Initially, their symptoms appeared similar to ours, but then my son’s fever soared to 105.7°F. Concerned, I contacted the doctor and rushed him to the Emergency Room where he was diagnosed with bilateral pneumonia.
He was given an IV and medication to manage his fever. After a day in the ER, we were sent home with steroids and an inhaler but soon had to return as his condition worsened. His fever climbed again, and he struggled to breathe. We monitored his oxygen levels, which fell dangerously low.
The sight of my husband, typically so healthy and active, feeling so unwell was unsettling. As my son’s condition deteriorated, I rushed him back to the hospital, where he was quickly put on oxygen. Just as I was dealing with my son’s crisis, I received a call that my husband was being admitted to the hospital due to his declining health. I felt helpless.
After what felt like hours, my husband was wheeled into the ER room across from my son. I couldn’t help but feel the gravity of the situation. My son’s condition was critical, requiring transfer to one of the top children’s hospitals in the country. As the ambulance arrived to transport my son, I held his hand while watching the EMTs change the oxygen tank.
This brings me back to the start of my story. Thanks to the dedicated medical team and powerful medications, my son began to recover. He transitioned from ICU to acute care and eventually graduated from an oxygen mask to a nasal tube and finally to breathing unaided. Both my husband and son faced a tough recovery, with lingering symptoms affecting their lung capacity and energy levels. My daughter and I are still coping with taste and smell loss, alongside significant hair thinning.
COVID-19 can strike even the healthiest individuals down. In our family of six, two were hospitalized, two faced severe illness, one had mild symptoms, and one remained asymptomatic. This virus is unpredictable, and while mask-wearing has become a political issue, it should not be.
I know some may question the efficacy of masks since I contracted COVID while wearing one. However, studies show that for maximum protection, both parties must properly wear masks. If one person is masked and the other isn’t, the risk of exposure increases. Conversely, if both wear masks correctly, the risk significantly decreases. Combine that with social distancing, and the chances of exposure drop even further.
Please wear your mask to protect yourself, your loved ones, and those around you. It only takes one careless individual to put many at risk.
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In summary, my family’s battle with COVID-19 was a harrowing experience that reinforced the unpredictable nature of the virus. It affected us deeply, both physically and emotionally. Despite the challenges, we emerged stronger, but the long-term effects remind us of the virus’s impact. Please continue to take precautions to protect yourself and others.