He was exposed in Canton, Ohio, and was immediately quarantined. On the 12th day, 79-year-old Robert Herron felt a fever.
On the 14th day, the resident of Carrolton, Ohio, was admitted to a hospital.
“I’m doing fine and so are my wife and my sons, but I have had the unfortunate experience of having a family member who is now suffering with COVID-19,” the city manager revealed. “It’s been interesting, to say the least. It is my father, and he did spend four days in a hospital up there, but he was released this week, so he was able to continue his recovery at home.
“He was just sent home yesterday, and he’s still in quarantine, but hopefully he’s going to come out of this OK,” Herron continued. “It’s a very scary thing and I feel very sorry for anyone who has to go through that. It’s tough, from what my father has explained to me about it.”
Exposed
The city manager was not permitted to visit his father while he was hospitalized, nor is Herron permitted to travel to Carrolton for a visit.
“There’s really nothing a family can do for those patients because you’re not allowed to visit. It’s really a helpless feeling you have when you have a family member who has been infected with the coronavirus,” Herron explained. “After he was notified by the health department in Stark County, I don’t think any of us knew what to expect.
“He was exposed by someone who tested positive for COVID-19 at a doctor’s office,” he continued. “He had a fever for two days, and while it was above normal, he then developed a cough and had to be put on oxygen, but not a ventilator. And my father is almost 80 years old, so, based on what health officials have said, he’s very fortunate right now to be recovering instead of getting worse.”
The Battle and the Wait
For the past month, state and federal health officials have warned senior citizens to avoid exposure by remaining in their homes as much as possible, but there have been deaths involving much younger victims. In West Virginia, the majority of the 13 deaths caused by novel coronavirus have involved senior citizens, but the youngest West Virginian to pass away from COVID-19 was a 25-year-old male from Logan County.
“Of course, we were very worried as soon as we heard the diagnosis, and yes, my father’s age was very concerning to me, but I hope our younger residents realize that they are not immune to this,” Herron said. “The young man in Logan County was pretty athletic and was very involved with his community, so it’s an example of how anyone can get infected if they are not exercising the necessary precautions.
“The city is doing well from an operational standpoint but worrying about my father was something of a distraction as I believe it would be for anyone in that position,” he added. “Our whole family is very anxious to get that call when he tells us he is back to being healthy and free of this virus.”
