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He Kissed His Mother Goodbye. Then He Learned She Had Coronavirus. He Kissed His Mother Goodbye. Then He Learned She Had Coronavirus.
(14 days later)
Samuel Roy Quinn spent five hours with his mother on Friday, finally allowed to say goodbye as her condition deteriorated in a nursing home south of Houston. He held her hand and hugged her. He removed his face mask several times to kiss her on the forehead.Samuel Roy Quinn spent five hours with his mother on Friday, finally allowed to say goodbye as her condition deteriorated in a nursing home south of Houston. He held her hand and hugged her. He removed his face mask several times to kiss her on the forehead.
When he eventually left the nursing home, The Resort at Texas City, an employee ran after Mr. Quinn to tell him — for the first time — that his mother had tested positive for the coronavirus, he said.When he eventually left the nursing home, The Resort at Texas City, an employee ran after Mr. Quinn to tell him — for the first time — that his mother had tested positive for the coronavirus, he said.
It turned out that Mr. Quinn’s mother, Peggy Smith, was one of 83 residents and employees at the 135-bed facility who tested positive for the virus, according to local health officials. Some residents are still waiting for results.It turned out that Mr. Quinn’s mother, Peggy Smith, was one of 83 residents and employees at the 135-bed facility who tested positive for the virus, according to local health officials. Some residents are still waiting for results.
Mr. Quinn said his 87-year-old mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, died on Saturday morning.Mr. Quinn said his 87-year-old mother, who had Alzheimer’s disease, died on Saturday morning.
“I would have not stayed there that long if I knew she had coronavirus,” Mr. Quinn, a fence builder, said from his home in the nearby town of San Leon, where he is now grieving in self-quarantine.“I would have not stayed there that long if I knew she had coronavirus,” Mr. Quinn, a fence builder, said from his home in the nearby town of San Leon, where he is now grieving in self-quarantine.
Health officials in Texas are racing to place new restrictions on some nursing homes after 150 residents and employees of two facilities alone fell ill with the coronavirus. In addition to the Texas City facility, the virus also sickened 67 of the 84 residents at a San Antonio nursing home, killing one.Health officials in Texas are racing to place new restrictions on some nursing homes after 150 residents and employees of two facilities alone fell ill with the coronavirus. In addition to the Texas City facility, the virus also sickened 67 of the 84 residents at a San Antonio nursing home, killing one.
Dr. Philip Keiser, the top health official in Galveston County, where Mr. Quinn’s mother fell ill, planned to prohibit staff members from working at multiple nursing homes if they work at a facility where a resident has tested positive. The order would also require nursing homes to alert family members if their loved one has been confirmed to have the virus.Dr. Philip Keiser, the top health official in Galveston County, where Mr. Quinn’s mother fell ill, planned to prohibit staff members from working at multiple nursing homes if they work at a facility where a resident has tested positive. The order would also require nursing homes to alert family members if their loved one has been confirmed to have the virus.
Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable hosts for the coronavirus, as evidenced by the horror at a nursing home near Seattle where 37 people linked to the facility have died.Nursing home residents are among the most vulnerable hosts for the coronavirus, as evidenced by the horror at a nursing home near Seattle where 37 people linked to the facility have died.
Mr. Quinn said he had asked the nursing staff to take his mother’s temperature on Friday while he was there and that she had not had a fever. That made him feel relieved, even though Ms. Smith was having trouble breathing, which Mr. Quinn knew was a symptom.Mr. Quinn said he had asked the nursing staff to take his mother’s temperature on Friday while he was there and that she had not had a fever. That made him feel relieved, even though Ms. Smith was having trouble breathing, which Mr. Quinn knew was a symptom.
Moments after Mr. Quinn left the facility, though, a man rushed out and stopped him 10 feet from his truck to tell him that his mother’s coronavirus test had come back positive, Mr. Quinn said. The facility's staff members had not warned him that his mother may have the virus, Mr. Quinn said, adding that it was even more frustrating because the nursing home had not let him or his family visit until it appeared she was near her death.Moments after Mr. Quinn left the facility, though, a man rushed out and stopped him 10 feet from his truck to tell him that his mother’s coronavirus test had come back positive, Mr. Quinn said. The facility's staff members had not warned him that his mother may have the virus, Mr. Quinn said, adding that it was even more frustrating because the nursing home had not let him or his family visit until it appeared she was near her death.
“We weren’t able to see her in final days, but she gets it anyway,” Mr. Quinn said. “And then they let me go in there without telling me.”“We weren’t able to see her in final days, but she gets it anyway,” Mr. Quinn said. “And then they let me go in there without telling me.”
Updated July 7, 2020
The coronavirus can stay aloft for hours in tiny droplets in stagnant air, infecting people as they inhale, mounting scientific evidence suggests. This risk is highest in crowded indoor spaces with poor ventilation, and may help explain super-spreading events reported in meatpacking plants, churches and restaurants. It’s unclear how often the virus is spread via these tiny droplets, or aerosols, compared with larger droplets that are expelled when a sick person coughs or sneezes, or transmitted through contact with contaminated surfaces, said Linsey Marr, an aerosol expert at Virginia Tech. Aerosols are released even when a person without symptoms exhales, talks or sings, according to Dr. Marr and more than 200 other experts, who have outlined the evidence in an open letter to the World Health Organization.
Common symptoms include fever, a dry cough, fatigue and difficulty breathing or shortness of breath. Some of these symptoms overlap with those of the flu, making detection difficult, but runny noses and stuffy sinuses are less common. The C.D.C. has also added chills, muscle pain, sore throat, headache and a new loss of the sense of taste or smell as symptoms to look out for. Most people fall ill five to seven days after exposure, but symptoms may appear in as few as two days or as many as 14 days.
Scientists around the country have tried to identify everyday materials that do a good job of filtering microscopic particles. In recent tests, HEPA furnace filters scored high, as did vacuum cleaner bags, fabric similar to flannel pajamas and those of 600-count pillowcases. Other materials tested included layered coffee filters and scarves and bandannas. These scored lower, but still captured a small percentage of particles.
A commentary published this month on the website of the British Journal of Sports Medicine points out that covering your face during exercise “comes with issues of potential breathing restriction and discomfort” and requires “balancing benefits versus possible adverse events.” Masks do alter exercise, says Cedric X. Bryant, the president and chief science officer of the American Council on Exercise, a nonprofit organization that funds exercise research and certifies fitness professionals. “In my personal experience,” he says, “heart rates are higher at the same relative intensity when you wear a mask.” Some people also could experience lightheadedness during familiar workouts while masked, says Len Kravitz, a professor of exercise science at the University of New Mexico.
The steroid, dexamethasone, is the first treatment shown to reduce mortality in severely ill patients, according to scientists in Britain. The drug appears to reduce inflammation caused by the immune system, protecting the tissues. In the study, dexamethasone reduced deaths of patients on ventilators by one-third, and deaths of patients on oxygen by one-fifth.
The coronavirus emergency relief package gives many American workers paid leave if they need to take time off because of the virus. It gives qualified workers two weeks of paid sick leave if they are ill, quarantined or seeking diagnosis or preventive care for coronavirus, or if they are caring for sick family members. It gives 12 weeks of paid leave to people caring for children whose schools are closed or whose child care provider is unavailable because of the coronavirus. It is the first time the United States has had widespread federally mandated paid leave, and includes people who don’t typically get such benefits, like part-time and gig economy workers. But the measure excludes at least half of private-sector workers, including those at the country’s largest employers, and gives small employers significant leeway to deny leave.
So far, the evidence seems to show it does. A widely cited paper published in April suggests that people are most infectious about two days before the onset of coronavirus symptoms and estimated that 44 percent of new infections were a result of transmission from people who were not yet showing symptoms. Recently, a top expert at the World Health Organization stated that transmission of the coronavirus by people who did not have symptoms was “very rare,” but she later walked back that statement.
Touching contaminated objects and then infecting ourselves with the germs is not typically how the virus spreads. But it can happen. A number of studies of flu, rhinovirus, coronavirus and other microbes have shown that respiratory illnesses, including the new coronavirus, can spread by touching contaminated surfaces, particularly in places like day care centers, offices and hospitals. But a long chain of events has to happen for the disease to spread that way. The best way to protect yourself from coronavirus — whether it’s surface transmission or close human contact — is still social distancing, washing your hands, not touching your face and wearing masks.
A study by European scientists is the first to document a strong statistical link between genetic variations and Covid-19, the illness caused by the coronavirus. Having Type A blood was linked to a 50 percent increase in the likelihood that a patient would need to get oxygen or to go on a ventilator, according to the new study.
If air travel is unavoidable, there are some steps you can take to protect yourself. Most important: Wash your hands often, and stop touching your face. If possible, choose a window seat. A study from Emory University found that during flu season, the safest place to sit on a plane is by a window, as people sitting in window seats had less contact with potentially sick people. Disinfect hard surfaces. When you get to your seat and your hands are clean, use disinfecting wipes to clean the hard surfaces at your seat like the head and arm rest, the seatbelt buckle, the remote, screen, seat back pocket and the tray table. If the seat is hard and nonporous or leather or pleather, you can wipe that down, too. (Using wipes on upholstered seats could lead to a wet seat and spreading of germs rather than killing them.)
If you’ve been exposed to the coronavirus or think you have, and have a fever or symptoms like a cough or difficulty breathing, call a doctor. They should give you advice on whether you should be tested, how to get tested, and how to seek medical treatment without potentially infecting or exposing others.
A woman who answered the phone at the facility on Saturday said the nursing home did not immediately have a comment.A woman who answered the phone at the facility on Saturday said the nursing home did not immediately have a comment.
Both the San Antonio and Texas City nursing homes have been cited by state inspectors in the past for health violations. Among the problems found at The Resort at Texas City was a failure, in 2017, to put an infection control program in place for several residents. The facility corrected the violations a month later, according to state records.Both the San Antonio and Texas City nursing homes have been cited by state inspectors in the past for health violations. Among the problems found at The Resort at Texas City was a failure, in 2017, to put an infection control program in place for several residents. The facility corrected the violations a month later, according to state records.
Elsewhere in Texas, at least 50 residents and 25 staff members have tested positive for the virus at the Denton State Supported Living Center, a large facility north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, according to Denton County health officials.Elsewhere in Texas, at least 50 residents and 25 staff members have tested positive for the virus at the Denton State Supported Living Center, a large facility north of the Dallas-Fort Worth metro area for people with intellectual or developmental disabilities, according to Denton County health officials.
Of the 6,112 people in Texas who have tested positive for the virus, at least 109 have died, as of Saturday afternoon.Of the 6,112 people in Texas who have tested positive for the virus, at least 109 have died, as of Saturday afternoon.