Travel company owner recounts COVID-19 outbreak
Editor's note: Valerie Thibaudeau Graczyk of Fond du Lac and her husband, Wayne, own Someday Travel, a tour company that, before the pandemic, regularly took small groups on overseas trips.
Upon returning home on March 2, 2020, from a river cruise in Egypt, the travelers initially showed symptoms of COVID-19, but were told the state would not approve testing, as Egypt was not considered a high-risk country.
Over a period of days, some of the travelers' symptoms progressed, and Egypt was later deemed a high-risk country. The small cruise had 23 people from the tour group on board. Nine of the passengers were from Fond du Lac County and all tested positive for the virus.
As the travelers went about their lives, some of the people with the virus attended events of 100 people or more, according to Fond du Lac County Health Officer Kim Mueller. It was the beginning of the community spread of the coronavirus, and by March 15, 2020, Fond du Lac County had the most confirmed cases of any county in the state.
One of the travelers, Dale Witkowski, 55, died March 19 at St. Agnes Hospital. He was the first fatality of coronavirus in Fond du Lac County.
The travelers will never know if the outcome would have been different upon their return had they been provided early testing, isolation and care.
The following is Valerie's account of a turning point in her life, of how everything shifted as COVID-19 spread, and her husband's battle for his life.
A routine trip, on the precipice of a world-wide calamity
We spent seven days floating down the Nile River on a river cruise with 125 travelers from around the world.
Each day was filled with sites of the ancient temples, pyramids and history of Egypt.
We've led tours to well over 35 countries, but we found Egypt to be the most exotic of all — both we and our 20 travelers loved it. The group bonded and celebrated life together through delicious meals, exploring, dancing, laughter and conversation.
Then it ended, abruptly and with great loss.
COVID-19 entered our lives.
When we landed in Chicago, we did not know what we were to experience in the weeks and months ahead. Within hours of returning home, we were calling one another sharing our symptoms. Some travelers had no symptoms, others were coughing, fatigued and experiencing night sweats and elevated temperatures.
I slept for a full day thinking it was jet lag and had no other symptoms. My husband, Wayne, who is co-owner of our travel business, was totally exhausted.
On March 4, when we returned home, there were no known cases of COVID-19 in
Egypt, and there was little news coverage.
I called the Fond du Lac County Health Department and shared we had led a tour to Egypt and asked if we should be concerned. The Health Department was following the information given out by the state of Wisconsin at the time, and we were told, “If you do not have an elevated temperature you are free to be out in the community. If we did have tests your group would not be tested because Egypt has no known cases.”
On this advice, we went about our lives.
The first cases of COVID-19 reported in Fond du Lac involved a couple from Maryland, who had tested positive.
(Editor's note: Cesar S. Capule, 49, of Cheverly, Maryland, was the second person to die from complications of the coronavirus. He was working as an IT contractor helping to install a computer system at St. Agnes Hospital, where he later died on March 29. His wife, who also tested positive after he fell ill, told medical investigators she believes they became infected in Washington, D.C., before he flew to Wisconsin.)
As the week of our return continued, Wayne became more ill. He was sleeping all the time, did not eat and was fatigued. Three times in one week he went to Urgent Care and the emergency room. He was given an antibiotic to take and sent home. His temperature was normal, and his oxygen levels were normal.
On March 13, I insisted we go to the emergency room together. Wayne was losing weight. He had no interest in eating. At this early stage, losing your sense of taste and smell were not known symptoms. For the first time we were
A memorial tree and plaque honor Dale Witkowski, Fond du Lac County’s first fatality of COVID-19. It is located outside the gate at Mercury Marine, where Dale was a manager. keeping me fully informed of how he is doing. He is no longer dehydrated, he is drinking fluids and eating a little.
When a person you love is on the brink of dying your world changes. Every word uttered by a nurse or doctor is listened to, pondered and hung onto. I called at the end of each shift and found the nurses very willing to answer my many questions and concerns.
March 18
This is a surreal time; I wake in the morning having to remind myself of what has occurred. I continue to pray for all our travelers and their families and their health.
My days have moved into a gentle routine, I talk with family and friends and our daughters each day. They want to know about Wayne’s progress. I feel supported and cared about.
Sometimes I begin to panic and then I take a deep breath, my prayer is someday we will be able to put this behind us and be together again.
Val and Wayne Graczyk visit the sea during their trip to Egypt in February 2020.