‘Coronavirus is not a hoax’
COVID-19 survivor from St. John’s funeral home cluster describes recovery experience
Bill Woolridge felt he had an important story to tell Thursday as he sat in on the daily Newfoundland and Labrador media briefing about COVID-19.
“I felt that it was important that the public understand the virus is real, that we need to take precautions, that people get sick, and we’ve seen three individuals in this province have passed away. … Please respect this virus.”
For the sixth straight day, the government announced there were no new cases of COVID-19 to report in the province. There have been 256 positive tests for the virus in Newfoundland and Labrador,
and Woolridge was among the early ones following a positive test on March
24. He visited Caul’s Funeral Home in mid-march to pay respects to his brother-in-law, Ed Tobin, who died March
12. Visitation took place March 15-16, with the funeral held March 17.
The cluster of cases originating from the funeral home included 25 members of his family.
Woolridge said he experienced a headache on March 19, but COVID-19 did not cross his mind at all back then, given he was prone to sinus infections. The headaches continued the following evening and fatigue set in, he said.
“To my knowledge, a headache at that time was not considered to be a symptom of COVID-19,” he said.
POSITIVE TEST
The next morning, a family member called to tell the Woolridges that someone who was at the funeral home tested positive for the coronavirus. On Sunday, March 22, Woolridge developed a fever and chills. After calling the 811 hotline, arrangements were made to test Woolridge and his wife, Anne-marie. On Wednesday, March 25, Woolridge learned he had tested positive for COVID-19. His wife’s test came back negative. They were instructed to self-isolate for 14 days and also isolate themselves from one another as much as possible. To do this, they started using separate bathrooms, ate meals at separate tables and ceased sharing a bedroom.
During his sickness, Woolridge experienced fevers, chills, sweats, fatigue, headaches, coughing fits and a loss of appetite, he said, and for six-straight days he battled a fever ranging from 100.5-101
F. Tylenol became a close friend during this time, he said.
Despite the fact Woolridge and his wife were forced to practice physical distancing in their home, they did not need to fully isolate themselves from one another. He did not do much housework while fighting off the coronavirus, though he tried to pitch in when he felt well enough to do so, he said.
“For my focus, I wanted to rest as much as I could to save my energy to be able to fight this virus off,” he said. “But (the distancing) wasn’t too difficult. When we watched a bit of TV, we kept six feet apart. When we were in the living room having a chat, we were six feet apart. She prepared most of the meals. I think the difficulty was the isolation itself, especially from my wife’s point of view, because she was in isolation from March 21 to April 17. That was the difficulty — being housebound.”
As his symptoms started to become less frequent, Woolridge found himself feeling a lot better in the morning, though he would grow more fatigued in the afternoon and evening, he said. He ultimately didn’t have to deal with any respiratory issues, and by early April his symptoms were clearing up, he said.
The Woolridges were retested April 6, and the results came back negative for both of them. Anne-marie did not contract the coronavirus, but was required to continue self-isolating until April 17 as a precaution. Woolridge said the fact she didn’t contract COVID-19 proves physical distancing works.
“We are both well. I am feeling great and certainly thankful to have made it through that period,” Woolridge said, adding that all 25 family members have since recovered.
Two friends of the Woolridges also tested positive, with one of them requiring five days of hospitalization.
“It was a worry, for sure, but we’re happy they’ve all recovered,” he said.
Woolridge reiterated the need for people to take the coronavirus seriously, noting that physical distancing and hand washing can save a person’s life and protect the lives of loved ones.
“Coronavirus is not a hoax. Coronavirus is very real. Coronavirus can make you very sick and even threaten your life. Please respect this virus,” he said.
IN OTHER DEVELOPMENTS THURSDAY:
• Chief Medical Officer of Health Dr. Janice Fitzgerald announced two new public health orders. Beginning today at noon, all travellers arriving in Newfoundland and Labrador will need to complete a declaration form at their point of entry. Effective Monday, April 27 at noon, people arriving in the province will need to submit a 14day self-isolation plan upon entry.
• 6,902 people have been tested for COVID-19 as of Thursday, and 205 out of the 256 people that tested positive have recovered. There were five people in hospital, with two of them in intensive care.
• Fitzgerald said government officials are still looking at ways to potentially relax some of the public health measures, which will be done methodically and with careful deliberation and thought.