A Licking County woman said seven members of her family are infected with COVID-19 all because of an encounter at a Portsmouth, Ohio restaurant. Cathy Primm said, “This isn’t about random people on TV. We live in Licking County. Spend time in Newark, Granville, Heath, Alexandria. WE LIVE WHERE YOU LIVE.”
No One Can Tell Me What To Do
Primm said it all started when her father and stepmother went to a Portsmouth restaurant when they came for a visit to Ohio on June 22. A friend of her dad’s joined her parents at the restaurant. The friend said that he’d just gotten back from Myrtle Beach.
The man said he was told to self-quarantine but that no one could tell him what to do. He also told her father that he refused to wear a mask.
Positive and Negative
Primm said that just two days later her father started coughing and feeling fatigued. He was tested for COVID-19 on June 28th but the test came back negative. His wife began showing symptoms of a cold.
Her father began to feel worse, and he went to the ER. Doctors diagnosed him with a UTI and checked again for COVID-19. He received positive COVID-19 test results on Tuesday, June 30th.
At first, Primm’s husband tested positive for COVID and she came out negative. However, she was retested when she began to show symptoms.
Unusual Symptoms
Primm said she and her husband showed none of the symptoms associated with COVID at first. Her symptoms were headache and knee pain. “No cough, no fever, and no shortness of breath.” She said her husband showed only a low-grade fever that she wouldn’t have thought to even check his temperature if he hadn’t known about the positive COVID diagnosis.
“Six days later I can only walk up about 6 steps without having to sit and catch my breath. My husband claims he’s fine, but I can hear his breathing. My 20-year-old son and his pregnant girlfriend, who were not around my parents because they didn’t want to pass on their “cold” to them, have a cough, fatigue, headache, no appetite, and nausea. Luckily, my 13-year-old daughter feels fine.”
Please Wear Masks
Primm works as an infusion nurse and her husband works in the court system. She said both of them went to work for two days before learning of her father’s COVID-19 diagnosis. “Thank God both of us wore a mask on Monday and Tuesday. None of my patients or his coworkers tested positive – because we wore masks.”
Primm said she’s at high-risk from the disease because she’s a breast cancer survivor. Her son recently had surgery and she’s concerned about the danger the virus poses to her unborn grandchild. “The guy who infected my dad DID NOT have a mask on and you see where that has lead. The person with the mask wears it to protect others. If you do not care whether you get sick or not, fine, good luck, but PLEASE wear a mask to protect those around you. It’s not about your rights as an American, it’s to protect those around you. We’re living proof and hope to continue to be living. Please don’t be selfish to prove a point. Be considerate of others. Don’t be an ass just because you can – please think of someone other than yourself.
Struggling To Survive
Primm’s stepmother was hospitalized at OSU for stroke-like symptoms but eventually sent home. She was diagnosed with severe COVID symptoms. “She is better in that regard, but very short of breath with slight exertion, exhaustion, cough, and body aches.”
Her father, on the other hand, is struggling. “My dad isn’t doing very well. He here because the ER doctor told him to monitor his oxygen levels and come in if it gets below 90%. It’s currently running around 93%. He’s delirious at times. He can’t be upright unless going to the restroom. The rest of his day and night is restless sleep.”
Not To Blame
Primm is livid at the man she blames for her family’s illness. ” The guy who infected my dad did not have a mask on. You see where that has lead. The person with the mask wears it to protect others. If you do not care whether you get sick or not, fine, good luck, but PLEASE wear a mask to protect those around you. Because one idiot didn’t have a mask on my dad is fighting to survive/recover. If we would have thought the same as those who won’t wear a mask because of their “rights as an American”, the amount of people that would now be affected is innumerable, based on the 6 degrees of separation scenario.”
Primm said the man who sat next to her dad is aware of what happened. She also said he has denied being the source of the virus.
Scioto County EMA Director Larry Mullins said he’d seen posts about the event on Facebook, but his office was not involved in the situation. “I’m afraid that the virus will continue to spread as long as people keeping acting like it never happened and continue to engage in risky behavior. “
SCDN has a call in to the Portsmouth City Health Department to see if they’re aware of the situation. I’ll let you know what I find out.