Shamed for having Coronavirus? SCDN’s Betty Smith sat down for a virtual interview with a healthcare worker who says a positive COVID-19 test turned her life upside down. Not only did Angie Conn have to fight a potentially deadly virus, she’s also battled discrimination.
Testing Positive
Conn says she and her husband got tested because a relative had the illness. Conn was exposed to the virus on a trip to Columbus on Saturday, March 14. Ohio’s lockdown order went into effect on March 16. She said he began to show symptoms within a week.
Once the positive tests came back, the couple were forced to quarantine. Conn says they contacted the people who’d been to their home recently. One of them actually ended up getting very sick and had to be admitted to the hospital. But others, like her stepson, did not catch the virus. Her husband’s coworkers were required to self-quarantine due to their contact with him.
Targeted On Social Media
Once the tests came back, Conn says she felt like she’d contracted the Plague or an STD. “My feelings were hurt a lot.”
She said it started with reports in the local Pickaway County Newspaper of a positive test. People were curious to know who it was that had tested positive.
“Who are they? Where do they live? I need to know if I was exposed to them.”
Conn says that many people don’t realize that the health department will contact you if you were exposed to someone who tests positive for Coronavirus.
She said as reports of her COVID-19 status spread on social media, unpleasant incidents started. “The final straw was one of our neighbors walking by our house FaceTiming it and saying ‘This is the house.’ It just all kind of built up.” She was even publicly criticized for having her windows open.
Be Kind
Conn has this message about what you should do if someone you know tests positive. “Just be nice. If you know someone who’s sick, help them out. Drop something off on their porch. Call and see how they’re doing.”
Conn says it became a mental challenge as well as a physical one. “It was tough. It’s a mental game. We were lucky to have good friends.” She says the separation from her family was difficult. Conn was unable to see her grandchildren and missed her mother’s birthday.
After her initial test, she went back for another test. Conn discovered she was still positive. “In 28 days, I had three tests.” The test was intrusive. It involved inserting a swab deep into the nasal cavity. “It’s way back in there. It’s irritating.”
She says that even now that she’s tested negative, she’s still unsure about whether the virus will return. Conn refrains from hugging her mother out of caution.