Gayle Nelson, emailed memoir and photos, dated March 30, 2020

Text and images of emailed memoir:

From:  Gayle Nelson¹
Sent:  Monday, March 30, 2020
To:  Martin T. Olliff
Subject:  Wiregrass Archives looking to preserve social history of COVID-19 | Troy Today

Hi Marty! Good idea to preserve this once‐in‐a‐century pandemic. ...Wanted you to know about our family’s experience with Covid‐19. I’ve been with Troy since 2002, and although I’ve been in the Seattle area for the past 6 years, I still regularly teach Art1133 online for Troy.

Kirkland (nursing home epicenter where all this started) is just 15 minutes north of where we live in Issaquah.  My son, Jacob, 42, got very sick and passed out a couple weeks ago. His wife took him to the ER where the doctor ran a myriad of tests. He ruled out flu and viruses and sent in a sample to test for Covid‐19 11 days later the results came back ‐ positive. He and Gina, his wife, are getting better. They were both very sick and in bed for almost two weeks. We have all been under quarantine and finally coming to the end of this. The whole state is now going into an even more rigorous “Stay Home. Stay Safe” mode, and Governor Inslee announced today that “local law enforcement will start cracking down on businesses or groups who violate Washington's stay‐at‐home order or the eviction ban that took effect earlier this month to slow the spread of coronavirus.”

Selena (my spouse of almost 30 years) and I believe we had a mild version of the virus. I was in nursing homes doing Census work, and one of Selena’s South Seattle College students has a mother who recently flew in from Wuhan right before the lockdown. We had severe headaches, fevers, and flu‐like symptoms. Hospitals are so busy, it is not recommended you go in unless very sick...

The CDC called Jacob yesterday with a myriad of questions. They told him he had passed his quarantine time. Doctors and nurses are very frustrated the results are so slow to come in.

My daughter and grandkids still live in Dothan. She teaches for Dale County and so far, so good. They are staying vigilant. Washington state, like NY and more, is hitting this curve earlier than some states. It is real and it is serious.

Thank you for listening. Stay safe. Stay at home and wash your hands :0) Love, Gayle

 

Images:

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¹ Ms. Nelson has been associated with Troy University Dothan Campus since 2002, and though she moved from Headland, AL, to Washington State, she continues as an adjunct instructor and instructional designer with Troy University.