The Insider:
Hi Ruth! Thanks for agreeing to this interview.
Ruth:
Of course
The Insider:
Let me just ask you a few questions about yourself before we start. Where do you live?
Ruth:
In northern New Jersey, about 20 minutes from Manhattan
The Insider:
What type of work do you do?
Ruth:
I am a retired attorney. Now I do volunteer legal work on immigration matters and voting rights
The Insider:
And a little about your family situation, please? Are you married? Do you have kids?
Ruth:
I am married with four daughters ages 35-42
The Insider:
You’re a real journalistic hero for agreeing to talk with us when you’re not well. You have Covid now, right? How are you feeling?
Ruth:
I do. I am feeling okay. I have a bad sore throat, a slight fever and headache, and some congestion
The Insider:
I’m sorry to hear that! How long have you been sick?
Ruth:
Four days.
The Insider:
Do you have any idea how you caught it?
Ruth:
My daughter and son-in-law were at an outdoor event on Sunday August 14. Everyone had tested prior to the event, but on August 15, the host called to say she had tested positive for Covid. I had been helping my daughter with her newborn, so I believe I contracted it from them.
The Insider:
Oh, no! That’s awful! How old is the baby?
Ruth:
Two months
The Insider:
Is the baby sick, too?
Ruth:
Yes, but he hasn’t been tested
The Insider:
What kind of symptoms does he have?
Ruth:
Slight fever and a little cranky but is generally doing okay.
The Insider:
That sounds like an impossible situation! How is it possible for your daughter to take care of the baby and get better herself?
Ruth:
We have been taking turns caring for the baby. When my daughter got sick, she stayed at home while her husband and the baby came to New Jersey so we could care for him. By the time her husband got sick, my daughter was feeling better so he went home and she came to New Jersey to care for the baby. My symptoms have been fairly mild, so I’ve been able to help out.
The Insider:
Has your own husband caught it, too?
Ruth:
No, he has been quarantining and is negative
The Insider:
That’s fortunate! Are the rest of you still testing positive for Covid?
Ruth:
Yes. We all still have symptoms.
The Insider:
Oh, no! That’s such a tricky situation! Have you been conferring with a doctor?
Ruth:
Yes
The Insider:
Remotely?
Ruth:
Yes, via Zoom
The Insider:
What type of doctor or doctors?
Ruth:
I am speaking to my internist. My daughter has conferred with her internist and the pediatrician for the baby The pediatrician advised what symptoms to look for, the proper dosage of infant Tylenol and when it would be necessary to bring the baby in.
My doctor has said to treat the symptoms and advised on how long to quarantine.
The Insider:
I’m interested in the fact that the baby hasn’t been tested. Would a home test work?
Ruth:
One can do a home test on an infant but swabbing a baby’s nose is difficult. The pediatrician said that given the fact that all of the baby’s caregivers have Covid, it is likely the baby has it too and nothing in particular is gained from testing. At the moment, it’s simply cold symptoms. Were that to change, we would bring him in and he would be tested at that time.
The Insider:
That makes good sense. Of course, readers will be interested in the fact that the hostess ended up testing positive after taking a test! Can you describe that a little more? Did she take a home test or a PCR?
Ruth:
She took both a rapid test and a PCR .
The Insider:
Wow! That doesn’t give you a lot of confidence in the accuracy of testing!
Also, it was an outside event! You can’t be more careful than that, right?
Ruth:
I think everyone is aware that testing captures a moment in time and therefore is not a guarantee. We have all been extremely careful, but to avoid any risk at all means not doing anything with others. If you take any risk, you could turn out to be unlucky. I think that is the case here. This is the first time any of us has had Covid.
The Insider:
I’m sure that your daughter was especially careful beforehand! Was this her first social event since giving birth?
Ruth:
Yes
The Insider:
So unfair!
Ruth:
Yes, but thankfully no one is terribly ill.
The Insider:
Yes! I guess the $64 million question is how do you avoid reinfecting each other now?
Ruth:
We have been quarantining from one another and masking when we care for the baby.
We each prepare our own food.
The Insider:
Wow! What date did your daughter get sick?
Ruth:
August 20. She is past the recommended quarantine period but we are still being very careful
The Insider:
Are any of the adults taking any medicine?
Ruth:
No one is taking antivirals. We are using over-the-counter medicines to treat symptoms.
The Insider:
Were the three of you vaxxed and boosted?
Ruth:
Yes. Everyone has been vaccinated and boosted.
The Insider:
I would guess that the vaxxing and boosting made the difference as to why none of you is very sick. But every time we run a story about someone getting Covid under those circumstances, someone will write in and say, See! Vaccinations don’t work!
Ruth:
Of course they work! In 2020, I would likely have been hospitalized with this. I’m 70 with asthma.
The Insider:
Is this your first grandchild?
Ruth:
Yes he is.
The Insider:
Such a tale of the times! I hope that you and the rest of your family are soon in tip-top shape! Thanks so much for doing this interview. Be well!
Ruth:
Thank you!