Inside One Family’s Struggle With COVID-19

Health employees work at the drive-through testing center at Ocean County College in Toms River. (Photo courtesy the Richards family)

  BRICK – Bob Richards and his wife Mary, flew into Florida’s West Palm Beach Airport on Thursday, March 12 to attend the wedding of their nephew, whose nuptials were to be held on March 14.

  “That’s where I think we picked up the virus,” Bob said during a phone interview from his home in Brick recently.

  “Six members of our extended family, who were from New Jersey and from New York City, have tested positive since they came home, and one of my cousins, who has diabetes, has been hospitalized,” said Bob, who is in his 60s.

Health employees work at the drive-through testing center at Ocean County College in Toms River. (Photo courtesy the Richards family)

  Two family members in Florida also developed symptoms in the days following the wedding.

  On March 15, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention advised no gatherings of 50 or more people in the United States over the next eight weeks.

  The Richards flew home on March 16, which is when they came down with a fever and chills initially, followed by various other symptoms including coughing, body aches and more.

  After being home about a week, Mary thought they should be tested, but testing in New Jersey was limited to those who had a fever.

  Mary called Ocean Medical Center in Brick where they suggested a video exam for coronavirus with an emergency room doctor. Instead of waiting on hold, she joined a queue and the doctor called her about two hours later.

  “You probably have coronavirus; it’s everywhere,” said the emergency room doctor, who was based in Weehawken. “I think I had it last week,” she added.

  Another week passed. The Richards’ felt like they were getting better, but he would have full days where he felt achy and fatigued, and she had a lingering cough. Both of them had lost their sense of taste and smell.

  By that time, COVID-19 testing was being expanded in New Jersey. When testing began at the PNC Arts Center, lines were reported to be three miles long, and testing was only available to those who had a fever and a prescription, so the Richards’ continued to rest at home.

  When the testing center opened at Ocean County College on March 30, the couple called their family doctor to see if they were eligible to get prescriptions for the COVID-19 test.

  “When we told our doctor about the wedding, and about how many of our relatives tested positive, she wrote the prescription,” Richards said.

The results for the Richards family came back mixed. Two tested positive and one tested negative, although it might have been a false negative. (Photo courtesy the Richards family)

  The couple was able to book an online appointment for the next day. Their 26-year-old son, who had attended the Florida wedding, also got a prescription to be tested. The only symptoms he had was the loss of taste and smell.

  The drive-thru testing facility at Ocean County College was by appointment, so there was no line of cars, no waiting, and all three family members stayed in their car as employees from the Ocean County Health Department (OCHD) performed the test, which was done with a nasal swab.

  “When I heard about the test, I figured it was a Q-tip in the nostril, but as it turned out it was about twice that length. I felt like it tickled the back of my eyeballs,” Richards joked.

  “The facility was run with military precision, it was very impressive,” he added.

  The family was told that results would be available in three to five days, and three days later they got their results.

Photo courtesy the Richards family

  Test results from Mary and her son came back “Positive for 2019-NCOV,” but Richards’ test came back “Not Detected.”

  According to their health care provider, based on Richards’ clinical history, exposure and symptoms, the results were likely a false negative, which is not unusual.

  His results could also mean that he no longer had detectable levels since the test did not check for antibodies.

  * Note: The name of the couple and a few identifying details have been changed in this story to protect their identity.

The results for the Richards family came back mixed. Two tested positive and one tested negative, although it might have been a false negative. (Photo courtesy the Richards family)