Kamloops family in quarantine after father’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis

He was too ill for an interview, but CFJC Today spoke with his wife, Dana, who was quarantined at home and waiting for her own test results to come back.

She says she has never witnessed her husband in a worse condition.

“I’ve never ever seen him this sick in all the years that I’ve known him,” Dana said. “He’s just been completely wiped out, he has no energy. He’s not a complainer, but he’s groaning in pain when he’s sleeping.”

On Thursday, March 12, Keith woke up with a sore throat. His symptoms worsened and by that Saturday Dana decided it was time to call 8-1-1 to find out if Keith should be tested for COVID-19.

“Based on his symptoms and all the questions that they ask, they told me that they didn’t figure he had COVID because he hadn’t been out of the country and hadn’t really been in contact with anybody known to be sick.”

Keith’s condition continued to decline and by Monday, March 16 he was taken to the emergency room at Royal Inland Hospital.

“He saw a doctor and they checked him out, listened to his lungs, they did an X-ray of his lungs as well and they said his X-ray was clear, so based on what his symptoms were and the fact that his X-ray was clear they said that it was just the flu,” Dana said.

As a precaution, he was tested for COVID-19. Last Friday his results came back positive.

In the meantime, Keith had gotten worse.

“He was having sweats, shivering and his body was just shaking,” Dana said. “He was groaning in his sleep and he had a headache and a fever. His eyes were burning, he said his lungs were burning. He had a really dry cough. Sometimes he was coughing up mucus, though.”

Dana and Keith’s youngest son had developed mild flu-like symptoms at the same time as Keith and has also been tested for the virus.

The entire Elliott family is currently in quarantine.

“It’s been odd,” she said. “I normally, on my days off, have one day where I don’t leave the house because I just like to hang out at home and relax. I think we’re on day four of being home. You take for granted that if you need something you just zip out to the store and get it.”

Dana says she has had great support from friends who have brought needed items over.

Not knowing where Keith got the virus, Dana says it’s time to take self-isolation seriously, and be aware that the virus is in Kamloops.

by Jill Sperling

Kamloops family in quarantine after father’s positive COVID-19 diagnosis

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