Community Health and Wellness

COVID affects Michigan resident in seemingly unlikely ways

Image by PIRO4D from Pixabay

Written by Tanya Terry

For Dr. Bryden Stanley, specialist surgeon recently retired from the College of Veterinary Medicine at MSU, it was a surprise when she contracted COVID-19.

After having a deadly disease the president of the United States was also diagnosed with, she realized how contagious it must be. Stanley said she had been careful with social distancing, wearing masks and washing hands.
Stanley was the only one in her immediate and extended family who contracted COVID-19.

“I notice an acute loss of smell around midday on August 21,” she said. “I got tested on afternoon of August 22.”

Stanley waited less than 24 hours to get a positive test result. The results were posted on her health portal Aug. 23.

“I was not showing any other signs at that stage,” she said. “I was immediately worried about my husband, and then I made a list of everyone I had been in contact with over the last 14 days, and started contacting them. I contacted my family, and then my contacts over last 14 days. People were surprised and a little concerned. Yes, I was sad to miss two weeks of work, and everything had to be rescheduled which was a lot of additional work for the team. But there was no choice.”

Fortunately, Stanley’s husband, the only other person in her household, tested negative. The couple was tested on the same day.

“We separated ourselves within the house for 14 days. We have a big house. So, it was feasible. It was inconvenient but doable. The contact tracers from both Ingham County Health Department and Genesee County Health Department followed up with me.”

In Stanley’s case, she was not hospitalized or given any medication or other treatment. Her temperature remained normal and her oxygenation in the mid 90s the whole time.

“I spent more time sleeping than I normally do. I felt a little more fatigued. I did some work in my home office.”

Stanley also had a slight lingering cough.

“My sense of smell started to come back in about 10 days, but it was only for some things, and it is still not as good as it was before COVID.”

Stanley retested on September 4 and also got an antibody test. She tested negative and had high levels of antibodies.

Stanley enrolled in a study at U of M where they will test her blood once a month for a year.

Though Stanley was quite fortunate, she reminds Flint Courier News readers COVID-19 is real and very contagious.

“Be careful. Although I was lucky, this virus can affect other systems apart from the respiratory system. So, be really careful until a vaccine is available. Then get vaccinated.”

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