A friend has now caught COVID for the third time

[TXPaganBanker]

Last edited Tue May 4, 2021, 05:55 PM - Edit history (1)

Late night rant, but I just finished talking with a Trumper friend. It's been a running conversation for the past 36 hours.

She caught COVID for the THIRD time. She thought it was a hoax until she caught it the first time. She had a mild case, so of course it was being over-hyped to hurt the former president. On the premise of "It wasn't so bad, and I've already caught it" she refused to wear a mask, and got it a second time in December. As soon as things opened, she was back on her barstool in her favorite watering hole, sure she was immune since she had it twice.

The problem is this time, she's caring for her grandparents. They're both 80+. He's got Alzheimer's, and they're both homebound. He was diagnosed diabetic last week and had his first insulin shot yesterday. I talked her through six infuriating hours last night and this morning of how the test kit worked, how to do injections, and why in Gods' name did she let him have a Twix bar with breakfast? (His first BGL read was 394). Despite the conversation on meal planning, she gave him a giant glass of orange juice to help keep his immune system up.

Well, she lost her sense of smell last week and didn't mention it. She thought it was just an after effect of having COVID twice. All three of them tested positive today. She can't imagine where they caught it since they don't go anywhere. I can't help to think she's going to kill her grandparents because of her reckless behavior. I don't know that she'll ever understand that her behavior is what led to them catching it, and she's responsible for whatever the outcome is.

I want to help their family, but you can't stop a leak in the dam when the person asking for help is still digging holes.

Update: Gma was admitted to the hospital by ambulance this morning (5/4), her breathing was so shallow she was basically panting. She's got pneumonia, and corresponding low O2 levels. The hospital made a referral for someone to "check" on Gpa, but it sounds like it was Elderly Care Services, not a nurse.

[canetoad]

1. You don't think

You might just be a teeny bit judgemental, TXPaganBanker?

Either way, if you see a situation where abuse is happening, just contact the fucking authorities. Over and over until something is done about it.

Unless you believe that whining on the internet is activism.

[pnwmom]

9. You're calling the OP judgmental, because the OP is frustrated with a Covid denier?

[pnwmom]

11. You're calling the OP judgmental, because the OP is frustrated with a Covid denier?

[USALiberal]

24. What???? Weird! Nt

[yardwork]

25. Sir, this is a message board.

[Ferrets are Cool]

26. Judgemental?

[kcr]

27. Ever hear of projection? n/t

[MrsCoffee]

30. Herp Derp.

Project much?

[redqueen]

41. You're actually serious?

Ayfkm?

[SoCalDavidS]

2. Sounds Like A Terrific Friend

I'm not going to judge, but this doesn't sound like any kind of person I'd care to associate with. She doesn't even care about the lives of her own grandparents.

So you let yourself get infuriated over something that isn't going to change. She Isn't Going To Change.

I really don't understand what makes you want to remain friends with her, but that's your choice. Wouldn't matter to me if someone like that had been a friend since preschool, it isn't someone I could respect as a human being, let alone as a friend.

There is nothing you can do. I'm sure you realize that the odds are very much Not in his favor. Over 80, Diabetic with Alzheimer's, being cared for by a complete Moron. I would expect the worst outcome at this point, but maybe he'll get lucky.

[canetoad]

3. I'm THAT glad

You didn't judge.

[SoCalDavidS]

5. Yeah, I Tend To Root Against These Types Of Morons

It's people like them, that caused almost 600,000 to die. I really do have little use for them, when it comes right down to it.

[TXPaganBanker]

4. She introduced me to my partner of four years.

I've kept the friendship up mostly for that reason, and we were good friends before she went full Trumper. But ya, I've mostly given up trying. The help today was because I'm diabetic as well and she has no clue how to help him. He's a good guy and doesn't deserve the lack of care he's getting.

[SoCalDavidS]

7. Yeah, He's The One That Was At Risk, And Will Now Suffer

Like you said, I doubt she ever will realize that it was her own actions that caused this.

There's really little you can do, and you know it. Once Covid has taken over, it's often beyond the ability of even doctors to help. If he is relying on her, his situation is even more dire. It's nice that you are trying to help him, but it might be far too late, and that's no fault of yours. If he passes, I could not even bring myself to converse with the person I knew was the 100% cause of it. Second Degree Manslaughter at the very least.

[GopherGal]

22. Ignoring the COVID for a moment...

Doesn't the Twix for breakfast and a glass of OJ for a diabetic amount to damn-near attempted manslaughter?

I second the thought that it's a case for Adult Protective Services.

[TXPaganBanker]

31. Trust me, I chewed her ass for it.

I had given her broad strokes about what he's not allowed to have. After she said she had given him OJ, I sent her my book from my dietician. I can't believe she's purposefully putting him in harm's way, she's just thoughtless.

That being said, she's had both of her kids taken away by CPS already; they live with her parents and she has supervised visitation (the parents, not a social worker). Gpa's blood sugar was 303 this morning, so I may have to call APS for their safety.

[LisaL]

34. They took her two kids away but now she is in charge of two elders?

Yikes.

[Treefrog]

38. Is he not getting help from his doctor?

Senior services can help with this kind of thing too. I can't believe a doc would let an elderly person be released without any knowledge of how to handle this.

[zanana1]

36. The anti-vaxxers are killing each other.

They move about freely, unvaccinated and unmasked, spreading the virus to others who are anti-vaxxers and unmasked. I'm fully inoculated but I wear a mask to protect those people, even if there's only a small chance that I could get Covid.

[Karadeniz]

6. Since your friend seems to be pretty well irresponsible, I wonder if your speaking to some

Authority might now be in order. I don't know the names of the social services that are there to protect the elderly, but it looks like the old couple needs protection...if the granddaughter hasn't already insured their death by Covid.

[Cryptoad]

8. Whats that I smell,,,,,,,,

Denmark?

[kentuck]

20. This.

[Treefrog]

42. Yes. Obvious.

[LittleGirl]

10. I'm not judging you!

But I will judge her. You aren’t responsible for her behavior and attacking you won’t help her. I’m glad you were helpful with the diabetes information because it’s really complicated. My 6 year old great niece was diagnosed last summer. It’s a serious disease.

I also didn’t know a person could get covid three times, omg! That’s frightening.

Thanks for sharing. Sometimes you just have to rant! Hugs

[Mike Nelson]

12. Well...

... you say she goes to a favorite "watering hole" place and that could be how she caught COVID again and again. Alcohol is a factor... I would not talk with this person for hours. Give yourself a time limit. Tell her you have only XX minutes upfront and it will be easier... this person sounds unreachable with talk/advice/conversation.

[Tanuki]

13. Call your local Adult Protective Services before those two vulnerable elders

your friend is "caring for" are killed or maimed by her negligence. Your report will be kept confidential and you cannot be identified as the source. If you can't figure out how to get in touch, you can call 211. Also, your friend should be in quarantine if in fact she has a new onset of symptoms. Your second call should be to your local health department to report her refusal to quarantine. She is a menace. Having said that, I am a tad suspicious of what she has told you. Third separate case of covid?

[TreasonousBastard]

14. Is there anyone else in her family you could approach to help out? I've been diabetic...

for going on 30 years and maybe a half dozen times I've gone over 300-- usually because of my own carelessness. A big glass of OJ in the morning does not help.

Have any doctors weighed in with this ditz?

[TXPaganBanker]

32. Same

I've been over three hundred maybe a dozen times in four years (I have chemo-induced diabetes, the chemo ate my pancreas). She didn't go to the doctor's when they gave him the kit and guidelines. Gpa wouldn't remember them, and Gma's down with COVID, so she texted me because I'm diabetic. I let myself get drawn into it because I care about the old coot.

[Hortensis]

15. TX, I basically agree with Tanuki. My best guess would be your friend is a longhauler.

You've been a good friend, and a discreet call to APS so they can at least check the situation out and hopefully help get this unfortunate caregiver back on track seems in order. Her life is obviously not exactly a happy one. Don't know how supportive your local services are, but she could use some help for her own sake as well.

Addressing the plight of home caregivers and expanding home care services is a basic to-do for the Biden administration. They started last week by proposing an additional $400M for Medicaid home care services, with more approaches to the problem in the pipeline. It'll be a while before any of it can benefit her and her family of course, and hopefully things'll get better for her before then.

[weissmam]

16. you can't fix stupid

[Imallin4Joe]

17. This OP is a very important lesson for everyone.

This is still a dangerous pandemic.

This OP needs much more exposure and should be read by everyone.

Thanks for posting!

[jimfields33]

18. Three times? I can't help think that is newsworthy

I’m surprised they haven’t done a story on her. That has to be rare.

[Scrivener7]

19. A quick Google search mentions only one other person who says she caught it a third time.

But her doctor says she didn't get it a third time.

[LisaL]

28. With the variants circulating, it's not going to be rare to catch it multiple times.

NT

[TXPaganBanker]

33. I'm not sure what the answer is.

I know two people that say they've caught it three times. We've nicknamed them the Plague Rats. Whether they're long haulers that show clear then relapse, or whether its variants, I don't know. This one has posted her first two positive test results in our group chat, so I've at least seen on paper where she's got it. I have no reason not to believe her positive test result from yesterday, especially considering that she says all three tested positive.

[Treefrog]

39. No shit. She should contact the news services.

I'm a bit doubtful though, she doesn't sound like a person who would go to the doctor for the test, and god knows, they're still not easy to find.

[TXPaganBanker]

40. They went to a doc-in-a-box

Her grandmother insisted getting testing on Saturday because she had been showing symptoms for a few days. They had to go to a drive up clinic for the test.

Actual (unedited) quotes from her:
"I lost my smell about a week ago, but thought it was allergies ...there's a chance I was a carrier for it"
"My doc said my antibodies for covid were strong AF, so I'm not worried. the smell thing threw me for a few days ...but nothing major this time"
"im holding off on stress until I get Grandpa's test ...if I have it, I can kick it .... but they are not able too ... Momalin didn't get sick when I had it the previous times, ...so im sluething how she could have been exposed"
"Sooo I took Grandpato get tested, and got tested for the hell of it....and all 3 of us have Covid"

(The ellipsis are hers showing pause, not where I've edited through omission.)

[OneGrassRoot]

21. My mom told me about a Trumper she knows...

who also caught it three times. The third time he gave it to his one-year-old granddaughter. He still refuses to mask or take it seriously.

These people are pathologically selfish with their "Give me liberty!" bullshit.

[samnsara]

23. just walk her thru funeral arrangements (by phone)

[LisaL]

29. They don't go anywhere?

I guess she doesn't count the bar? Bars are obvious places to catch covid. Some people don't learn from their mistakes, she sure sounds like one of those people.
She doesn't sound like the best person to take care of elderly relatives. Especially if she can't figure out to not give candy to a diabetic.

[TXPaganBanker]

35. Sorry, indeterminite pronouns.

They (as in the grandparents) don't go anywhere.

She goes wherever she can get away with. She works at a teen jewelry store / piercing store in a mall, goes to the bar twice a week, and has made at least two trips to Winstar in the past six months. She's also got FAMOUSLY bad taste in men, and has called my partner for day-after pick-ups enough that my partner finally told her to call Uber, she's done.

[LisaL]

37. Grandparents don't have to go anywhere, since she is the one who

keeps on getting infected, and most likely infected them.
She sounds like a real mess.