WATERLOO, Iowa — At 38 years old, Jamie Degner is like many Iowans: he enjoys McDonald's, playing card games, and being spoiled by his family. However, Degner, who is autistic, is in the minority of the population in the state that has tested positive for COVID-19. And he's part of an even smaller but just as important group of Iowans who has a disability in a long-term care facility, fighting the virus.
"We thought we would get through this whole thing without a positive," said his mother, Ruth Brackett-Cripe, a retired mental health worker now serving as a teacher's aide in Cedar Falls. "But about ten days ago, things really changed."
Ten days ago, the first few coronavirus cases at Harmony House in Waterloo were reported. That's where Degner has lived since he was 15. Brackett-Cripe said she was notified by the staff of the virus in the facility. Staff had brought the virus in, according to the email. Three days later, according to Brackett-Cripe, 17 people at the long-term care facility tested positive. At that point, all residents and staff were tested. Now, there are 62 cases. Earlier this week, Degner got his results back and his family was informed he had COVID-19.
"We've had two days of knowing that he's positive, which was, I'll be honest, was really tough," said Brackett-Cripe. "The good news is that the only symptom that he's had is that his oxygen levels are on the low side...they've been taking his vitals at least twice a day since the lockdown began."
Harmony House, like every long-term care facility in the state, has had restricted visitor access since March 2. Brackett-Cripe said she has not seen her son since facilities were locked down. She said doing virtual calls and even a phone call isn't part of her routine; she says she fears it will make Degner upset.
"For Jamie being autistic, visits should be routine," said Brackett-Cripe. She said he has asked to speak with her over the phone once, but it was very brief and he didn't understand why she wasn't there. "The social aspect...just isn't there. I guess that might be one of the positives of this thing; he doesn't understand. He just thinks I am at work."
Brackett-Cripe said she remembers the phone call she got with her son's coronavirus results.
"I'll be honest, I cried a little bit," said Brackett-Cripe. "It's been two months since I've seen him. And it's not just me, there are other families and friends. You kind of feel like you sacrificed and crossed your fingers for two months and this still happened. But the good thing about the lockdown is that it gave them time and it allowed them to find out which treatments would work and which treatments wouldn't work."
Harmony House is one of two long-term care facilities in Black Hawk County that is reporting an outbreak of coronavirus. There are 28 long-term care facility outbreaks across the state. More than 1,000 residents and staff members at those facilities have the disease. Strike teams from the state with testing capacity have been deployed to certain facilities.
Brackett-Cripe said she wants the message to get out that it's not just the elderly at long-term care facilities who are impacted by coronavirus. Iowans with disabilities are just as vulnerable, she said.
"Remember this population as well and what they're going through," said Brackett-Cripe. "I don't want to open too soon. I know everybody is in a hurry to reopen things and get back to normal. But there are people out there that are vulnerable, who could get very very sick and who could die from this and we got to look out for them too."
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