Ellenton man tests negative for the coronavirus at Manatee Memorial Hospital
An Ellenton man who has been in isolation at Manatee Memorial Hospital has tested negative for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus.
John Paris, 71, was tested for the coronavirus on Tuesday, less than 24 hours after being admitted to the hospital and after testing negative for any other possible explanations for his symptoms, which included a cough, fever and fatigue.
His wife was happy but acknowledged that for the rest of the country, this crisis is just beginning to affect them.
“I am just one in a gazillion that it is getting good news today,” Kim Paris said. “Each day, he has gotten better from whatever he has.”
What he has still remains a mystery but Paris said hospital staff have now eased some of the precautions that were being taken during their interactions with her husband.
“The gowns came off today,” she said.
Overnight the number of positive cases in Florida jumped with the announcement of 16 new cases, bringing the total number of people who have been diagnosed with COVID-19 in Florida to 46.
Among the latest cases announced are a 70-year-old Massachusetts man and a 50-year-old New York man, each who are currently in isolation in Sarasota County, according to the Florida Department of Health. Sarasota Memorial Hospital announced that they have been treating the Massachusetts man since Tuesday when he was admitted to the hospital. The hospital has said they will be holding a press conference on Friday afternoon to release more details.
Meanwhile, Kim Paris said, “I think this was a real eye-opener for Manatee Memorial Hospital.”
John Paris had initially gone to Ellenton Urgent Care on March 4 but at the time he only had the cough, fatigue and low blood pressure so he didn’t present as a potential coronavirus patient, according to his wife and Elizabeth Young, co-owner of the facility.
Young spoke to the Bradenton Herald about the case with Paris’ permission.
The facility had already begun taking extra precautions three weeks ago, setting up a table outside their entrance with masks, sanitizer and a sign asking that anyone with a cough or flu-like symptoms to wear one. Inside, patients are given a pager, similar to that used at restaurants, so they can wait in their cars if they choose to, limiting exposure to others.
The doctor who examined Paris still had concerns after examining him, Young explained. Before the couple could leave, the facility called an ambulance so he could go to a hospital for further evaluation.
“The ambulance came to our clinic and paramedics said, ‘You’re not that sick,’” Young said.
Kim Paris said she told the paramedics and urgent care staff that she would drive her husband to the emergency room herself, stopping along the way at Wendy’s to grab lunch to go in case they got stuck waiting long. At Manatee Memorial Hospital they performed a chest x-ray, which was negative, or normal, and finding no signs of pneumonia.
Staff agreed with the antibiotics and cough suppressant prescribed to Paris at the urgent care and he was sent home.
Paris felt confident in how each facility initially treated her husband given the symptoms he had and hopes their story can serve as a guidance to others who will face this.
“So my husband is negative but what about the next guy you pass in the store might be positive,” Paris said. “Be aware. Take precautions.”
