UPDATE- Mom and Daughter Put Through Hell Because of Coronavirus Hype & Panic

UPDATE- We were recently contacted again by Heather Harris with an update from their family. There will be an official press release today, MARCH 9th 2020, from the Communication Director at Samaritan Hospital in Moses Lake Washington for the family. And we will bring that to you when it becomes available. However I thought it was important to tell our readers that because of what happened to Heather and her mother, the hospital and Department of Health have changed their policies regarding the reporting and treatment of patients being monitored for the Novel Coronavirus. Read some of her statement below:

Heather Harris- “After our experience and cries to the DOH and hospital, they have changed their policy so I am elated patients and their families after us will not endure what we did. We unfortunately were the first ones so they were coming up with policies on the spot. The first suspected case. In the future, only positive cases will be reported in our area because after all, that’s all they really matters. They realized the reporting of a patient being under testing could be a violation of HIPAA. An official statement by my family will be released by the hospital tomorrow Thank you for reaching out and sharing our story. Ironically, my mom was diagnosed with a virus very similar to what we know about the caronovirus. HMPV is what it’s called. Been around 19 years. NO VACCINE. And the same similar symptoms. Regardless of whether she was positive or not, the same symptomatic care would have been given. Oh. And the Walmart here was sold out of toilet paper today.”

ORIGINAL STORY- A recent Facebook post out of Washington State has gone a little viral. With over 659 shares, there has been much attention brought to her story. It’s an important one. Heather Harris wrote a heartfelt open letter to tell the world about what happened to her, and especially what happened to her mom. She had been put into quarantine out of an abundance of caution from heath officials over a possible coronavirus infection.

She believes that the main stream media hype, social media click- bait, and fear-mongering placed her mother in even more danger and contributed to her not receiving all of the specialized care she could have or should have received. She believes that this happened, because of the fear of this epidemic spreading. The RightWay reached out to Heather for comment, and we have been told that the Communication Directer for Samaritan Hospital, in Moses Lake WA. would be helping her speak to the Media. The Director will be reaching out to the Media tomorrow with a statement and any updates, and we will bring them to you as soon as they become available.

This is an interesting case. It is told from the first person view of someone who has lived through this, and allows some insight into the patient side of this epidemic. It gives an inside look into what others who are being monitored around the country and the world must be going through as well.

Take a look at what she wrote and try to put yourself in her shoes (or Hospital gown as it were). See what it is to live through this…

(Moses Lake Washington) Heather Herris Via Facebook – Everyone heard about the reports of a possible COVID-19 patient being treated at Samaritan Hospital in Grant County, WA. That patient was my mom.

She was admitted into the Intensive Care Unit on Sunday with severe pneumonia and she quickly became septic. Family stepped in at home to care for my sister who needs 24/7 monitoring for her own medical needs. My dad booked the next available flight out of Arizona, and I stayed with my mom during the most difficult time of our lives.

Nurses and doctors worked for hours to stabilize her vitals. Her blood pressure was half of where it needed to be, her heart rate was too high, and her oxygen levels were low. During all of this, they started sending samples into the lab. She tested negative for the flu and negative for a bacterial infection. That meant it had to be a viral infection, and because of the fear-mongering media, the doctors were required to also test for COVID-19 along with the hundreds of other viruses it could be.

Yes, she had some of the flu like systems. Yes, she had traveled, but stayed within the U.S. No, her doctors never believed for a minute she had the coronavirus.

However, because of the media coverage and uneducated panic by the majority of the population, she was denied transport to a hospital that had a Pulmonologist. It was the most helpless feeling, knowing in that moment if she needed a higher level of care, she would not have access to it because the DOH was concerned about the paper trail required in transporting a possible COVID-19 patient. Spokane’s Sacred Heart approved her. Sacred Heart wanted her. Since we couldn’t officially rule this virus out, the DOH wouldn’t let her go. We had to have discussions with the doctor and nurses as to what the action plan would be if she took a turn for the worse while being at an ill-equipped hospital. Since the DOH had to be notified per legality reasons, they required the hospital and staff to treat my mom as if she were positive. That meant quarantine, PPRE gear (hazmat suits) and no visitors. My dad and I were the only ones allowed in the room. We were required to wear masks at all times while having a hand washing system in place and paying close attention to our own health since we were “exposed”. After 2 days, my dad and I made the decision that I would stay and be completely quarantined with my mom in her room while he remained at home to care for my sister. The staff brought in everything I needed. They offered to buy me coffees from the espresso stand. A staff member gave me one of her bobby pins. They really went above and beyond to try to make both of us as comfortable as possible.

Experiencing this all first hand and being thrown into the trenches, I can’t help but think of the other patients being spoken about in the media. My heart goes out to every single one of them and their families. Being in the hospital fearing for the life of your loved one, and coming up with the best treatment plan should be your only worry. But we had to worry about so much more. The media coverage. Limiting who we told in fear of the unnecessary hysteria it would cause. Trusting the staff would follow HIPAA laws. And most importantly trying to keep my mom calm through it all. We had to meet with hospital management to discuss the media as well as be updated on what the DOH was instructing them to do. I was given the cell phone number of the Communications Director of the hospital so they could let us know which media outlets were calling, what questions they were asking and what information was being shared with the public. This included being kept up to date with the other patients in Grant County also under observation. Knowing what was happening with those patients before the media caught onto it helped us to better prepare mentally for my moms pending results.

I have to say Samaritan was wonderful and I am also so very proud that I live in Spokane and have a hospital like Sacred Heart available. Although my mom was unable to be transferred into their care, they were so eager and willing to take her on. They have accepted and treated confirmed COVID-19 patients and I have no doubt those families were so relieved when they found out they would be transferred there. To all of those living in Spokane who didn’t want these patients in “your town”, I am disappointed. Our city is amazing. Our medical facilities are top of the line. And our doctors are some of the best in the country. We should welcome these patients and their families and pray for their recovery knowing the hospitals will keep the public safe. The media has caused unneeded worry and the uneducated are fueling the fire.

The embarrassing amount of immaturity I had to witness while quarantined at the hospital by my own friends and people from my hometown on Facebook about the coronavirus coverage was irritating. There are real people out there suffering. The virus is not a laughing matter, but the online childish behavior is. The hysteria over the coronavirus caused my family to stress more than we needed to. People have lost all perspective. The news media is reporting on every single observation case and allowing the communities to panic. They’re failing to remind the public that this virus is highly treatable and not even remotely life-threatening. Social media in the end, is the true virus in all of this.

The results came back NEGATIVE!

We will continue to monitor this story, and bring you any updates that are released about Heather and her Mom. Until then, maybe we should ask ourselves some important questions. Are we contributing to the panic? Do we really know what the coronavirus is, and how it spreads? Is it really as bad as the media is making it out to be? Is it worse, and we aren’t being told? Is it the media’s fault that people are not getting the care they need, because of the fear caused by their reporting of Coronavirus cases?

Are you helping to spread fear and panic? Is it your fault? Is it anyone’s fault?

It is times like this, that no one is really ever prepared for; and so, they panic. They hurry to the gas station and fill up. They swarm into Walmart and Costco and buy up all of the cases of water that they can carry. And they stock up on tons of canned food, thinking the world is ending. Worse yet, they Share Fear-Filled Facebook and Twitter Posts and Memes, without considering the potential consequences. These things all contribute to the fear, and scare even more people into a panic.

What can you do? Get to know the facts. Watch what you share and comment. Don’t pass along fear and panic. Stay level headed. Learn what you can do to keep yourself and your family safe, so that you have peace of mind. Please, always be kind to people who are suffering through this; next time, It could very well be you or someone you love.

Which is a lesson that we all need to re-learn; Be Kind, Respectful, and Thoughtful to One-Another. We are all in this together. And it could very well mean Life or Death to someone who needs critical life-saving care.

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