It’s been a trying few weeks for Kimmee Garnica, one of the first known COVID-19 patients in the region.
The Chanute woman was sent home from work at Russell Stover Candies in Iola March 23 when she developed a sore throat and stuffy nose.
She’d suffered from a cold weeks earlier, and thought it or allergies were the source of her discomfort.
But with the coronavirus pandemic already in the headlines, her supervisors sent her home.
Two weeks later, and still under the weather, Garnica sought a test at the Chanute hospital, administered through the Neosho County Health Department
Five days later, on April 10, she had the result: COVID-19.
“It’s no joke,” Garnica told the Register. “It feels like you have allergies mixed with the flu mixed with strep. I had a sore throat, coughing, sneezing, tired, and a low-grade fever.”
Her breathing also became labored at one point during the illness, but not seriously enough that it required further medical treatment.
Symptoms can vary widely depending upon the patient. Some may be so mild the carrier is asymptomatic. Others with underlying health issues, particularly the elderly, are more at risk.
Now, nearly two weeks after her diagnosis — and a month from when she first fell ill — Garnica is fully recovered.
Her doctors, in consultation with the county health department, cleared Garnica this week to remove herself from isolation. (She had been home with her husband and the couple’s two dogs since she first fell ill.)
Garnica will return to work Monday at Russell Stover Candies in Iola with a bit of trepidation.
“I know all eyes will be on me and I’ll be the talk of the factory,” she said.
GARNICA, 27, is uncertain where she contracted COVID-19. She had been planning to go to Kansas City a few days prior to getting sick, but that trip was scrapped.
Her daily routine before falling ill typically consisted of going from work to home, with little variation.
“I suffer from anxiety, so I don’t talk to anyone,” she said.
