CALDWELL, Idaho — The coronavirus pandemic has many of us concerned about the ‘what ifs.’ For Jessica and Randy Young, and their five kids, that concern became a reality.
“It started a couple of weeks ago and it kind of just worked its way through us,” Jessica Young said.
The couple's kids range in age from 10 months to 12 years old.
Last Friday, Randy tested positive for COVID-19. His family members were not tested.
“They said to assume we all had it considering we had been sick the last two-three weeks,” Jessica Young said.
The Caldwell family saw symptoms that lasted from a few days to two weeks in Randy's case.
“It started with diarrhea for everybody,” Jessica Young said.
That on top of vomiting and fever were some of the main symptoms the family experienced.
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“The three-year-old, she was the one that was out pretty much, she was the worst,” Jessica Young said. “They had to have been dehydrated, their lips were completely peeling and they just weren't getting out of bed and then our 12-year-old, she slept by the toilet when she had it.”
Randy told KTVB he had what has become known as typical symptoms of COVID-19: a cough, shortness of breath and two newer symptoms recently identified by health officials - loss of taste and smell.
“It's rough, feeling really bad and then you'd feel good the next day, some respiratory, some congestion and then the next day you felt like you got hit by a truck and then complete body aches and the headaches, we're still having headaches,” Randy Young said.
The family is sharing their story in hopes that other families take care of themselves now, before it's too late.
“I would not wish it on anybody,” Jessica Young said.
The couple says they don't know where they caught the virus, but they're grateful to their friends and family for bringing them food and games while they've been quarantined.
They urge everyone to keep drinking water and electrolytes because it can hit you at any time and to stay home and avoid going out as much as you can, to stop the spread.
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