PAPILLION, Neb. (KETV) – A family in Nebraska thought they were safe from COVID-19 after fighting, but months later, everyone faced the virus again.
Chuck Conboy Sr., 67, says he had a frightening time going to a festival of lights in November. He, his wife and sons then tested positive for COVID-19.
“I walked about 200 feet and could not breathe. And I mean, it was a feeling of panic. I’ve never had anything like this in my life, “said Conboy.
The family has fully recovered from the virus. But then, nine weeks later, Conboy says he started to feel very tired and tested positive for COVID-19 again.
“I woke up … and I had a fever. It jumped to 102 degrees, which is great for me. I thought, “Oh, my God, not again,” he said.
Conboy says the second infection is much more serious than the first.
“He hit me like a truck and this time he knocked me down. In fact, this is the first day – the new day – when I return to the middle of normalcy. If you had asked me yesterday, I wouldn’t even know where I was, “he said.
Conboy’s wife and children are also ill and he says their symptoms start faster.
“As for the symptoms, they were much more severe, settling quickly. The taste and smell disappeared immediately. The temperature rose immediately faster and it wasn’t just me. That was the whole family, “Conboy said.
With lifting restrictions in Nebraska, Conboy is worried the virus will grow again.
Dr. Mark Rupp of Nebraska Medicine says that repeated infections, such as Conboys, are rare, but unheard of. Some people receiving COVID-19 may develop natural immunity that lasts for several months, but there is no concrete evidence that is valid for everyone.
This may be one explanation: “People with very mild disease do not have as strong an immune response and do not have as lasting a response,” Rupp said.
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