Why you should listen to the warnings

“A lot of people don’t understand,” said Frank Peters, a 63-year-old Green Bay man. “Wear a mask and stay out of the bars.”

Frank and his wife, Karen, were taking precautions for COVID-19. We were wearing masks, staying 6 feet apart when we were out in public and washing our hands often.

“I was out to eat with some friends in late September and it happened.” Frank Peters said.  He and his wife were diagnosed with COVID-19 a few days later.

“I had a hard time breathing and was coughing really bad,” he said. “I was weak. My wife lost her taste and smell.  We had to call the rescue squad to take me to the emergency room. And, I am so glad that I went.”

Frank developed pneumonia on top of his coronavirus diagnosis, which lead to a week in the hospital. He credits the care team at Aurora BayCare Medical Center including his primary care doctor, Dr. Erich Quidzinski.

“Doctor Q is a caring physician,” he said. “He wants to see me fully recover and is seeing me through all of this.”

Now out of the hospital, his headaches continue and going to the grocery store is hard for him. He can walk for a bit then gets tired and has to sit and rest.

“During the spring, we postponed one of my daughter’s wedding,” he said. “So I get it – we are all tired of staying home, but this is real, and I want everyone to understand this is a serious virus.”

Karen Peters is an essential worker at a local nursing home.

“I am seeing this virus take a toll on the community members,” she said. “Having it hit home was surreal. We want the community to take this seriously.”