Placeholder Image

Subtitles section Play video

  • now the ripple effects of this virus or far reaching.

  • As we were saying, many family members are being kept away from their elderly, loved ones in nursing homes and assisted living centers for weeks now to protect them from Cove it 19.

  • That's the case for Gail and her husband, Pastor Lester Taylor.

  • Want to thank you both for joining us?

  • Thank you.

  • Thank you for having us, Lindsay.

  • So, Gail, your mom, Charlotte, who's in a New Jersey assisted living center.

  • She just celebrated her 89th birthday over the weekend.

  • And then today you learned that she tested positive for Corona virus.

  • Walk us through how she ended up being tested.

  • What were her symptoms?

  • And how are you handling this revelation just from a few hours ago that she now has the virus?

  • Yes.

  • So on Saturday, I spoke to my mother and I noticed that she just sounded a little withdrawn, overly tired.

  • I didn't hold her on the phone long, but I knew something was different.

  • On Sunday, I heard from the nursing home.

  • They told me that she had a fever of about 100.

  • Um, and I said, Okay, that's something's obviously going on.

  • They told me later on, the temperature went down to 99.

  • On Monday, they told me her respect to 102.

  • So, um, I called the doctor and I said, Listen, three things.

  • She's 89.

  • She is in a nursing home and she has a fever.

  • I want her to be tested.

  • So you agree?

  • And they called him today to tell me that she tested positive.

  • So I'm still in shock.

  • I'm stunned.

  • Um, I think that was a part of me that did not think the test would come back.

  • Positive, because the nursing home they have stopped visitations for a couple of weeks now.

  • I did have the chance to see her, my husband and I on her birthday, but we were separated by glass, so there was no physical contact.

  • So I'm just, you know, waas Surprise.

  • I'm sad, but we are Christians and people of faith.

  • So we believe in the power of prayer, but certainly very concerned.

  • And your mom does have underlying conditions.

  • So is the guidance for now that she should stay put or seek treatment in the hospital?

  • So because this just started, she will stay put.

  • Um, right now, her symptoms are just the fever and just start feeling tired.

  • My mom is a two time lung cancer survivor.

  • She's also a diabetic s o.

  • Of course, there is great concern in that area, and we have consulted with an infectious disease specialist.

  • So he has some things in mind, and we'll talk about that more on tomorrow with him.

  • But for now, she will stay put.

  • She is quarantined.

  • She does have a roommate that has been removed from her room.

  • This would be difficult news, obviously under any circumstance.

  • But how much more difficult does this become now that you're not able to actually see and visit with her?

  • That is the This is the most difficult part of not being able to to be there with her.

  • My mom was sick a couple of months ago and I was there every single day, all day.

  • She actually had to be transport to the hospital, and my husband and I, we spend every day with her, so we were really hands on.

  • I got to.

  • I talked to the nurses.

  • The doctors, you know, was really firm on certain things.

  • So I really got to be her voice.

  • My mother also has dementia, so it is really, really difficult not to be able to go there and, you know, just to support her and to also be her voice.

  • And what are the next steps and what kind of control do you have?

  • A albeit from a distance.

  • So not too much, actually.

  • Um, you know, right now, again, she's stable and they are treating her symptoms, you know, Tylenol and things like that.

  • They did tell me that she also has a u T I.

  • So they're working with That is as well.

  • But it's just constant calling me calling the nurses.

  • My mother has a wonderful doctor.

  • Um, he is new to her.

  • He hasn't been with her as long as her previous doctor.

  • But this guy I really like.

  • He when you call his number, he answers the phone, so you'll have rare, that is, but it's really a one second at a time, one day at a time.

  • That's how we have to kind of go right now.

  • And Pastor Taylor is a man of the cloth.

  • What kinds of words of comfort are you giving your wife in this moment well again, she said.

  • We're people of faith, so we believe in the power of prayer, and we have been praying for her.

  • She's a strong woman to on, and she I believe she has in her.

  • But, you know, we're just put it in the hands of the Lord right now.

  • There's nothing else we really can't do because we cannot be there.

  • We can't see her.

  • We have to rely on the communication.

  • And I may say the facility has been excellent in terms of their communication with with us in particular regale.

  • We can't ask for anything better, but it's nothing like being able to see someone.

  • We thank you both so much for speaking with us during this difficult time with a wishing a speedy recovery and good health for the entire family.

  • Thank you, Thank you.

  • Hi, everyone.

  • George Stephanopoulos here.

  • Thanks for checking on ABC News YouTube channel.

  • If you'd like to get more video show highlights and watch live event coverage, click on the right over here to subscribe to our channel.

  • And don't forget to download the ABC News after breaking news alerts.

now the ripple effects of this virus or far reaching.

Subtitles and vocabulary

Click the word to look it up Click the word to find further inforamtion about it