The largest age-group that has contracted COVID-19 in Hays County is 20-29 year olds, making up more than half of the county’s case load. Young people have received some blame for being callous, but not all those who got the illness were ignoring social distancing rules.
While cases have been on the rise for all ages in the county and the state, two 20-year-olds who got the virus want to send out a message of caution and believe people should not take the matter lightly. Responsibility for limiting the spread of COVID-19 is shared between residents and the county. But the two women say they never received a call about contact tracing, the method counties use to help prevent the spread of a disease. Contact tracing involves identifying and monitoring the contacts of infected people, and asking those who have been exposed to self-quarantine.
Savannah Robinson, a 20-year-old San Marcos resident, said she had been following a strict regimen of only buying takeout when eating from restaurants, always wearing a mask in public, keeping a safe distance, not going to the Square and even rejecting invitations of going out inner tubing on the river. Even though she followed these rules, she tested positive for the virus on June 11.
“I was walking my dog when they called me and said I tested positive,” Robinson said. “I went upstairs and just cried; I kept crying the whole day. I called the clinic two days later and asked if I was going to die – they said I would be okay.”
Her initial reaction was triggered by her anxiety, but, as it turned out, Robinson’s symptoms felt similar to a mild flu and her temperature never rose past 98 degrees.
Having the coronavirus was not only physically exhausting on the 20-year-old, but her routine had to drastically change. She isolated herself within her apartment, staying in her room so she did not infect her girlfriend. Robinson did not go into the kitchen or sit in the living room, but she would occasionally walk outside to soak in some sun.
This time period tested her mental wellness, but having a supportive girlfriend eased her worries.
Although Robinson was doing her best to self-isolate, the county did not step in to ensure she was doing things properly. After getting the test results, the clinic told Robinson the county would call for contact tracing information.
They did not.
The Hays Free Press/News-Dispatch is waiting for commentary from Hays County about contact tracing but has not received a response.
Several weeks ago, Hays County officials said they were keeping up with contact tracing, but Robinson did not have a follow-up from them and neither did another 20-year-old COVID-19 patient, a Texas State university student who chose to keep her name confidential.
The other San Marcos resident decided to get a coronavirus test on June 16 after seeing her friends feeling ill. After two days, her test came back positive. On June 25, she still had not heard from the county.
She said her throat felt as if she had strep; she also had a headache, runny nose and no energy.
“It was okay the first few days because I slept all the time,” she said, “like 18-20 hours easily. Then as I started feeling better, I was really lonely. My roommates are all gone and my parents would Facetime and call but I couldn’t see anyone.”
She did not leave her apartment for 11 straight days and had her mother drop off groceries and fluids.
“It is real,” the 20-year-old added. “It is out there and friends who never showed symptoms tested positive. Limit where you go and if you are going to be in groups and going around doing things like we did pre-COVID, stay away from your parents and grandparents.”
Robinson shared a similar sentiment. She questioned why people have been going out to the Square in San Marcos, attending river floats and hanging out in large groups.
“I still don’t know how I got it, but people need to take care with this type of stuff,” Robinson told the Hays Free Press. “Go get tested, don’t let this ride out because you can be asymptomatic.”
