Letter to all from Dave Sammel

 Please click on the READ MORE button.
 

Hello Chloe,

 

I'm asking you to forward this because I think it might be helpful information for anyone connected with KPFZ in these trying Covid times.

 

As you know, I was exposed to Covid when my son came home from his mother's house and tested positive the next day.  We immediately isolated him in his room, used masks, took him his meals, and had him use a dedicated bathroom, which we kept shut up when not in use.  Four days later, I was scheduled to do my Monday show.  I asked for permission to do the show even though I had been exposed because I had tested negative twice (including the day of the show), I had no fever, no other symptoms, and was boosted in October.  

 

Fortunately, my request was denied and I'm very grateful for that now, because even though I continued to test negative, on Monday night I developed a scratchy throat.  Keep in mind this is 6 days after exposure to my son.  I still had no fever and no other symptoms.  I figured it was just sort of flu season stuff, and as long as I still tested negative, I didn't worry.  However, about two days after that, my throat got very sore.  I started to wonder if indeed I didn't have something, but again, no fever, no other symptoms, and another negative test. 

 

Yesterday, my wife called me from work.  She said that with the Omicron variant, if the major symptom is a sore throat, then the place to swab is not the nose, but the back of the throat.  I pulled out yet another test kit, swabbed the back of my throat, and sure enough, I tested positive.

 

I'm embarrassed to share all this.  I really had no indication that I might be contagious but I feel pretty guilty about the whole thing anyway because I might have exposed other people.  My point is this; we really can't err too far on the side of safety.  It was a mistake to assume that I didn't have Covid because I was testing negative.  Symptoms of Covid should be treated as Covid.  If we have to shut down the station, if would be a real loss for our community.

 

Obviously, I won't be doing my show this coming Monday.  I will check the CDC/CDPH guidelines before requesting a return to the studio.  Anybody that has flu-like symptoms should stay home, regardless of test results.  

 

I don't know if I got Covid from my son or perhaps from a gathering I attended on Sunday, or perhaps from some other source.  We'll never know.  In any case, my experience hasn't been pretty.  Even a mild case like I have has not been pleasant.  I hope that all KPFZ programmers with symptoms will exercise great caution and not return to the studio until absolutely certain that they are not contagious.

 

Dave Sammel