Welcome back to Part 3 of my incredible, yet frustrating, experience of the Coronavirus.

If you are new to these posts, here are links to:

PART 1

PART 2

Today I am writing about Day 7.  Day 7 is the apex of my frustration with the COVID-19 procedures and more.

After reading the following phone conversation if you don't have a problem with what you read, then you are just an a**hole.  Point. Blank. And to the period.  Nobody should stick their nose into someone else's health situation-- let alone lie about it.

This is what is wrong with the society we live in...

Here we go...

DAY 7

A reminder that on Day 6 we were notified that the wife and the kids all tested negative for SARS-CoV-2.

So on Day 7, I received another phone call from the County Health Department.  Ruth** (not her real name) told me that she was calling to talk to me about two things:

1. Another test that I had taken that came back positive.
2. A phone call.

I will try to skip over #1 fast.  You see, I took another test from TEST IOWA because I wanted a negative test before I could go back to the radio station.  You can read about it in the previous posts.  Ruth informed me that the county would prefer that I don't take anymore tests and that my timeline to return to work has been established-- we will talk more about this in tomorrow's post.  Basically, Ruth did not want to false report another positive COVID-19 case in the county and I understand her reasons for calling.

The next part of the phone call is the troubling part.  I wish there was a "phone call may be recorded for training purposes" transcript I could give you but this, I swear, is a very accurate transcription of our conversation:

Ruth: I am contacting you because of the conversation we had a few days ago.  I asked you if you were in contact with anyone 48 hours after you got tested.  You said that you were not in contact with anyone.  We have reason to believe that you were dishonest.

Me: What? Why would you say that? What was I dishonest about?

Ruth: We received a phone call that you had children sleep over at your house on August 17th and August 18th.

Me: Wait? What?

Ruth: Yes.  We received a phone call that said that you hosted a sleep over at your house on August 17th and August 18th.

Me: OK Ruth**.  Clearly you did not take notes from two days ago when we talked.  So I am going to take you through the timeline again.  On August 14th, I was refused a test by a clinic in your county.  Despite the fact that I had been exposed to the coronavirus, I was turned away because I did not have symptoms.  That very same day, I put myself in self-quarantine and retreated to my basement away from my family.  The next day, August 15th, I forced my way into getting tested for the virus.  I remained in self-quarantine until I received my test results on August 17th.  In between, my kids did have other children stop by to play but I had zero contact with them.  ZERO.  As of 8:30 am on August 18th, after my conversation with you, Ruth, I have been in isolation.  So you are telling me that I hosted a 2 day slumber party and purposely exposed children to the coronavirus?

Ruth: I am not saying that.  We received an anonymous phone call that told us that you, Jay Foster, hosted a sleep over at your house on August 17th and August 18th.

Me: An anonymous phone call???!!!??? Are you serious, Ruth??!!?? This is a HUGE problem.  I answer your questions on Tuesday, give you every piece of information that you ask so you can do your contact tracing, and 48 hours later you call me a liar because of an anonymous phone call?

Ruth: I did not call you a liar.

Me: You said I was dishonest.

Ruth: I apologize but I have to do my job.

Me: I understand that but you have to empathize for my frustration.  I self-quarantined before your county health department advised me to and I am currently in isolation because of a test that I wanted to take.  I am trying to follow all the guidelines and procedures you have placed upon me and my family.  My frustration is that this is a matter of an “adult telephone game”, where an adult has told another adult that I have tested positive and that information grew into a false report that I hosted a 2 night sleep over and purposely exposed children to a global pandemic virus. Or, basically, someone is just an a**hole and they made an anonymous and knowingly false report about me and my home.

Ruth: I do empathize for your situation and I have taken note that you did not host a sleep over at your residence.

Me: Thank you.  Allow me to bend your ear some more, Ruth.  You see this is the problem with society.  This anonymous phone call and everything.  There are memes out there about “Karens” and I guess they are funny.  But when people can make an anonymous phone call and openly lie about you and the very people you opened up to, that is you Ruth, about your health and social life in the past 7 days don’t believe you- it is a huge problem.  It’s no longer funny that there are “Karen type” people out there slandering your name.  If someone will take the time to call you can you imagine the bullsh*t they are saying about me and my family in their circle of friends.  I HOSTED A 2 DAY SLUMBER PARTY AND INTENTIONALLY EXPOSED CHILDREN TO THE CORONAVIRUS! Like I am some sort of chicken pox party hosting psychopath?!? Come on Ruth, does this sound right?

Ruth: I understand your frustration.  I just have to do my job and follow up.

Me: And Ruth, I think you are doing a fantastic job.  I just really hate people right now.

Ruth: I am sorry if you are upset.  Please contact us if you develop any symptoms and remember to stay in isolation through August 25th.  You are free to go back to work on August 26th.

Me: Thanks, Ruth.

Let's recap this...

A citizen, in my community and possibly circle of friends, called the County Health Department and told them that I, while knowing that I had tested positive for SARS-CoV-2, hosted a two day sleep over and exposed children to the Coronavirus and that same person is probably STILL telling people this exact same story right now.

What kind of monster do people think that I am?

It took me 48 hours to get over being angry.  It took me less than 48 minutes to figure out who the list of suspects were.

I know that I have touched upon the mental health destruction that this virus can do to a person but can you imagine knowing that someone is out there telling people that you are purposely exposing children to the global pandemic virus.

I am still hurt.  I am not going to sugar coat it.  I am hurt.

Mean people suck.

Tomorrow will be Part 4 and will be my last post in this series.  It will be over "return to work" frustration and "depression symptoms VS COVID symptoms".  Plus, we have to talk about the new CDC testing suggestions-- that is not confusing at all.