Battling COVID: One Washakie County case dedicated to wearing masks

WORLAND - Washakie County employee Fran Scranton thought maybe he had a head cold, not COVID-19, that is until a co-worker tested positive.

Scranton, who is one of Washakie County's 107 lab-confirmed cases, was confirmed last month and spent the allocated 14 days under quarantine order. He spoke on his experience to the Northern Wyoming News and on why he feels it is important for everyone to be wearing a mask during this pandemic.

On Aug. 10, Scranton went to work at the Washakie County Clerk's Office. On Aug. 11 he felt as if his "head cold" was a little worse, with his left ear impacted, so he stayed home. "I didn't have any of the classic symptoms or if I did they were minor," Scranton said.

He said he had a minor cough but was extremely fatigued. He did not have a fever.

He spent most of the day sleeping and returned to work on Aug. 12 and Aug. 13. On Friday, Aug. 14, he went to work and a co-worker had gone to her doctor where a rapid test showed that she was positive for COVID-19. He called his own doctor and told them he had minor symptoms but a co-worker had tested positive. At first, he said, they did not feel that he needed to be tested but he mentioned his age and some underlying conditions.

He was tested at 10:45 a.m. in the parking lot of the medical facility. He went home to await the results of his test.

He said about 5 p.m. he received a call from an epidemiologist from the Wyoming Department of Health who was doing contact tracing for his co-worker. He was advised to stay home and only go to work if he felt up to it. He informed them that he had also been tested.

The state called him on Sunday, Aug. 17, to inform him that he also had tested positive. His doctor's office notified him of the same information on Monday, Aug. 18.

He was officially on quarantine order at home.

"We were the two that were reported to have COVID in the courthouse," Scranton said.

He said he was having minor issues with COVID, including being fatigued, sleeping very deeply for the next week. He was quarantined in his home through Aug. 27 and his wife, Diana, was quarantined until Aug. 31.

"The blessing there is she has never displayed any symptoms at all. Although I was in one part of the house and she was in the other," Scranton said. He noted that they were fortunate to have two restrooms in the home so they did not have to share a restroom. They also did not sleep in the same room.

They ate together but maintained at least six feet apart.

Scranton said he treated his symptoms with over-the-counter cold medicine.

During his time in quarantine, he said he was required to keep track of his temperature daily. While he usually runs normal at about 98.6, he ran a subnormal temperature at 97.

His co-worker, he said, had more full-blown classic COVID symptoms as Scranton described the "elephant on the chest," and a cough.

Her husband was quarantined and exhibited a few symptoms, per texts Scranton and she exchanged during their quarantine.

Scranton said he did not need to have another COVID test, but did receive a letter clearing him and releasing from the quarantine.

He feels he is pretty much recovered but still feels some fatigue, but noted laughingly that could be age-related. He is officially recovered in the county's COVID statistics.

He has no idea where he may have contracted COVID-19. Since there was a chance he got it from the workplace, he could have made a workers compensation claim, he said.

"I have no idea because most of the time I was going to and from work and to the grocery store. We haven't attended any social functions," Scranton said.

MASK WEARING

"I am the only one in the office when I went to the counter, wears a mask," Scranton said, but added that there is the plexiglass partition between the clerks and the customers. "We have taken appropriate measures to protect the public," he said.

"What I should have been doing is wearing it like I am now. When I'm in the office I wear it 100% of the time. A mask isn't to protect me it is to protect the public and my coworkers and my family," Scranton said.

"People are going to ask, how could you get COVID, you wear a mask? It isn't exactly a one-way street," Scranton said. "It takes two to Tango. It takes two to make this work."

He said the cloth mask he wears, made by his wife Diana, is about 50% to 60% effective.

"I want you to realize how serious this disease is. The other thing I feel that is very important, I'm not being political with this, but I have a responsibility to wear a mask so I don't infect my friends, my family or the public. I wish they would have the courtesy of doing that as well. The only way we are going to maintain any semblance of normalcy is if everybody complies with mask wearing, social distancing and washing their hands. It's just that simple," he said.

Scranton has been wearing a mask since "day 1" of the pandemic, following the guidelines he read about regarding the 1918 Spanish flu.

He said, "We really haven't had a pandemic or a virus or bacteria that has impacted our culture until 100 years after the 1918 flu."

He said there are vaccines for many other viruses. "We have made tremendous strides in 100 years so people aren't aware of the pathogens that kill people until now. And they don't understand it because they think they have a right, instead of a responsibility to take care of their fellow man."

Scranton noted that his wife has made more than 800 masks and donated them around the community and in parts of the country. She makes them for children, teenagers and adults.