FOUNTAIN COUNTY — The family of a Fountain County man diagnosed with COVID-19 has a message about coronavirus: Take the pandemic seriously.
Jerry Rennick is being treated in an Indianapolis hospital after becoming ill in early March. The 68-year-old Kingman resident, who has COPD, was the first Fountain County resident to test positive for the virus. His family believes he was not exposed to the virus in the county, and no additional cases had been confirmed there as of Thursday afternoon.
“He is baby steps improving each day, so it’s better than nothing,” said Rennick’s daughter, Erin Baldwin, who receives daily updates from nurses. The family cannot go to the hospital due to visitor restrictions.
The weekend before he got sick, Rennick traveled to his regular music session with friends near Bloomington — though his daughter urged him to stay home over fears of the virus. She said all of the 15 people in the group became ill, and two have since tested positive for the virus. The rest are self-isolating.
Rennick returned home March 8 and woke up the next morning with a fever, body aches and pains and a dry throat.
“He thought it was just a flu or cold, and he’d just push through,” Baldwin said.
Rennick did not leave his apartment until being taken by ambulance March 15 to St. Vincent Williamsport Hospital, where he was tested for the virus.
Three days later, he was moved to an Indianapolis hospital after being placed on a ventilator.
The case was confirmed Wednesday. Citing confidentiality concerns, the local health department wasn’t releasing personal information about the patient, but Baldwin posted a photo on her Facebook page of her father in his hospital bed.
“The citizens of Fountain County haven’t really taken this seriously and, bam, as soon as they’re told there’s a case,” Baldwin said, “then suddenly, ‘Oh, it’s serious.’
“I feel like we should have had that reaction a month ago or two months ago.”
After her father began showing symptoms, Baldwin said she contacted the Fountain-Warren County Health Department, which had been sharing COVID-19 prevention tips with the public. On March 10, the department urged travelers going outside of the United States, visiting high-risk areas for the virus or taking a cruise to self-isolate for two weeks upon their return.
People over 60 and those with chronic diseases were also urged to limit unnecessary travel and make arrangements for prolonged periods of isolation at home. The department later advised returning spring break travelers to self-isolate.
Baldwin would speak to Rennick through the door after dropping off food and antibacterial supplies. On March 15, Rennick texted his daughter to report that he couldn’t breathe and was calling 911.
Baldwin and her family began self-isolating after Rennick was taken to the hospital. She and none of the other relatives have shown any symptoms, Baldwin said. None of the relatives have shown any symptoms, she said.
Baldwin said the “small percentage” of the population that dies from COVID-19 represent human lives, and urged people to follow social distancing and hand washing recommendations.
“This is not a time for finger-pointing. This is a time for love and compassion and support,” she said. “We really as humans need to come together on this. No human lives should be lost over something we can prevent.”
