CALIFORNIA OVER THE HOLIDAYS ARE
CANCELLED.
HODA AND SAVANNAH.
>> STEPHANIE GOSK, THANK YOU.
>> LET’S GET MORE FROM STEPHANIE
RUHLE, OUR COLLEAGUE IN NBC.
HOW ARE YOU DOING?
YOUR THREE BEAUTIFUL KIDS, YOUR
HUBBY, HOW IS EVERYONE FEELING
NOW?
>> MY KIDS REALLY NEVER GOT SICK
AT ALL AND WE ARE STILL
ISOLATING TOGETHER BUT WE’RE
OKAY.
WE DIDN’T GET SUPER SICK.
BUT JUST BECAUSE WE DIDN’T GET
SUPER SICK DOESN’T MEAN WE
WOULDN’T HAVE BEEN
SUPERSPREADERS.
>> SO WHY DID YOUR -- YOU SAID
YOUR HUSBAND HAD A SCRATCHY
THROAT AND SO HE WENT TO GET
CHECKED.
THAT WAS THE FIRST THING, RIGHT?
>> YOU KNOW, IT’S FUNNY.
IF IT WERE ANY OTHER DAY OF THE
YEAR, EVEN THIS YEAR OF COVID, I
DON’T THINK WE WOULD HAVE GONE
FOR A TEST.
HE BASICALLY WOKE UP WITH
HANGOVER SYMPTOMS.
YOU KNOW, YOU DON’T NEED COVID
TO HAVE THOSE KIND OF SYMPTOMS.
AND I WOKE UP EXHAUSTED.
BUT BECAUSE IT WAS A HOLIDAY
WEEKEND AND WE DIDN’T HAVE ANY
BIG PLANS SCHEDULED, BUT WE KNEW
OUR KIDS WOULD BE OUT IN THE
NEIGHBORHOOD, MY SISTER LIVES A
FEW HOUSES DOWN.
I SAID, YOU KNOW WHAT, WE’RE NOT
DOING ANYTHING THIS MORNING, WHY
DON’T YOU RUN OUT AND GET A
TEST.
BECAUSE I WAS SO SURE HE DIDN’T
HAVE IT, WE HAD JUST BEEN TESTED
A FEW DAYS BEFORE MY KIDS GO TO
SCHOOL IN PERSON.
HE WENT FOR A TEST AND I MADE
THE MISTAKE OF GOING IN THE CAR
WITH HIM.
BUT IT TAKES A WHILE.
WHERE AM I GOING TO GET THE
TEST.
YOU’RE WAITING FOR A COUPLE OF
HOURS.
WHEN HE GOT THE RAPID TEST
RESULTS THAT WERE POSITIVE,
SUDDENLY WE SAID OH, MY GOSH AND
WE ALL SEPARATED AND ISOLATED.
BUT WE WEREN’T PREPARED FOR
THAT.
>> IT’S SO INTERESTING,
STEPHANIE, BECAUSE YOU’VE BEEN
PRACTICING WHAT YOU PREACH.
>> YEAH.
>> YOU SAID YOU FEEL LIKE YOU
AND YOUR FAMILY DID WHAT THE
EXPERTS SAY YOU SHOULD DO AND
YOU GOT IT TOO.
I’M JUST THINKING IF I’M SITTING
AT HOME RIGHT NOW, WHAT AM I
SUPPOSED TO MAKE OF THAT?
WHAT HAVE YOU LEARNED?
WHAT DO YOU FEEL LIKE YOU COULD
HAVE OR SHOULD HAVE DONE, IF
ANYTHING?
>> I DEFINITELY THINK NOW
EVERYBODY SHOULD HAVE
ESSENTIALLY A GAME PLAN, A GO
BAG, IN YOUR KITCHEN DRAWER.
DO YOU HAVE A PIECE OF PAPER
THAT SAYS HERE’S MY LOCAL
TESTING SITE.
DO I HAVE A DOCTOR?
WHAT IS HIS OR HER PHONE NUMBER?
DO WE HAVE A BAG THAT PROBABLY
HAS AN N-95 MASK OR GOGGLES OR
IBUPROFEN.
WHEN YOU DO GET THAT POSITIVE
TEST, YOU CAN’T RUN OUT TO
SHOP-RITE.
SO THIS IS A TIME YOU WANT TO
MAKE SURE YOU KNOW ALL YOUR
NEIGHBORS BECAUSE YOU’LL
PROBABLY NEED YOUR NEIGHBORS TO
BE DROPPING FOOD OFF.
YOU CAN’T RUN OUT TO THE STORE.
SO BE PREPARED.
I DON’T WANT TO SAY BE DIRE THIS
THING IS COMING BUT LOOK AT THE
NUMBERS.
IT’S ALL OVER THE PLACE.
I NEVER GOT A FEVER.
HAD I BEEN ABLE TO GO INTO
STORES FOR DAYS?
SURE.
SO KNOW THAT THIS THING IS
SPREADING AND MAKE SURE YOUR
HOUSE AS MUCH AS IT CAN BE IS
PREPARED.
YOU KNOW, MY KIDS WERE ON THEIR
OWN AND THEY’RE 14, 11 AND 7,
FOR ESSENTIALLY A WEEK.
WE HAD TO RELY ON THE GENEROSITY
OF NEIGHBORS.
SO JUST MAKE SURE YOU’RE
COMMUNICATING BECAUSE WHEN THIS
THING HITS, IT’S SERIOUS.
>> JUST LASTLY, STEPH, A LOT OF
PEOPLE ARE GOING FOR TESTS.
THE PROBLEM IS THEY DON’T GET
THE TEST RESULTS BACK FOR LIKE A
WEEK SO THEY’RE GOING ABOUT
THEIR NORMAL BUSINESS DURING
THOSE SEVEN DAYS AND THEN LATER
FINDING OUT THAT THEY DID IN
FACT HAVE IT AND THERE’S NO FIX
TO THAT.
>> WELL, THERE CERTAINLY SHOULD
BE.
YOU KNOW, WE’VE BEEN IN THIS
SITUATION FOR SUCH A LONG TIME,
EVEN ME.
I HAVE ACCESS TO ALL SORTS OF
SUPPORT.
IT TOOK US DAYS TO GET TEST
RESULTS.
SOME OF OUR TEST RESULTS NEVER
CAME BACK.
AND THE FACT THAT WE’RE STILL
WAITING, THE WOMAN WHO CUTS MY
HAIR, HODA, I EXPOSED HER.
I ACTUALLY DIDN’T KNOW I HAD IT
YET BUT MY HUSBAND DID SO I
EXPOSED HER.
SHE CANCELLED HER HOLIDAY, SHE
DIDN’T GO TO WORK FOR ALMOST TWO
WEEKS AND SHE TOOK HER KIDS OUT
OF SCHOOL AND WAITED EIGHT DAYS
FOR A NEGATIVE RESULT.
SO THIS IS A CALL TO ACTION TO
OUR LAWMAKERS THAT, YES, IT’S
GREAT THAT WE HAVE A VACCINE
COMING, BUT WE DON’T HAVE A
VACCINE IMMEDIATELY.
AND WHEN YOU DO TAKE THAT TEST
AND YOU’RE EXPECTED TO
QUARANTINE FOR A WHILE, WE NEED
TO CONSIDER WHAT THAT DOES TO A
LOT OF PEOPLE FINANCIALLY.
FINANCIALLY MANY PEOPLE THINK
THEY CAN’T AFFORD TO QUARANTINE,
ESPECIALLY THOSE WHO DON’T HAVE
SYMPTOMS.
SO WE NEED TO START CONSIDERING
THIS BECAUSE THE ONLY WAY TO BE
SAFE IS TO TAKE THOSE TESTS AND
ISOLATE.
AND WE’VE GOT TO BE IN A
POSITION WHERE WE CAN REALLY DO
THAT.
>> ONE OF THE REASONS WHY IT’S
SO IMPORTANT TO GET ECONOMIC
RELIEF, SO FOLKS CAN DO THE
RIGHT THING FOR PUBLIC HEALTH.