Nurse shares story of COVID infection, recovery

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HURON — Haleigh Janse Van Vuuren always wanted to be a nurse. So when she got an opportunity to begin work at Huron Regional Medical Center four years ago, she jumped at the chance.


Just like many other front line defenders in the battle against the COVID-19 virus, Janse Van Vuuren has been working hard in difficult situations.


This past week, despite taking all proper precautions, she was among the escalating number of Beadle County residents who tested postive for the virus.


Janse Van Vuuren is one of a very limited number of people in the community who has come forward with the information that she tested positive.
She visited via email earlier this week.


On Wednesday evening, May 20, Janse Van Vuuren began experiencing a headache, fever, and a slight cough.


“I checked my temperature several times, and at the beginning of the evening my temperature was normal. I watched my temperature slowly climb throughout the night until it reached 101.2.” She said she noticed she had to clear her throat a little more often than on a normal day.


The next day her husband Johan stayed home with her until she could get tested. “I thought I would surely be negative because my symptoms were so mild,” she said.


 “The next day (Thursday) my headache got worse, and I received the call that my COVID test was positive.” Janse Van Vuuren and her husband had just celebrated their two year anniversary the day before she became sick.


“I know, that for some reason, there is a bad stigma around this but I have nothing to hide and I feel it’s important for me to let everyone know,” she posted on social media early on May 22.
 Janse Van Vuuren has had a camper parked at the S.D. State Fairgrounds since COVID started.

“I lived in the camper for the first three weeks of COVID in Huron, in order to protect my family until I could get a better understanding and a routine - showering immediately after work, washing clothes right away, etc.”


Once Janse Van Vuuren’s symptoms started she moved back into her camper. There is always that chance that her family - her husband, their two-year-old son and her 16-year-old sister - could have already been exposed to COVID through her before her symptoms began, but she wanted to give them the best shot at staying healthy.


Janse Van Vuuren said she and her family have been in contact with the Department of Health, and the family was advised to stay home for 14 days to monitor for any symptoms.
So far no member of the family has shown any symptoms, and they have been checking their temperatures daily.  


Janse Van Vuuren is a Huron resident and registered nurse in the Emergency Room. She started out working on the medical floor (Second Floor), then began working in the ICU in 2017. In 2019, she started working in the ER and that is where she loves to work the most.


“We have the ER divided off into two areas, one is the suspected COVID side and one is everything else,” said Janse Van Vuuren. “There is a screening station set up in the ER entrance that asks the patient about their symptoms so we can do our best to place the patient in the right area.”  Janse Van Vuuren explains that if a patient needs to go to the COVID area, they are brought around to a different entrance and met by a nurse at the door.


“When taking care of the patient, the nurse and the PA or CNP get dressed in gowns, gloves, and PAPRs and go in,” said Janse Van Vuuren. A PAPR (Powered Air Purifying Respirator) is something that goes over your head and inflates with air that is being filtered.
The PAPR are santized and reused and nurses typically stay in the room for the duration of the patient’s stay in an effort to conserve Personal Protective Equipment and the time it takes to properly put it on and take it off.


“It’s hard to say what could of happened specifically to me to contract COVID, since people are contagious before they even begin showing symptoms,” said Janse Van Vuuren.
“We wear surgical masks and face shields with patients we see on the non-COVID side, but those only offer so much protection.”


Being quarantined to a camper and with little to no contact with people can be stressful. But Janse Van Vuuren has been keeping her positivity up.
“Since I don’t have a TV in my camper I have to find other things to keep myself occupied,” she stated.


She said she has taken walks around the fair grounds in order to expand her lungs and prevent pneumonia, while being careful not to go near anyone else.


Her new pastime is watching the stray cats throughout the camp grounds and seeing the geese at the Game Fish and Parks area. She also enjoys to knit and crochet and has been working on a sweater for her son.


Since Janse Van Vuuren worked the night shift in the ER the night schedule is still ingrained in her so a lot of her time is spent watching videos on her phone at night.


Friends and family members have been kind enough to drop off food, drinks, candy, and crossword puzzle books to her. She is very grateful for “everyone in my life who has checked up on me,” she said.


Her advice to the community is simple — please stay home.
“I have been one of the lucky ones in that my symptoms are mild, but some many people are dying from this! Please be careful and don’t hold large gatherings of people,” Janse Van Vuuren said.


She also recommends to be diligent in noticing your symptoms right away, it could save someone’s life, including your own.


As for Janse Van Vuuren herself, she said she is feeling much better now.
“I am more than eight days into COVID now and I feel about 90% back to normal,” she said.


At times she said she still has shortness of breath when she walks, and is still coughing up some very thick mucus. Jans Van Vuuren added that as along as her fever doesn’t return , she can be cleared by the Department of Health to return home on Sunday, May 31.


“I’m looking forward to that, I really miss my family and pets,” she said. The goal is for Janse Van Vuuren to return to work around June 3.