Saanich North and the Islands MLA Adam Olsen is sharing his experience after his mother’s partner tested positive for COVID-19 and his mother became a presumptive case.
“If you are a Facebook friend of my mom (Sylvia Olsen) then you may have seen her post announcing that her partner Tex has tested positive for COVID-19 and she is a presumptive case,” the BC Green Party interim leader wrote on his blog.
Everyone is asking—do you know anyone with the corona virus? Your answer can now be “Yes”. You know me and most of you…
Posted by Sylvia Olsen on Wednesday, March 25, 2020
“The novel coronavirus has disrupted every part of our lives. It’s not just a community state of emergency, it’s global. Up until they received their diagnosis a couple of days ago, for our family COVID-19 was a disease that was affecting other people.”
Olsen said he and his family have been restricting their movements and limiting interactions with others due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This past week, Olsen made one trip to the legislature but otherwise stayed on his property.
As for his mother, Olsen said she and her partner Tex attended a conference in Toronto and returned two weeks ago feeling unwell.
“Thankfully over the past few days, they are not getting much worse, however they are also not getting much better either. Living with COVID-19 is a story that I will leave for my author mom to tell when she has the energy,” Olsen wrote.
“Thankfully they took those early recommendations of the public health officer to self-quarantine very seriously. They live near the airport and other than a quick trip to my sister’s house to pick up their dog they went home and have not left since.”
Olsen said the BC Centre for Disease Control has been supportive and have cleared the “single, brief interaction” at Olsen’s sister’s house. The rest of the family have been talking to Sylvia Olsen and Tex by video conferencing only.
Olsen said he and the rest of the family feel fine.
“It is a surreal time for our family and all British Columbians. We are proud of our freedom and liberty that in the past few weeks have been dramatically restricted. Everything that once seemed reliable is now in question. The emerging public health emergency, is also a growing economic emergency. Our entire society and way of life has been turned upside down,” Olsen wrote.
“I’m sharing this story about Tex and my mom because COVID-19 is real. It is a devastating disease and it must be taken seriously. As Minister of Health, Hon. Adrian Dix, stated emphatically in his response to my question in Question Period, the public health orders to stay home are 100 per cent. Other than essential business, 100 per cent of British Columbians should stay home 100 per cent of the time. If you do have to go out, maintain physical distance from the people around you. Make sure you wash your hands often, wash them thoroughly following all the guidelines for handwashing.”
Olsen said Sylvia and Tex have told the grandkids that if they had not taken the orders to self-isolate seriously nearly two weeks ago, they would have spread COVID-19 to the rest of the family.
“Thank you to everyone who has read my mom’s Facebook post and reached out to us to extend your well wishes. Our family appreciates you keeping them in your thoughts and prayers just as we are keeping all the people who are struggling with COVID-19 in our thoughts and prayers,” Olsen wrote.
Olsen finished the blog post by urging everyone to follow the health recommendations from the B.C. government to limit the spread of the novel coronavirus.
For more information about COVID-19, including symptoms, please visit the BC Centre for Disease Control.
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