Local COVID-19 patient asks people to stop threatening her
SPRINGFIELD, Ill. (WICS/WRSP) — UPDATE:
One of Sangamon County's four COVID-19 patients is speaking out after she says her family is being threatened.
Statement from Lisa Badger, Springfield Park Board trustee, on her coronavirus diagnosis – March 16, 2020:
“Since learning over the weekend I am one of the first confirmed cases of coronavirus in Sangamon County, my life has been turned upside down. I join everyone who is feeling fearful and uncertain about what is happening and what is to come.
But I would please ask for time alone at home to recover with my family, as our local, state and federal officials work to stop the spread of this disease that has brought everything to a halt.
I had NO symptoms when I was in contact with the public from March 5th on. When I developed a slight fever and other symptoms that initially were unconcerning last week, I stayed home from work and contacted my healthcare team. I have not been out of the country, had any known contact with anyone who had traveled abroad, nor have I had direct contact with anyone who has yet tested positive for coronavirus. I assume I contracted this virus through community spread. Please understand, I used to work as a nurse, and I am very proactive about my health and underlying conditions.
I am in direct and constant contact with my doctors and recovering, although it is a slow process and I am concerned about getting worse instead of better.
I am a public official and proud of being open and accessible to my constituents and anyone who needs help. In addition to being a Springfield Park Board trustee, I work in a very visible position as a community affairs specialist in the State Treasurer’s office, and I am a union steward for Teamsters Local 916, a Democratic precinct committeeperson and am involved in many other ways in Springfield. I take pride in being easy to reach.
My family and I have been bombarded with negativity since my case went public: hundreds of texts, voicemails, Facebook messages and more. People are threatening to sue me. They’ve been terrible to my daughter.
I understand everyone is scared. I’m scared, too. But I’ve done nothing wrong. I have taken every precaution possible, and I caught this from someone else. Now I need time to rest and recover without the overwhelming stress of so many personal attacks and accusations.
Please, stop reaching out to me and my family. Call the Sangamon County Public Health Department and urge them to do more to help find out how I contracted the virus, and to do everything they can to test people with symptoms and ensure immediate treatment. If you’re concerned about exposure at the youth career fair I attended on behalf of the Treasurer, please contact the Treasurer’s office.
I love this community, and I only wish to be well again, and for all of us to be well. I will provide further updates as warranted. Thank you to everyone for respecting our privacy and for banding together during this difficult time to stop this pandemic as soon as possible.”
Statement from the Treasurer's Office on the COVID-19 patient who worked with them:
The Treasurer’s Office takes the health and well-being of its staff – and of all Illinoisans – very seriously. Since this crisis began, we have consistently communicated with our staff about the importance of complying with the CDC and IDPH guidelines, including the directive to stay at home if an employee or family member is sick or experiencing respiratory or flu-like symptoms.
On March 14, we learned that a member of our staff tested positive for COVID-19; this employee had attended a public outreach event on March 11. We took immediate steps to close our business offices, and now employees are working remotely through at least March 31, 2020. We took this step to protect the health and safety of our employees and anyone who interacts with the Treasurer’s Office.
Our thoughts are with the employee and the employee’s family. We will continue to work with public health officials to take all necessary steps to help protect the public.
UPDATE:
According to A-C Central CUSD #262, all Sangamon County area school districts received a message that the third person in the county to test positive for COVID-19 attended ROCTE Career Fair at Lincoln Land Community College on March 12.
Many A-C Central sophomores and other students attended the same Career Fair.
"While the risk for contamination was low, we believe it important to share with everyone out of an extreme abundance of caution," A-C Central wrote in a social media post.
The message from Mary Jo Wood, Director, Regional Office of Career & Technical Education said, in part:
“"Our office was given information late last night that one of our representatives at Career Day was the third person in the county to test positive for the coronavirus. She was representing the State Treasurer’s Office. There was minimal exposure as she was one booth that not many students approached. She was behind an 8-foot table with her back to the wall. Those students not approaching her and that were in the aisle in front of her table were 8 to 10 feet from her. She is recuperating at home.
Per the Sangamon County Department of Public Health (SCDPH) along with Memorial Health System, HSHS St. John’s Hospital, Springfield Clinic and SIU Medicine have issued this joint communication:
If you have had limited contact with a person under quarantine, you do not have to go into quarantine yourself, but you should stay away from others as much as possible. “Limited contact” is defined as being at least six feet apart from the quarantined person for 10 minutes to up to two hours. If you have had contact with an individual under isolation, you should be quarantined.”
New Berlin High School had 80 sophomores attend this Career Fair.
Athen School District had 46 sophomore students attending the fair.
Jacksonville School District Superintendent Steve Ptacek says no Jacksonville students attended the career fair.
ORIGINAL:
Lisa Badger, a Springfield Park Board trustee, says she has tested positive for COVID-19 Coronavirus.
Badger wrote in a statement on her Facebook page, "I am doing my best to recover. While I am Thankfully Not Critically ill, I am still ill. And the stress of the past few days has not been conducive to healing. This has been challenging for my family to say the least."
Badger told the State Journal-Register that she first got sick with a headache on March 4th, then she got a fever over 100 degrees.
She works as a community affairs specialist in state Treasurer Mike Frerichs’ office, according to the State Journal-Register.
Lisa Badger is one of three confirmed cases in Sangamon County.
The State Journal-Register said one of the public events Badger attended was the Springfield Women's March on March 8th, where she was in close contact with Springfield City Council members like Ward 6 Alderwoman Kristin Dicenso.
Betsy Dirksen Londrigan, a democratic candidate for the 13th congressional district who attended the march, announced she was going into self-quarantine until March 22nd.
CORRECTION: A previous version of this story said the career fair was at CACC. This is incorrect. It was put on by ROCTE at Lincoln Land Community College.
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