Being immunocompromised in a pandemic led to all precautions being carefully followed for Julian. At 24, he was in remission for testicular cancer.
Julian kept active safely at home instead of at the gym and tried to avoid exposure. But in November, what started as back pain after a workout turned into headache and allergy symptoms. After tolerating the discomfort for days, a visit to the doctor for a suspected pulled muscle resulted in a positive COVID-19 test.
“I know he did everything he could to keep himself safe from COVID-19, but it still found my son,” said Loretta Acuña-Anderson, Julian’s mother and a Contracts Administrator at BioBridge Global.
After the dreaded news, she and her husband tested and waited. They came back negative, but because of their exposure, they self-isolated for 14 days.
Repeated testing provided the same results: negative. They never developed any symptoms.
“I told close family and friends to get tested at Community Labs,” said Loretta. “They were glad to have this info to test for free as many times as they want.”
The quarantine routine was strict: masks and gloves at home, disposable plates and cups, separate washing of laundry, staying in separate sides of the house.
During that time, Julian developed telltale signs of COVID-19, including loss of the sense of taste and smell, along with fatigue and severe aches. Fortunately, he recovered without needing hospitalization.
“I’m grateful we have Community Labs where people can go get tested, especially with the high demand and the number of cases every day,” said Loretta. “It gives peace of mind. Anything I can do to help my family, myself, and coworkers.”
As of today, Julian hasn’t regained his sense of taste or smell. He’s waiting on word from his oncologist to donate convalescent plasma, in honor of family who have passed away from COVID-19.
