Basking Ridge Senior Living Worker Who Had COVID: Get The Vaccine

BASKING RIDGE, NJ — Lisa Solimando contracted the coronavirus twice. She lost neighbors to the virus. But the employee for Fellowship Senior Living — a Basking Ridge Life Plan Community and Home-Based Services Organization — recently received her first dose of the COVID-19 vaccine, and she explained why she thinks others should too.

Solimando first contracted the coronavirus in March but didn't exhibit symptoms. Then the senior living manager contracted COVID-19 again in November.

"In November, I had symptoms, and I was sick for about three weeks," she said in a Fellowship Senior Living video (watch below). "And it took about a month for me to get fully better."

But it appears brighter days are ahead. Residents and team members received their first doses of the COVID-19 vaccine Jan. 6.

Solimando said she felt tenderness in her arm and some people might get a headache for a day or two. But that's just the immune system's reaction to develop antibodies against the virus.

New Jersey Coronavirus Updates: Don't miss local and statewide announcements about coronavirus precautions. Sign up for Patch alerts and daily newsletters.

"I think it’s important to get the vaccine because getting the actual COVID disease is really bad," Solimando said. "You don’t know what you’re going to end up with — if you’re not going to have any symptoms or if you’ll turn out with bad symptoms."

People who have already had COVID-19 and recovered should still get the vaccine, according to the Center for Disease Control.

"Due to the severe health risks associated with COVID-19 and the fact that re-infection with COVID-19 is possible, (the) vaccine should be offered to you regardless of whether you already had COVID-19 infection," the CDC says. " ... At this time, experts do not know how long someone is protected from getting sick again after recovering from COVID-19. The immunity someone gains from having an infection, called natural immunity, varies from person to person. Some early evidence suggests natural immunity may not last very long."

The state Health Department has tallied 12,317 COVID-19 vaccine doses administered in Somerset County as of Friday afternoon. Click here to pre-register, even if you're not currently eligible for vaccination.

Watch Fellowship Senior Living's video below:

Thanks for reading. Learn more about posting announcements or events to your local Patch site. Have a news tip you'd like to share? Or maybe you have a press release you would like to submit or a correction you'd like to request? Send an email to josh.bakan@patch.com.

Subscribe to your local Patch newsletter. You can also have them delivered to your phone screen by downloading, or by visiting the Google Play store. You can also follow the Basking Ridge Patch Facebook page.