'Not Again': Family Fights Virus Again 2 Months After Recovery

PAPILLION, NE — The Conboy family in Nebraska was relieved to have all recovered from the coronavirus back in November. But now, they are dreading the worst-case scenario after testing positive for a second time.

"I thought, 'Oh, my God, not again,'" Chuck Conboy Sr., 67, told KCCI.

Conboy told the news station the second infection has been worse than the first, which he just recovered from nine weeks ago.

“It just hit me like a truck," he said. "And this time, it knocked me down.”

His wife and sons have tested positive again as well, and they are also experiencing more-severe symptoms. He said taste and smell disappeared "immediately," and everyone's temperature shot up quickly as well.

“All the viruses I've had in my life, this is one of the top three," he said.

Repeat coronavirus infections are rare, Dr. Mark Rupp of Nebraska Medicine, told KCCI.

“We think most people that get COVID have natural immunity for several months," Rupp said.

"But that may be one of the explanations, that people with very mild disease don't mount as vigorous an immunological response and don't have as long-lasting a response.”

Read more from KCCI

The Latest

As the American coronavirus case total tops 27 million and COVID-19-related deaths inch closer to 500,000, a number of states of easing restrictions that were enacted to slow the virus's spread.

In Iowa, Gov. Kim Reynolds has lifted all restrictions, including mask-wearing, social distancing requirements and other mitigation measures, according to the Des Moines Register and other reports.

Iowa in particular has struggled with its vaccine rollout. The state is ranked last in vaccine first-dose distribution, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Only 7.5 percent of Iowans have received one dose of a vaccine, KCCI reported.

In all, nearly 1 in 10 Americans have now received at least one shot, according to The Associated Press. But just 2.9 percent of the U.S. population has been fully vaccinated, a long way from the 70 percent or more that experts say must be inoculated to conquer the outbreak.

Reynolds' office did not explain why restrictions in Iowa would be lifted so abruptly in a state that has struggled with the virus for months, the Register reported. The newly relaxed restrictions went into effect Sunday, as the nation's top health experts were warning Americans against holding large Super Bowl parties that could lead to the virus's spread.

As worries persist about the aftermath of fans' Super Bowl parties, it's possible the Super Bowl itself could prove to be a "superspreader" event. While the crowd inside Raymond James Stadium was capped to a 22,000 capacity, images from outside the game — before, during and after the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Kansas City Chiefs — show largely maskless crowds and little social distancing.

The Buccaneers' historic win on their home field also led to celebrations in the streets of Tampa and neighboring St. Petersburg. Thousands of Buccaneers fans were maskless and celebrating with flags and by hugging strangers, according to coverage from The Washington Post and others.

On Capitol Hill, as talks continue on the next coronavirus economic relief bill, Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said Sunday that full employment could be restored by next year if President Joe Biden's $1.9 trillion package is passed.

"We face a huge economic challenge here and tremendous suffering in the country. We have got to address that," Yellen said, according to The Associated Press. "That's the biggest risk."

Citing a report from the Congressional Budget Office, Yellen said the unemployment rate could remain elevated for years to come and it could take until 2025 to get unemployment back to 4 percent. The jobless rate stood at a half-century low of 3.9 percent a year ago before the pandemic hit.

But if Biden's relief package is approved, the country could get back to pre-pandemic employment numbers sometime in 2022, Yellen said.

"There's absolutely no reason why we should suffer through a long, slow recovery," Yellen said.

Stimulus talks continue as members of the House of Representatives are mourning the death of a colleague.

U.S. Rep. Ron Wright of Texas, 67, a Republican who had cancer and was diagnosed with COVID-19 in January, died Sunday.

Wright was in his second term in Congress and had previously been a newspaper columnist and member of the Arlington City Council, according to the Texas Tribune.

"Congressman Wright will be remembered as a constitutional conservative," a statement from his campaign staff said. "He was a statesman, not an ideologue. Ron and Susan dedicated their lives to fighting for individual freedom, Texas values, and above all, the lives of the unborn."

Newest Numbers

As of Monday afternoon, the United States had reported more than 27 million cases and more than 464,300 deaths from COVID-19-related illnesses, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.

At least 1,502 deaths and 96,609 new cases of coronavirus were reported in the United States on Sunday, according to a Washington Post database. The Post's reporting shows that over the past week, new daily cases have fallen 20 percent, new daily deaths have fallen 11 percent and COVID-19-related hospitalizations have fallen 13.8 percent.

More than 59.3 million vaccine doses have been distributed and 41.2 million administered in the United States as of Monday morning, according to the CDC. More than 31.5 million people have received one dose, and more than 9.1 million have received two.

Currently, 81,439 people are hospitalized with a coronavirus-related illness in the United States, according to the Covid Tracking Project.

As of Monday, 32 states and U.S. territories remained above the positive testing rate recommended by the World Health Organization to safely reopen. To safely reopen, the WHO recommends states remain at 5 percent or lower for at least 14 days.

Stay up to date on the latest coronavirus news via The New York Times or The Washington Post.

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