The Boharts, left to right: Paige, 18, Dani, 19, and Eden, 13, before the COVID-19 outbreak.
By Quinn Humphrey
It was a quiet mid-March afternoon when the lives of the Bohart family were changed forever. Nothing was out of the ordinary, beyond their growing concern over the presence of COVID-19 near their home in New York City. It was on this day that the family decided to relocate, to their summer home in Hillsdale, a small town in upstate New York, to escape the looming danger that surrounded them.
A few days after arriving in Hillsdale, Dani, who is 19, and Elizabeth, her mother, began showing symptoms of what they had been running away from. That meant the entire family had been exposed to the virus. Two weeks later, Stuart, Dani’s father, and Paige, her younger sister, both fell ill. According to Dani, her sister and father’s decline was much faster than her own, and took them by surprise. Eden, her youngest sister, never exhibited symptoms, but the family suspects she may be an asymptomatic carrier of the virus.
With no tests available at the local hospital, they were unable to verify that it was, in fact, COVID-19, but they are convinced based on the symptoms they showed.
“My mom’s symptoms were probably the worst—she had a fever and a cough for a few weeks. I had a low fever on and off, also for a few weeks. My sister and dad had a fever for just a few days and that was it,” Dani said. As of now, the Boharts are recovering, but they’re still exercising extreme caution.
“When my mom first became sick, she stayed in her room a lot of the day and we were extra careful about cleaning and disinfecting surfaces and objects. But, when more of us got sick, we became less vigilant because it was clear we had all already been exposed. We are very careful when we go outside of the house, though, always wearing a face mask and maintaining six feet of distance. No one who was actively experiencing symptoms, such as coughing or sneezing, ever went out, to make sure there was no way we could infect another person.”
Even with the danger COVID-19 presents, the Boharts, like many families in quarantine, have learned some valuable lessons, both about themselves and the world around them. In Dani’s eyes, her main takeaway is to make the best of the current situation and enjoy the extra time she’s spending with her family.
“Obviously this is a crazy time and everyone is ‘missing out’ on something, but I think we all recognize that we can use this time to be together,” Dani said. “I’ve been traveling all year and Paige will be away next year as well, so this really is the last time all five of us will be together for a while.”
Even though her family survived its brush with COVID19, Dani remains concerned about post-quarantine life. American society, she says, is moving into uncharted waters.
“I know some things will have to change permanently after social distancing ends, but I do worry about what society will look like if strangers start being super dismissive toward each other,” Dani said. “Right now, it’s super important to remain distanced, but it’d be sad if things are like this forever.”