Left: Katie Corrado, 37, with her 5-year-old son, Billy. Right: Corrado strikes a triumphant pose as she returns to work.
It’s been a little over three weeks since our feature debuted on 37-year-old Katie Corrado, a local nurse from Towamencin who had chosen to live in a tent on her porch in order to protect her 5-year-old son, Billy, and her boyfriend, Chris, from exposure to the COVID-19 coronavirus.
One week later, we unfortunately had to provide a follow up that Corrado herself had contracted the virus, and she had moved into an RV in order to quarantine.
Now, three weeks after the initial article was published, Corrado is back to being in good health, she has officially returned to work, and most importantly, she is back at her home with her loved ones.
“I moved back home the night I found out I was negative. I picked my son up, we played games, I made him and Chris dinner, and I slept in my own bed for the first time in five weeks,” said Corrado. “They were pretty excited. Chris even said he didn’t realize how much he missed me, and perhaps even took me for granted before…music to any girlfriend’s ears!”
Corrado, who works as a nurse on the COVID-19 floor at Einstein Medical Center Montgomery in East Norriton, as well as a prison nurse at the Montgomery County Correctional Facility, tested positive for the virus on April 20.
“I felt several days of extreme pain that I tried to fight through; it truly felt as though a train came out of nowhere and smashed into me,” Corrado said. “Strange pains too, such as crippling pain in my hands, legs and mid-back. Mentally, I felt scared, depressed and alone more than anything. I also felt so tired, like I had no energy. However, those feelings never hung around too long, because I had the best support network imaginable.”
Corrado’s symptoms subsided for a period, so when she was retested on April 26, she was hopeful that she would turn up negative. To her surprise, the test showed she was still positive, and a second round of symptoms surfaced which lasted for several more days.
Then, on Sunday night, Corrado found out that the virus was officially out of her system. She returned to work at 5 a.m. the following morning—which also happened to be her 37th birthday.
“It was my birthday, and I was so happy to spend it with my patients,” said Corrado.
Though she has returned to work, Corrado said she is still dealing with some fatigue issues, but she’s battling through them.
“Monday morning, I was with every COVID-19 patient, assessing, medicating, managing symptoms, educating...just being there for them. My patients there had learned I was sick and were very-concerned, which was so nice. One inmate even told me he and some of the others had said some prayers together for my wellbeing. That brought tears to my eyes. Inmates can be a tough population, obviously, but at the end of the day, we are all people and we truly are all in this together.”
Corrado said that the love and support shown to her through the whole ordeal—from family and friends, to total strangers—helped her stay strong and maintain a positive outlook.
“Everyone has a story, everyone needs love. And during this time, I was the recipient of so much love and kindness,” said Corrado. “It was, some days, almost every few minutes that I had messages, phone calls, little things left outside the RV, strangers giving me gift cards to feed my family since I was out of work and not being paid…it was incredible.”
She also showered praise upon her boyfriend, who she said went above and beyond in keeping their home and family afloat.
“[Chris] was incredible keeping our home and family operating while I was both in the tent and then sick in isolation,” Corrado said. “He’s basically been a single dad with an extremely-talkative, hyper and mischievous 5-year-old boy at home, trying to do his work as a project manager and having our son do his kindergarten work...he’s incredible still as I’m back to work again and home.”
Corrado offered a big thank you to the hundreds of friends, family members, coworkers, neighbors and community members, for their support through the ordeal.
“I’ll never forget any of you,” Corrado said. “If anyone, anywhere needs help, I am right there for you.”
With herself now returning to form, Corrado is focusing her attention towards a colleague at the correctional facility—a correctional officer named Lee Miletich—who is currently on a ventilator at the Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania after being diagnosed with COVID-19. To read more about Miletich, or to make a donation to his family, click here.
See also:
Local Nurse Who Lived In Tent To Protect Family Tests Positive For Coronavirus
Local Nurse Spends Long Days In Coronavirus Ward, Cold Nights In Tent
Coronavirus: Where We Stand, Where We’re Heading And What The ‘New Normal’ Will Look Like
From The Frontlines: Interview With Volunteer Medical Service Corps Chief Of Operations
Elm Terrace Reports 17 Cases, 2 Deaths As Facility Deals With Coronavirus
