JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The coronavirus has infected more than 66 million people worldwide and killed more than 1,5 million. But according to Johns Hopkins University, nearly 43 million have also recovered from the virus.
Among them are Mark and Janet Baxter in Jacksonville. When News4Jax first met the Baxters back in April, they didn’t let quarantine take their sense of humor.
“There’s a light at the end of the tunnel,” Mark Baxter told News4jax in April. “We’re thinking next week, it’s going to get real bright for us!
Now, 8 months later and COVID free, the Baxters have found new reasons to laugh.
“Now, we kind of feel like we’re Superman and Wonder Woman here,” Mark Baxter said. “We’ve got the antibodies!”
Having once used a window to see their grandkids, the couple is making up for lost time. But for Janet, even after testing negative, overwhelming fatigue lingered for months. It didn’t end there. She says from April into May, she experienced memory loss.
“I was just having trouble remembering things. That bothered me,” Janet Baxter said. “I mean, I know I’m getting older, but I was like, ‘wow, you know’?”
Janet says she sought guidance from a doctor. While she’s not 100% certain the memory issues were a result of her bout with COVID-19, they eventually cleared up. As the numbers rise again, the Baxters have seen friends and acquaintances impacted by the virus. Some in very serious ways.
“I’ve heard people say, ‘we just have to get through 2020’,” Janet Baxter said. “But we’re almost at the end of 2020. I find myself asking what is 2021 going to bring?”
The Baxters say COVID-19 impacted their family in other ways, too. Like many people, their daughter and son-in-law both lost their jobs as a result of the virus. They had no choice but to move out of Jacksonville.
“They moved away, about six hours away, and took four of our grandkids with them,” Mark Baxter said. “So when I look at the results of COVID, at times, I’m thinking the lockdown was more difficult than the actual sickness.”
With precautions taken beforehand, the whole family got together for Thanksgiving. With the promise of a vaccine, the Baxters hope to encourage others stuck at home fighting the virus.
“It’s just, it does take some time,” Baxter said. “God is good, has been good for us. We’re back to normal.”
The Baxters also say after experiencing COVID, they’re doing more to take better care of themselves. They’re eating better, exercising, and concentrating more on their health.
“You need to take care of your bodies, you need to take of yourself,” Janet Baxter said. “So when sickness comes, you want to be in decent shape the best you can.”
That’s another message they want to share with others, too.