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SALT LAKE CITY – A Utah state lawmaker shared her family's story of survival after her husband was diagnosed with COVID-19, while also battling an underlying heart condition.
"It's a miracle he survived," said Rep. Carol Spackman Moss, D-Holladay. "I thought if either of us got COVID, both of us would probably die."
Spackman Moss and her husband, Bob Moss, tested positive for the virus in mid-December. The news did not come lightly considering she is over 65 and he's 90.
She told KSL-TV in late November that her husband was not feeling well.
"He was diagnosed with atrial fibrillation. He had an echocardiogram," said Spackman Moss.
She said he started feeling dizzy one day at work and took a bad fall in their garage in Holladay that afternoon.
"From there, he just deteriorated," said Spackman Moss. "The dizziness, I had to buy a walker. He wasn't eating; breathing was difficult."
Already on oxygen at night, Moss was now wearing it 24/7.
It wasn't until a few weeks later when he went in for a cardioversion – a treatment to shock his heart – that he tested for COVID-19.
"Nurse came out and said, 'Oh, his test came back positive,'" said Spackman Moss. "I got one, I got tested (and) I was positive."
She thinks they were actually at the tail end of the virus.
"The symptoms of the two are similar if you look them up A-Fib – dizziness, fatigue, irregular heart," she said.
Her symptoms were mild.
"I had a head cold, I had a cough," Spackman Moss said.
I just want to say it isn't always a death sentence, it's so unpredictable and he had underlying conditions.
–Rep. Carol Spackman Moss
While her husband is still not 100%, Spackman Moss said she wants the public to have faith and to not dismiss the lives of seniors.
"I'm starting my 21st year in the Legislature. I think I'm a productive human, and my husband still works part-time. He's very active, works in the yard. Neighbors are used to seeing him walk the dog," she said. "Our lives have value."
Spackman Moss said their story brings a lot of hope.
"I just want to say it isn't always a death sentence, it's so unpredictable and he had underlying conditions," she said.
The couple said they are looking forward to getting the vaccine as soon as it becomes available again in Salt Lake County.
