A Beaver Falls man is publicly revealing his COVID-19 diagnosis today, and his struggle to get medical attention.
Central Outreach Wellness Center has confirmed an additional three cases of the novel coronavirus today from its latest round of testing done at its Aliquippa location. County officials confirm to BeaverCountian.com that number includes Steven Robinson of Beaver Falls.
Other positive tests are from patients in Aliquippa and Ambridge.
The CWOC’s three new cases bring the total number of known cases in the county to at least six. CWOC said another person also tested positive at the Aliquippa site, but that person was from another county.
The Pennsylvania Department of Health is still reporting a total of just three cases in Beaver County, but county officials told BeaverCountian.com that number will be updated tomorrow.
Robinson’s public posts to Facebook are spreading like wildfire today, as the man says he’d been experiencing a severe headache for the last seven days and said he failed to get a doctor’s attention. He said he didn’t know how he may have contracted the virus, and he didn’t include information about how long he continued to work or about others’ possible exposure.
Robinson, who said he works for Anchor Hocking in Monaca, said he first contacted his doctor’s office on Monday by phone as concerned citizens are guided to do, but it was to no avail. So he went to the CWOC Aliquippa testing site.
“To all my family and friends co workers I suggest u get tested asap I’m so scared I know my body better than anyone.” Robinson posted. “I had a headache since last Tuesday no fever slight chills and a lil weez but the weez wasn’t as different then wut I usually get around this time a year with my seasonal allergies but nothing sever on Sunday I lost about 95% of smell so yesterday I called my Dr butt ass family medicine this young ass sounding rookie Dr lady told me that I couldn’t come in because I wasn’t running no fever I told her that not everyone has fevers and that I can’t smell shit its sign and my head is busted.”
He continued, “Called my hr told them why I called off and told them that my Dr wasn’t taking me they said that since I called off I’m need some kind of medical proof so I said fuck it when the drive thru testing started I was around 12th in line I waited 2hrs and had to fake the fever I turned my heat on hell in the car I even had to piss in my Wendy’s lg strawberry lemonade cup I was not playin got to get the test they gave me as much time off they feel I needed this morning I got the call positive I now have had Covid-19 the corona virus and I can’t leave my place if I wanted to I’m so scared the dept of health should be calling me soon so if I disappear I was at home”
A phone message left by BeaverCountian.com at Anchor Hocking seeking comment has not yet been returned. The plant is still operating.
“Crazy part about this 1of 4 of everyone on here has it with no symptoms as a carrier and they won’t test u and its spreading like wild fire,” Robinson posted a bit later this morning.
“I’m on day 7 since my head started bustin but I took a sinus headache relief pill I feel ok a lil shortness of breath hardly no dry cough even tho sometimes I feel like I have to cough but there’s other factors like vaping to trigger that to idk man this sucks,” Robinson wrote at another point.
“I’m at my place away from everyone getting nervous I can’t believe this happened to me,” he posted. He expressed concern for his five-year-old child who has asthma.
Friends and family offered sympathy, concern and prayers, and some suggested home remedies to help symptoms. “I got cutties propel and yak,” Robinson responded.
When someone asked if he knew how he got it, Robinson replied, “thanks bro for the most part I think I had this for awhile and most likely i got it from my building 70% of the tenants in the buildin work at the shell and have their coworkers come stay with them for short business that been traveling everywhere idk but I’m shooting for a full recovery its just the headache its not pounding but still there a lil tightness of the chest but that could be gas related and a lil short wind but I could still play half court ill keep u posted”
He later said, “its hard to know someone when its damn near impossible to get the test I had to go full blown shinobi to get tested”
He urged concerned people to go get tested at the Aliquippa site, “knowing is half the battle I rather know someone has it then not know so we can stop this.”
Steven Robinson did not return multiple requests for an interview by BeaverCountian.com.
BeaverCountian.com investigative reporter John Paul contributed to this report.
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This Man is Right! Nobody knows their body better than that person, so who is someone else to tell you that you don’t fit the “criteria” to be tested. How do you know unless you are tested! So that person is turned away and told they don’t need a test, so they go back to work thinking they’re fine and it’s just a sinus infection or something and are spreading it around to all of their coworkers. It’s pretty scary really, so for every positive case we have and KNOW about, how many more are walking around that don’t know. It seems like the only symptom they really care about is a fever and if you don’t have one then your chance of testing goes out the door. Open your eyes anyone can be infected! As a Beaver County resident, I am telling you we have alot more cases than we know about.
Thankyou BeaverCountian and Steve take care, hope to hear a follow up that you have made it thru this!
I pray that he recovers from this deadly virus and pray his continued exposure to people no one else comes down with it. Side note Lori as an award winning journalist you claim to be next time edit your article there were a lot of unnecessary comments from his Facebook post that could have been left out. Do we really need to know he had to “piss” in his Wendys’ cup as he waited to be tested? Do your job next time it’s called editing. Get well soon Mr. Robinson 🙏🏾
I personally found that part of his story newsworthy, as it showed the lengths he was going through to receive what turned out to be very necessary medical attention.
I agree with that John the article just needed to be tweaked. Why now in our society journalism is profanity laced its unnecessary and uncalled for. He talking to his peers on his page that way fine as a journalist she could have not put his exact FB post and wrote his wait was so long he had to relieve himself in a cup. I just can’t believe her editors let this be printed in this magnitude .
She was quoting what he wrote on FB
Yes but it didn’t have to be said verbatim. We get the point without all the colorful adjectives. When writing an article there is something called editing. That’s my point. If that was me posting something on my FB page to “my” friends I hardly want it publicize to the public to that magnitude. Why not fully interview the person and write an article. 🤷🏽♀️ But today anything goes so I guess that’s why my point is being missed 😤
I agree that this article is written terribly. It’s basically just Facebook post quotes. I’m shocked this was allowed to be posted.
I appreciate constructive criticism of my writing, and I hear you. I made the decision to allow Mr. Robinson’s own words to speak for him. He’s obviously a funny, talkative guy who is undergoing a major trauma, and I’m not sure any summarization would have conveyed his overall awful experience as he felt it as well as he did himself. His words are vivid and telling. Is his grammar perfect? No. Is your grammar perfect? Practically no one’s grammar is, including my own as hard as I try. Should it always be a journalist’s job to clean up someone’s language? That’s an age-old debate in newsrooms. I typically fall on the side of quoting people and letting you hear their voice and how they express themselves. But I respect other opinions. Thank you for your input.
I actually appreciated that we could feel his attitude through the text. Using his own words made it alot more relatable.
You’re free to have this opinion, but it’s not one I will ever understand. Why would you rather have a white-washed version of the truth over the facts as they actually happened? Are you so fragile that simply seeing the word “piss” damages your psyche; so sensitive that a B-list curse word is offensive to you? Then you use your own superiority complex to criticize Lori’s integrity as a journalist? A journalist’s job is (and should be) to present facts; not protect your brittle ego.
But the worst part? you choose to focus on the word “piss” over the fact that we have a sociopath in the white house who is DIRECTLY RESPONSIBLE for the shortage of tests and treatment options which contributed to this man’s sufferent. All because of a president with an ego as weak as yours believed tests manufactured in the US are superior. Well, we’ve officially passed China and Italy in the number of cases, and it’s still nearly impossible to get tested here… but you keep policing the internet for bad language 😉
This company filed a petition as a food processing company. Totally untrue. They are still refusing to close the plant and continue exposing their employees.
It’s great he came forward to help all of the people he was around and gave them a heads up. The news just tells people county numbers not a general area so this will grow because of hush hush.
Let’s see anchor Hocking is proactive or keep the glass flowing and tell them to be careful
Thank you Steven Robinson for sharing valuable new information despite being in the throes of such an emotionally disturbing health crisis. Best wishes for a full recovery.
We are fortunate to have the Beaver Countian on top of information that helps all of us.
Thank you John Paul and Countian staff for doing a stellar job.