
Mom Shares How 12-Year-Old Daughter Might Have Contracted COVID to Warn Others Who Think They're Being Safe
By Robin ZlotnickNov. 19 2020, Published 1:34 p.m. ET
In a viral thread, mom and publishing professional Kathleen Schmidt shares how her family's entire world was turned upside down thanks to one careless family. She explains how her 12-year-old daughter likely contracted COVID after she "made a mistake" and let her play travel soccer. She was under the impression that other families were being as careful as they were, but that was not the case.
It's hard to be 100% honest about this because I have to admit I made a mistake. The mistake is that I allowed my daughter to play travel soccer (outdoor) this fall. She had played softball in the summer and there were no incidents. Same w soccer until now.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Some parents are letting their children play outdoor sports during the pandemic. It's been hard to be cooped up at home, and outdoor sports offer a mostly socially distanced option for enrichment. But you can only control your own behavior, and you really have no idea how careful other families are being, so it is definitely a risk. Kathleen now admits that letting her daughter play was a mistake.
The league took all the precautions they needed to, and we the parents followed protocol. What I hadn't thought about was parents from other teams NOT following protocol. SO here we are.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
The league took every safety precaution they could. But Kathleen didn't think about how parents on other teams might not be following protocol. I don't know how. Every time I go out in public, I'm thinking about how I have no idea how many people these strangers have come into contact with and how exponentially my bubble would expand if I came into contact with them. But alas, Kathleen seemed confident in how her daughter's team was operating and evidently thought other teams were doing the same things.
After a strongly worded email to the league president and a board member, they called me personally to tell me the kid on other team who tested positive ALREADY had a sibling with Covid at home when her parents allowed her to play the game against our team.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Recently, she was told a kid on an opposing team tested positive for COVID. She found out that the kid who'd tested positive had a sibling at home whom her parents knew was positive for COVID when they let her play the game. It apparently didn't cross their minds to quarantine the rest of the family knowing that one member was COVID positive. I would be livid. And Kathleen was.
After a strongly worded email to the league president and a board member, they called me personally to tell me the kid on other team who tested positive ALREADY had a sibling with Covid at home when her parents allowed her to play the game against our team.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Could you imagine knowingly putting so many other people in danger like this? I hate to say it, but this is why you can't let your kids play sports. This is why expanding your bubble is a very bad idea. You have no idea where people's values, knowledge, and priorities lie.
In the meantime, I've had personal guidance from someone at the dept of health in my county and I am very grateful for that person's attention and guidance. I can't emphasize this enough: it is important to do the right things once you/a kid has been exposed.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Soon, Kathleen's daughter started having symptoms of COVID. She's been tested, and they are awaiting the results. Now that it's likely that her daughter has COVID, she has to get to work letting any contacts know.
I also have to: alert my 16yo's school nurse, teachers, and football coaches. He will now have to quarantine as well.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Her poor daughter is in isolation from the rest of the family. She's called every single place she's been since November 8, the date of the exposure. She's alerted teachers and the school nurse, not only at her daughter's school but for at her older son's school as well.
The Dept of Health told me we must act as if my daughter has tested positive. That means a 24-day quarantine for us.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
I will absolutely follow protocol. I always wear a mask and social distance, but now--we can't leave the house. Thankfully, we wfh and can have stuff delivered.
The whole family will be quarantined for 24 days. Luckily, Kathleen is privileged enough to be able to work from home and get what they need delivered. This is not the reality for lots of people.
Why am I telling you this? Because this is a perfect example of community spread. Because you can't trust other parents will do the right thing. Because I made a decision to allow my kids to play outdoor sports w protocols and one of them was exposed anyway.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
Kathleen is sharing her story because it's a perfect example of how COVID can spread so fast and so insidiously through a community. All it takes is one irresponsible person. You can take every precaution in the world, but you don't have any control over how other people act.
The 12yo is a defender and doesn't come into close contact with other players much, but was still exposed. Parents in the group chat were trying to convince themselves that no way were their daughters exposed. YES THEY WERE.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
The soccer season is now over, and the whole team has been told to quarantine. But there are still parents convinced that they couldn't have been exposed. Who knows if they're actually taking all the precautions they should be, even now?
It is true that being a responsible parent when Covid is involved takes a lot of work--notifying people, updating people, getting tested, etc. But you are doing the responsible thing because it is not just about you/your family. It is about your community.
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
It totally sucks, but you can't trust that other people are being as careful as you are. You can't let your kids or yourself out of your bubble. This is how COVID spreads through a community.
I hope that this thread helps others see what can happen if you 100% trust that people are complying with Covid protocol. My advice: Assume that no one is complying. Assume that parents are sending kids to school anyway. And as always, wear a mask. *End of thread*
— Kathleen Schmidt (@Bookgirl96) November 17, 2020
You have to assume that others are being irresponsible. For your own safety. It's tempting to want to believe that everyone is doing their part to keep people safe, but that's just not the reality. Not right now. And with cases everywhere rising, it's time to be more cautious and vigilant than we have perhaps let ourselves become. Kathleen hopes her experience will warn others, make them think twice before letting their kids and families partake in activities like outdoor sports. It's just not worth it.