State Rep. Chuck Basye reveals mother has COVID-19
COLUMBIA, Mo. (KMIZ)
State Rep. Chuck Basye said Thursday that his 86-year-old mother has been hospitalized with COVID-19.
Basye, R-Rocheport, said in an interview with ABC 17 News that he had been in quarantine for 14 days. The local health department notified him Wednesday that he was free to end his quarantine, Basye said.
Basye said his father and brother were also in quarantine because they were in contact with his mother, Joanne, when she became ill. Basye said he drove his mother to a local hospital when she started having trouble breathing two weeks ago.
Joanne Basye has a history of congestive heart failure, Chuck Basye said. Doctors determined she was having issues with congestive heart failure but also tested her for coronavirus, as they do all hospital patients.
The car ride led to the quarantine.
“That day my mom was struggling to breathe and she was sitting right next to me in my car," Rep. Basye said. "I had my arm around her on the way to the hospital.”
The quarantine forced Rep. Basye to miss part of the General Assembly's special session and veto session and campaign events. He said he has been conducting business remotely.
Basye said he believes in following recommendations from health officials such as going into quarantine after close contact with an infected person.
“I think it’s very important to observe the recommendations from the health department because so many people might have COVID but they’re asymptomatic and I could have very well been one of those people,” Basye said.
Basye said he worries about how COVID-19 will affect his elderly mother who has underlying health conditions. His mother's sickness has been hard on her and the family, he said.
“I don’t know if she’s going to make it," Rep. Basye said. "We’re all praying that she will. The worst part of the whole COVID situation is, the hospital will not allow any visitors.”
