This was my mom's experience having COVID-19

In "these unprecedented times," my mom having COVID-19 is the good news, sort of.

At least now, the overwhelming fear of her getting it in a senior living facility has subsided, and she's physically fine.The bad news is, after we haven't been able to see her in almost two months, she is now on a serious quarantine in her room with only one or two briefs visits a day.

Only a medical professional with full gear and shield can come in to give her meds. Her meals are left outside her door unless one of the nurses is coming in at that time. It's the CDC protocol, and we certainly understand. The assisted living facility where she lives is outstanding, with tremendous staff and management. But the measures that all of these places have to abide by are intense and can be frightening for an elderly person all alone.

She tested positive two weeks ago, so we're nearing the end of the extensive quarantine. She has had relatively mild symptoms and only spiked a fever on one day. The great fear was her contracting the illness. Now that that is out of the way, that worry is gone. But what now? Can we see her? Can she come out of her room and go outside for sunshine and fresh air? We realize we are so lucky she only had mild symptoms, but she was extraordinarily confined and she still got it.

Would it have been better if she was able to go outside in the sun and get fresh air? These are some of the questions health professionals will be trying to answer as we move past this thing and they analyze the data. As of today, it is 14 days since she took the test and was positive. The big fear of her catching it is behind us and hopefully mom will continue to progress nicely. She is holding up remarkably well both physically and mentally for what she's been through. Fingers crossed, we'll be able to see her in person real soon.

QUEST FOR A CURE: Thursday at 7 p.m., New Jersey 101.5 hosts a live discussion on NJ-driven advancements in coronavirus treatment and research that could save lives, help return NJ to work and even make progress toward a vaccine. Listen on New Jersey 101.5 FM, the NJ 101.5 app or Facebook.com/NJ1015.

The post above reflects the thoughts and observations of New Jersey 101.5 talk show host Dennis Malloy. Any opinions expressed are Dennis' own.