Wayne State PhD student volunteered to be a part of the emergency response, then she caught COVID

photo of Jeneen Ali
Jeneen Ali

Like many researchers, Jeneen Ali, a Ph.D. candidate in nutrition and food science, found her research brought to a halt by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19) outbreak. Prior to the pandemic, she routinely tested the blood of participants in the Diabetes Prevention Program for hemoglobin A1c, a precursor of diabetes, for her studies on food insecurity, worked with Gleaners Community Food Bank of Southeastern Michigan to provide food boxes to those in need, and provided nutrition education as a Schweitzer Fellow to those in the CenteringPregnancy Program through Covenant Community Care.

The virus put a pause on all these group projects, but Ali didn't go home to wait out the crisis. Instead, she volunteered with Gleaners to continue food distribution at multiple emergency locations that popped up when the virus hit metro Detroit. She had worked her way up from staff member to site supervisor before she started experiencing COVID-19 symptoms: shortness of breath, a sore throat, chest pain, muscle aches, and a rash that, at the time, she chalked up to stress but has since been identified as another COVID-19 symptom.

Ali quarantined at home, self-isolated in the seven-person household she shares with her family as best she could, and called her doctor who told her to go to the emergency room. She was turned away and denied a test three times, each time told that due to a shortage of tests, testing younger people was not a priority. But Ali, who has pre-existing health conditions that make her more vulnerable to the virus, stayed persistent and was finally tested after her doctor wrote her a prescription. It would take another seven days for the test to come back positive. By then, her father, sister and brother were all exhibiting widely varying symptoms.

"My father and brother experienced severe symptoms, which led to hospital admissions," Ali said. "Thankfully they're home and recovered. My sister experienced coughing, fever, chills, and difficulty breathing, whereas my mother was completely asymptomatic and still tested positive."

A month later and all have recovered except Ali, who is still experiencing some slight symptoms, though she's hopeful the worst of it is over.

Ali describes the entire ordeal as one of the scariest and anxiety-driven times of her life.

"Luckily, I had such a great support system who were there for my family and me to help the best they could throughout the crisis."

Friends and family dropped off groceries, sent care packages, checked-in remotely, listened to them vent about anything and everything, and kept their spirits up.

All the love "blew us away," Ali said.

Now, she continues to rest, wonder how she might resume her studies in the fall, and retool what research she can to be remote. She admits it's been a challenge, but she's optimistic.

"Shifting perspective on approach and getting creative by working with partners involved and adjusting accordingly is what is important," she said. "The experience has just allowed me to expand on my ability to adjust."

Graduate students: Are you finding new ways to conduct your research, making a community impact or studying mental health, resource insecurity or health disparities in the time of COVID? We want to highlight your story. Just email the Graduate School.

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