COVID-19 Diaries: Marin County's Top Doctor Shares His Isolation Experience

Dr. Matt Willis is the public health officer for Marin County. He was leading the county’s response to the spread of the coronavirus — until he found out he’d contracted COVID-19 in March.

He announced his positive test result via video on March 23. “I’m here on home quarantine as Marin’s 39th confirmed case,” he said, urging others to follow stay-at-home orders.

"I didn't necessarily think that I'd be such an early example of the fact that this is in our community," he said.

Willis added he was “frustrated to be sidelined at this important time,” but that after recovering, “I should be more immune and can be more confident to stay active as our local incidents increase.”

While in home isolation, Dr. Willis kept an audio diary. Below are excerpted pieces of his experience:

March 30

I'm at home now on day nine of my quarantine for COVID-19. My symptoms have not improved all that much. In fact, the last couple of days [were] slightly worse in terms of the respiratory symptoms. I had a chest x-ray yesterday, which was normal — which is reassuring. I'm relatively healthy and I'm doing pretty well. But I can imagine just from my experience over the last nine days that if I were more frail or older, it may not go as well. My hope is that I'll be able to get back into the game before we see any serious surges and hopefully with some immunity to boot.

March 31

I'm seeing only my bedroom and the upstairs bathroom. This has been where I've lived for the past 10 days since my quarantine started. My wife is downstairs with the kids and she brings meals. One of the biggest differences is that I am alone in our room and haven't touched my wife or kids, or really spent any real time together in 10 days — even though we're in the same house.

At my bedside, I have a thermometer and a pulse oximeter, which fits over my fingertip and measures my heart rate and oxygen levels in my blood. There's a range of different drinks to stay hydrated and a bowl of soup made by my friend. The support of our friends and neighbors has been incredible and has made this a lot easier.

Physically, I'm most surprised by how long this bug has lasted. Everyone has a different experience. For me, COVID-19 has mainly been 10 days in bed with low grade fevers, muscle aches, extreme fatigue and persistent chest tightness and a cough. I do feel I have a bit more energy today. I get slightly out of breath when I walk.

It's been hard to step away from the public health response, from focusing on the whole population to just my place here at home.

I think, like a lot of people, I'm working on being patient and giving this the same time it needs to run its course without doing too much damage. And today I'm seeing signs that things are getting better.

April 3

I'm seeing my bedroom walls still now for the 14th straight day. Outside the windows here, my sons [are] playing on the trampoline and doing tricks, which is a highlight for the day.

One of the hardest things has been the uncertainty of this whole process, in terms of my own course. I haven't needed to be hospitalized. I prefer to be at home. And even as a physician, not knowing the steps I need to be taking at this point to prevent that from occurring is humbling. There is no treatment. Just resting and waiting is hard and a little bit scary when I see colleagues who have ended up on ventilators.

April 15

I'm seeing a lot more today than I have in the past three weeks. [I] finally transitioned out of isolation.

The biggest change is that I'm seeing my family at close range — less than six feet and without masks, and we're able to touch and and share meals and really just be together in the same space. I got to go downstairs and join my kids for breakfast [and] eat with them at the table. That was really the best moment. Something that was an everyday thing felt magical.

Dr. Willis has now returned to leading Marin County's Public Health Department.