A legendary Rochester radio personality has announced he has tested positive for COVID-19.
Steve Hausmann is talking publicly about his diagnosis to help educate the community.
The 71-year-old radio host said these words during his Tuesday morning WBEE-FM radio show, "I got a call to confirm that I was COVID positive... I don’t know how I got it, I don't know who gave it to me and, frankly, I don't want to know. I just know that it's a reality in my life and I'm going to get through it."
Hausman received his test results on Easter Sunday, one day after being tested. He is under county instruction to stay in his house for 14 days. He is isolating at home with his wife, Julie.
"When I started to have some of these symptoms, the cough, the fever, I said to myself, ‘Do I want to know? Do I really want to know if I have it or just want to try to get rid of whatever I have?’... My wife and I were talking, I said, ‘I don't really think I need to know.’ But when I did get tested, I was glad I knew.”
The broadcaster describes why he is going public with his diagnosis, saying, “I thought maybe I could put a face to the reality that we know. All we do is see it on TV. But I think if someone in our listening audience can relate with me, and now that I have it, and I have such a positive outlook on it in the way that I've been treated by the medical professionals in the county, I think it can rest a lot of people with ease, if it happens to them. One, they know someone who's going through it and two, someone who was positive that they're going to kick it."
Hausmann praises the Monroe County Health Department and Rochester Regional Health for the care and compassion they’ve shown, saying, "I feel like I'm the only person with COVID-19. It's so reassuring to me, because this is, you know, one of the scariest things I've ever done."
Hausmann will continue to broadcast his WBEE-FM morning show from his home.
“It's a great distraction... It’s just five hours that I don't have to think about my reality," said Hausmann.
“I would really want everyone to know that this coronavirus, COVID-19 situation that I'm in is not a death sentence. You know, it's not going to take my life. More people survive it than not. And that's going to be me. I don't feel as if I'm on the door of death. I don't want people to think that way. I want people to know that I will kick this. Everybody can kick this. If we follow the rules," said Hausmann.
Hausmann's COVID positive announcement marks the first from local media.