Two years ago on this day, Monroe County saw its first confirmed case of COVID-19.

What You Need To Know

  • March 11 marks the two-year anniversary of the first confirmed COVID-19 case in Monroe County
  • A Highland Hospital emergency department nurse practitioner recalls treating and testing the patient
  • “We had no idea as to what we are supposed to do for this disease,” said Highland Hospital's associate medical director

The staff at Highland Hospital tested and treated that patient.

“I can't believe it's been two years,” said Miranda Caccamise, a nurse practitioner in the emergency department at Highland Hospital. “I remember that day like it was yesterday.”

Caccamise was on duty exactly two years ago.

“I remember it being a normal day in the ED, which usually isn't very normal, but for being in the emergency department was like every other day,” Caccamise said. “And then our chief came in, Dr. Lum, and said, ‘we think we have the first patient coming,’ and I said, ‘I want to see that patient. I will do it.’”

Highland Hospital’s Associate Medical Director, Professor of Medicine, Dr. Bilal Ahmed, remembers the day well.

“We got the call from Monroe County and we said, ‘I think it's here,’” said Dr. Ahmed.

The patient had travelled from Italy to John F. Kennedy International Airport, and then took a Greyhound bus to Rochester. He contacted the health department when he had symptoms.

“I was very concerned about this,” said Dr. Ahmed. “It was kind of hair-raising for me. At that time, we had no idea as to what we are supposed to do for this disease.”

There weren’t protocols and limited testing for COVID-19. Highland had prepared isolation rooms and intensive care units with ventilators.

“We actually did not have even the basic equipment to protect ourselves initially,” Dr. Ahmed. “If I look back at the time, we didn't have the masks. We didn't have the PPE. We didn't have the testing kits. We didn't have anything.”

The team knew to keep a symptomatic patient away from the general patient population and used a decontamination room on the side of the building for this particular case. Caccamise would test and treat him.

“So we put on a whole suit, basically, and again, we didn't have any protocols in place and what we were supposed to wear,” said Caccamise. “So we wound up gloved up. We had masks on. We had face shields on. And me and one other nurse went in to take care of this patient.”

The patient actually arrived at Highland Hospital on March 10, 2019. It wasn't until the next day, March 11, that the first positive case of COVID-19 was confirmed in Monroe County, when those test results were received.

 “I think probably the first thing was, ‘oh my gosh, did I wear enough protection? Am I going to get this? Am I going to give it to my family?’” said Caccamise.

Was Caccamise scared?

“I was scared. I can't tell you how scared I was because my information was coming from what I was seeing on the TV screens,” said Caccamise. “We didn't really know how to tackle this disease. There were no protocols to treat this. So obviously I was scared. Absolutely.”

Dr. Ahmed says there was so much confusion two years ago and we are in a much better place on this anniversary — but it still not an anniversary to celebrate.

“Not cutting a cake for this one,” said Dr. Ahmed. “There is no birthday cake for this anniversary.”