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STAUNTON — Janet Southers and her wife have been stuck in the basement of their Staunton home since last week. Their four children — ages 15, 11 and twins age 3 — are upstairs fending for themselves.

They're separated by a floor and a door.

"We have been using Google home to communicate if we need to go upstairs to go to the bathroom," Southers said via email. "We simply broadcast through the house kids go to your bedroom me and your mom have to go potty. We have a baby camera set up in the living room so we can monitor what they're doing we all know how kids are. But the 15-year-old is in control at the moment upstairs. We text her back and forth to make sure all communication is clear."

Southers and her wife, who asked not to be named, started feeling bad about five days ago. The two decided to self-quarantine on March 13. They were getting concerned with the new reports of the novel coronavirus COVID-19 and with four children at home — the two decided they should seek medical help.

She told medical staff that both had runny noses, were coughing, had a fever, were tired and felt like there was a "fat elephant" on their chests.

Southers' doctor, Emily Stevens with Augusta Health Staunton Medical Associates in Staunton, suggested the two go to the emergency department at Augusta Health.

"We went to the ER and told them our symptoms and they immediately took us in back," Southers said.

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The two were seen separately at Augusta Health's emergency department. Both were given a strep and flu test and were X-rayed for pneumonia — all three came back negative. Southers wasn't able to get tested for COVID-19, but her wife was. She said the hospital told her there are "limited test systems" and her wife was showing worse symptoms.

The COVID-19 test was a swab up the nose, she said. The swab was placed in a test tube and bagged. Southers said she was told it would be sent to California for testing, which would take up to five days. The hospital told Southers if the test comes back positive, then she most likely has the virus as well.

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"We sent a COVID-19 test which will return in four to five days," the form sent home with Southers' wife said. "Please stay home and avoid other people until you get your results. Wash your hands frequently. Drink plenty of fluids and get lots of rest. Return to the ER with any worsening symptoms, including but not limited to worsening shortness of breath."

They were told to go home and quarantine themselves. That means no contact with the children upstairs and no work.

Southers works for Anderson Merchandising, where she works primarily inside the Harrisonburg Walmart hanging advertisement signs and doing inventory checks. Her wife works inside the Waynesboro and Staunton Walmart in the electronics department.

"Survival without work is a high-stress right now," she said. "We have four kids and one parent without pay and the other parent hoping she gets paid. We're a typical American family. We live paycheck-to-paycheck and when a paycheck is missing there's no backup funds."

The family is receiving some outside help. Southers reached out to the area's Mutual Aid Infrastructure and the Salvation Army is leaving food at their doorstep for them to pick up.

"It was so nice they gave bread, milk and peanut butter and jelly sandwiches this morning," Southers said via email Tuesday. "So they're (the children) eating peanut butter and jelly sandwiches at the moment. Salvation Army said they're going to drop off some more food tomorrow. They're supposed to be going to the school that is giving the food for the the students.

"They also dropped off a goodie bag with craft stuff for the young children to do," she added. "We are truly blessed that they are stepping in and helping."

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As of Wednesday morning, Southers and her wife were feeling worse. They declined an interview through the window of the basement in their Staunton home, but still corresponded through email. The two are trying to remain upbeat, but are feeling terrible — plus the stress of how they will make it work is also getting to them.

"We are worried because we are both parents and we are out of work without pay," Southers said. "We are stressed because we know the bills are still coming and we have five to 14 days with out work. It makes use scared, of what is going to be when we feel better.

"We are worried, any time we wake up the first question is how are you feel? Any worse?" she continued.

But the two are making the best out of a scary situation. Thanks to technology they are able to video chat with the children and tell them goodnight.

"It is hard for them not to have their mom and me," she said. "They are trying to be strong, my daughter made us a get-well basket of stuff in her room she thought we might need. She said she thought it would make us feel better. It did."

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You can reach reporter Laura Peters at lpeters@newsleader.com. Follow her @peterslaura.