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Town of Tonawanda Supervisor: 'COVID is everywhere'

Town of Tonawanda supervisor Joe Emminger has been diagnosed with coronavirus.

TONAWANDA, N.Y. — Town of Tonawanda supervisor Joe Emminger, has his own battle with coronavirus and was just diagnosed with the virus a couple days ago. 

Emminger says he has been dealing with shortness of breath and fever.  He said  on Wednesday, he's been able to catch his breath better than any day over the past week.

"Really until you have COVID, until you have difficulty breathing and you're going through all these symptoms, you really can't understand the importance of doing exactly all those things that the governor has been talking about the county executive's been talking about," Emminger said.

Emminger told 2 On Your Side via Zoom that he's in quarantine at his home. 

He says he started experiencing shortness of breath a week ago and that it got worse on Easter. 

So, he contacted his doctor and was admitted to Kenmore Mercy Hospital where he was tested for COVID-19 and it came back positive.

"COVID is everywhere, that's the message I want to get out to everybody. It's everywhere you go; to a gas station you better be pumping your gas with gloves on," Emminger said.

He says he developed a 100 degree temperature Tuesday and still has a fever. 

Emminger says he's following doctors orders, staying hydrated, taking Tylenol and doing breathing exercises and is being extra cautious because he is diabetic. 

Emminger suspects he may have gotten the virus when he went to the Wegmans on Alberta Drive in Amherst a week ago.  

Not only does he have coronavirus, but so does his 31-year-old son.

Emminger says he was stunned when he tested positive.

"I was ultra conservative in my opinion, in making sure that the town practiced good social distancing in everywhere I went," he said.

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