STILLWATER, Minn. — On March 15, 56-year-old Clark Osojnicki ran his border collie Sonic to first place in a dog agility competition. That was three days before Clark developed COVID-19 symptoms and 22 days before he died.
"And then the next day when all of us saw reported on the news as a 56-year-old with serious underlying health conditions, it kind of angered all of us. Because anyone who knew him thought he was healthy," said Clark's wife Kris Osojnicki.
Kris said her husband had very mild and managed diabetes and very mild and managed hypertension, something she says looks worse on paper than how it actually affected his daily life.
"Anyone who knew him, knew he lived a very healthy, active life," she said.
Now Kris worries people are getting a false sense of security when state health officials describe who has died from the coronavirus.
"I feel like describing everyone who died as either living in congregant living settings or having 'serious underlying health conditions' is very misleading to the public," Kris said. "I can guarantee you, if he had been alive, listening to those reports about others, he never would have thought that meant him."
According to a CDC report, 90% of hospitalized COVID-19 patients had an underlying health condition.
Underlying conditions include obesity and hypertension. According to the CDC, half of Americans have hypertension, and 45% of Americans over 40 are obese.
Kris points out that when applying CDC statistics, a high percentage of Americans, if hospitalized with COVID-19, would be categorized as having an underlying condition.
As the state begins to open up more, Kris is making a call for people to continue to be careful.
"I just think people need to take it seriously and realize that even if you think you're invincible, you're not," she said.
Clark died after a blood clot went to his lungs while hospitalized, something that is being reported as a known cause of death in COVID-19 patients.
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The state of Minnesota has set up a hotline for general questions about coronavirus at 651-201-3920 or 1-800-657-3903, available 7 a.m. to 7 p.m.
There is also a data portal online at mn.gov/covid19.