Sugarbeet leader who had COVID-19 and lost his father to it urges, ‘Take the shot’ – Grand Forks Herald

Hundreds of shareholders stayed home, but conspicuously Kelly Erickson, the companys lively, enthusiastic board vice chairman, was also gone.

His friends whispered about the grave situation for Erickson, who lay in Room 436 in the COVID-19 unit at Altru Hospital in Grand Forks.

COVID had me in its firm grip at that time, Kelly said, in a recent interview. And worse: His father, Arlen, 84, was in Room 444, where he died on Dec. 9.

Kelly Erickson, 63, of Hallock, Minn., farms with his family near Kennedy, Minn., and is vice chairman of American Crystal Sugar Co. He nearly died from COVID-19 in December 2020, and his father died from it. Get the shot, he urges others. Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Kennedy, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

Interviewed recently at the farm near Kennedy, Minn., Kelly, 63, said he had always taken COVID seriously. Kelly is diabetic, one of the underlying conditions that makes the pandemic deadly.

The Erickson family has been in Kittson County, Minnesota, since the early 1900s. They established their farm at Kennedy, Minn., in 1936, where they raise sugar beets, wheat and canola. Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Kennedy, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

When you live in rural America, of course it doesnt impact you like the nightly news does, he said. Kelly tried to wear masks. He took a COVID test in October 2020 and tested negative. His son and farming partner, Scott, 40, and his wife, Brynn, had been exposed.

Kelly became became increasingly worried about a persistent cough, what he hoped was a cold. I probably should have gone to the hospital at least two or three days before I actually went in, he said. But you know how us Scandinavians are Were OK. Were fine.

Things werent fine.

Nov. 23 Monday, Kelly tested positive for COVID but returned home to convalesce.

Nov. 25 Wednesday, Kellys parents, Arlen and Lois, of Kennedy, Minn., tested for COVID with a two-day wait.

Nov. 26 Thursday, Thanksgiving. The Ericksons canceled plans and stayed home.

Nov. 27 Friday, COVID tests came back positive for Arlen and Lois. Kellys condition worsened. The Hallock hospital gave him an intravenous treatment to restore his electrolyte (sodium) levels. Karen tested positive for COVID in a rapid test at Grand Forks.

Nov. 28 Saturday, Kellys sodium levels remained dangerously low. Scott drove him to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, where he was admitted to the COVID unit.

Kelly Erickson of Hallock, Minn., missed his first American Crystal Sugar Co., annual meeting on Dec. 3, 2020. The vice chairman of Crystals board, was fighting for his life against COVID-19 on the fourth floor of Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D. His father died there on Dec. 9, 2020. Photo taken Jan. 27, 2021, in Grand Forks, N.D. Erik Hylden / Grand Forks Herald

Dec. 1 Tuesday, Scott takes Arlen to the hospital at Hallock. An ambulance takes Arlen to Altru in Grand Forks. Arlen is diagnosed with COVID pneumonia.

Dec. 7 Monday, Kelly is discharged from Altru and returns to the Hallock hospital swing bed. Too weak to go home and in what he calls a COVID fog, he is still confused and needs physical therapy.

Dec. 8 Tuesday, Kellys sister, Tammy Costin, of Moorhead, a nurse in Fargo, phones Kellys hospital room to tell him Arlen wasnt well at Altru. Hospital staff helps Kelly talk with Arlen on an iPad.

Dec. 9 Wednesday, Arlen dies at 1:30 a.m.

Arlen Erickson, 84, the third generation in a five-generation sugar beet and grain farm near Kennedy, Minn., died Dec. 9, 2020, from COVID-19 pneumonia. His son, Kelly, 63, was ten doors down in the same ward, and survived. Photo submitted. Submitted / Agweek

Dec. 14 Kelly is discharged from the Hallock hospital to home, where he has recovered further.

Kittson County has 4,200 residents.

Through the end of January, theyd had a total of 400 COVID cases, ramping up through November and December 2020.

Cindy Urbaniak (pronounced ur-BAN-ek) is nursing home administrator for Kittson Health Care in Hallock and is Kittson Countys public health director. She expects to be doing vaccinations into summer and early fall 2021.

Cindy Urbaniak (pronounced ur-BAN-ek) is nursing home administrator for Kittson Health Care in Hallock, Minn., and Kittson Countys public health director. She expects to be doing vaccinations into summer and early fall 2021. Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Hallock, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

The nursing home has about 100 employees. It currently has about 40 residents and a capacity of 60. They kept COVID out of the less-secure units until November, and out of the memory care unit until December. They havent not had a case among staff or residents since Dec. 23.

The 15-bed critical-access hospital and emergency room in Hallock refers patients to Altru, Sanford or Essentia hospitals in Grand Forks and Fargo. During COVID, theyve done some patient swap arrangements taking on non-COVID patients for swing bed care, the shorter-term rehabilitation care for non-COVID matters such as congestive heart failure or infections.

Sugar beet farm leader Kelly Erickson of Hallock, Minn., was diagnosed with COVID-19 at Kittson Memorial Healthcare Center emergency room, but was taken to Altru Hospital in Grand Forks, N.D., to get through the worst. Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Hallock, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

The countys positivity rating number of positives per number of tests was as high as 15% in early December and less than 2% in late January.

The Erickson family has been in Kittson County since the early 1900s and established their farm in 1936. COVID has been one of the significant historical events that have threatened the family.

Kelly, who has been farming full-time since 1978, remembers growing up in the business with his father times like cultivating sugar beets with 12-row cultivators. He has been a leader in the co-op, as well as the Red River Valley Sugarbeet Growers Association, and the American Sugarbeet Growers Association.

Arlen Erickson, right, died of complications with COVID-19 on Dec. 9, 2020. His son, Kelly, center, also was hospitalized with COVID-19, 10 doors down from his father. Left is Kent Costin, Arlen's son-in-law and Kelly's brother-in-law. (Contributed photo)

Kelly said hes heard many of the arguments about vaccines whether theyll work, if theyre safe. The critical issue to him is that 5% of people like him, and his father will react badly to the disease.

Arlen Erickson unloads grain on the family farm in Kittson County, Minn. Erickson died Dec. 9, 2020, due to complications of COVID-19. His son Kelly also was hospitalized. (Contributed photo)

Nobody knows that.

I trust science, Urbaniak said. Masks help because if youre not coughing into the air, your respiratory particles are fewer if you have a mask on versus if you dont have a mask on.

And she believes in vaccines.

The first doses showed up in the county on Dec. 28.

The health care facility and county emergency officials identified 300 people in the county who qualified for so-called Phase 1A categories (people over age 75, long-term care residents, health care employees, assisted living residents, ambulance and fire departments).

Kittson County has 4,200 residents and as of Jan. 27, 2021, had vaccinated 329 of them, or abou 8%. It takes about 70% to 80% to reach herd immunity protection, officials say. Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Hallock, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

As of Jan. 22, all of the first- and second-dose vaccines were completed for all of the health care workers who wanted it. About 50% of the employees had requested it, which is about on par with health care workers in northwest Minnesota counties.

Its come out under an emergency use authorization, so the facility cant mandate it for staff, she said. Some fear side effects, including rumored long-term effects. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Minnesota Department of Health have said vaccines are very safe.

Andrea Swenson, manager of the Kittson Healthcare Clinic in Hallock, also is director risk management, which includes infection control. Here, she brings in Pfizer vaccine for the COVID-19 pandemic.Photo taken Jan. 25, 2021, at Hallock, Minn. Mikkel Pates / Agweek

As of Jan. 27, the county had completed doses for 329 individuals, or fewer than 8% of county residents, Urbaniak said, compared to the 70% to 80% needed for so-called herd immunity.

Kittson County had been getting a Pfizer vaccine through the Minnesota Department of Health and Northwest Health Services Coalition, a group of hospitals, Urbaniak said. The Moderna vaccine goes to other people in the priority group and comes from the Minnesota Department of Health.

People who take the first vaccine injection can expect 50% to 60% immunity from COVID. The Pfizer second shot in the series comes at least 21 days after the first, giving 95% protection. The second Moderna vaccination should come 28 days after the first.

So far, there have been no reports of production interruptions. Kittson County has completed all Phase 1A needs. Kittson County could administer 200 to 300 doses in a week, but the state typically sends about 100 doses and is possibly managing needs across the state, Urbaniak said.

She offers these facts about it:

Even if a person gets an initial dose and isnt able to get the second dose on the time schedule, the second dose will have the full antibody protection whenever it comes. People who have recovered from COVID are assumed to have some protection, but Urbaniak said its not known how much, or how long it will last.

People who have had the disease still should be vaccinated, she said.

People who have had COVID and both injections still should still wear masks and continue social distancing protocols.

Thats going to be our life until we get enough people vaccinated that we have herd immunity, so the predominance of the population is protected, she said.

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Sugarbeet leader who had COVID-19 and lost his father to it urges, 'Take the shot' - Grand Forks Herald