STANFIELD — In the days leading up to closing his Stanfield store, RetroRagz shop owner Dave Bender was sorting out the antiques inside. He was trying to figure which items he still could sell, which he could give away and which he could keep for himself.

Bender received two positive tests for COVID-19 on separate occasions at RiteAid pharmacies. The first positive test was in July 2020 in Everett, Washington. The second was in Hermiston. But said he thinks he actually suffered one case prior to the other two.

Multiple COVID-19 cases

Getting COVID-19 twice, according to Joseph Fiumara, Umatilla County Public Health director, is not unheard of.

“We consider everyone who is not vaccinated to be susceptible to infection, and this includes individuals who have already tested positive before,” he said. “Per Oregon Health Authority guidelines, any individual who tests positive, symptomatic or not, 90 days after previously testing positive is considered to be reinfected.”

People commonly think their first infection leads to developing antibodies, he explained, which protect them from another infection. But this is not the case, and the “immune system is much more complex than that,” he said.

Verified multi-occurrence cases of COVID-19, though, are uncommon, Fiumara said. His department claims there have been 116 such cases through Aug. 31.

“We do not have many documented reinfections, so I do believe it is rare,” he said. “Three times is likely very rare.”

Bender’s troubles

Back in December 2019, Bender became ill with what he thought was a common flu. It was strange, because he had unusual symptoms — loss of smell and taste, common symptoms of COVID-19. But he did not, then, think it was the emerging coronavirus.

At the time, the disease was in its infancy, and reported cases were not in the U.S. So, he did not get a test to verify it. He thought he would recover a bit, work through the end of his sickness and be fine.

His illnesses, and other personal issues, delayed the opening of his new business. He had started renting a storefront in downtown Stanfield. Its location, across both a library and a popular restaurant, made it attractive.

As he was an auctioneer with many contacts in antiques and vintage clothing, he was able to develop an inventory. He had paintings, movie memorabilia and more. In addition, he possessed a collection of wood art, which he carved, and inventions of his own making. He fashioned a collection of bow ties for dogs, and he was in the process of making new clothing from used designer wear.

He was excited, and he even painted the name of his new shop, RetroRagz, on his van. His plan was to open in late 2019.

Illnesses, including what he believes to be his first bout with COVID-19, though, kept him from opening his doors. He would later feel better, but would then get sick again and be unable to ready his store for a proper opening. He opened for customers by request, but he did not see much interest from the public.

“Who would want to come to an antique store during a pandemic?” he said.

A couple of times, he brought items outside the front of his store for a sidewalk sale. These sales, however, were not helping him pay his bills. He maintained his online business, selling antiques, but those sales were not paying much, either.

He was falling behind on his rent, his wife was in the hospital with multiple sclerosis and he kept getting sick. His problems were piling up, and he could not find the help he needed.

When he started struggling financially, he applied for the Small Business Assistance COVID-19 Disaster Relief loans and two small grants.

“It took over eight weeks for them to get back to me with a denial for the reason they could not verify I was an actual business,” he said.

A simple Google search should be enough to prove its existence, he thought.

“I was crushed,” he said. “That was the final blow. I appealed, but haven’t heard back from them.”

Moving on

Before his most recent COVID-19 infection, he got vaccinated. He obtained the two required shots of the Pfizer vaccine. But that did not keep him from getting his worst case of COVID-19 to that point. Though he feels well now, a month after his positive test, he said he suffered difficulty breathing when he was symptomatic. It was painful, and he was in bed much of the time.

In addition to selling antiques, he was planning to turn his store into an art gallery and maybe even a studio. He dreamed of people being able to visit, sometimes just to sit and look at the paintings which would be hanging on the shop walls.

Instead, he now plans on taking time to care for his wife, who he said just tested positive for COVID-19 while in the hospital. He will also take care of himself, hopeful he will not become ill again.