ONONDAGA COUNTY, N.Y. (WSYR-TV) — Among the few thousand people lucky enough to get the first coronavirus vaccines at the New York State Fairgrounds, a smaller number of lucky people will be sent to “Table 15”.
At “Table 15”, patients will be given their shot by a nurse from the State Department of Health. The second person at the table, who takes their contact information, is Patrick Penfield.
Penfield, a 21-year-old Lysander native, and Syracuse University student, was one of Onondaga County’s earliest coronavirus patients.
It was exactly one year ago when Penfield left for his school’s abroad trip to Europe, where he caught COVID-19.
At the beginning of that trip’s anniversary, Penfield was part of the team that helped open the state-operated vaccination clinic at the Expo Center of the State Fairgrounds.
Since his recovery, Penfield has focused on giving back. First, he shared his story and warned people his age. Then, he donated his antibody-rich plasma to the Red Cross for seniors struggling with the virus. Now, he’s helping people get the shot.
Penfield tells NewsChannel 9:
“COVID kind of turned my life upside down. Being here today, it feels surreal.”
