Eric & Thais Chrenowski: Bremer Bay family isolating with mystery illness after visit to Albany Health Campus

A south coast family are isolating after contracting a mysterious illness that has puzzled medical professionals, with the Department of Health unable to confirm the cause one week on from their visit to hospital.

Eric and Thais Chrenowski — who own pharmacies in Jerramungup, Bremer Bay and Gnowangerup — were at home in Bremer Bay on February 1 when they started experiencing fever and rashes, as did their three-year-old Alice and a close friend.

While visiting Albany the following day, the group decided to drop into Albany Health Campus and soon found themselves isolated in private rooms when hospital staff could not diagnose their symptoms.

“I wasn’t feeling too bad but Eric and our daughter were both feverish and not feeling well, so we thought we would go to the hospital while we were in town to make sure everything was OK,” Ms Chrenowski said.

“When we got there, we were put in a private room, then separated into three different rooms.

“There was a lot of waiting. My daughter and I felt better quite quickly but Eric fared worse than us, so he was kept in another night.”

Ms Chrenowski and her daughter were discharged on February 5, with Eric joining them at home on February 6, where they have remained under guidance from Albany Health Campus and the Department of Health to isolate until their symptoms can be diagnosed.

Ms Chrenowski said it had been a stressful time and the couple’s three pharmacies were temporarily closed while the family isolated.

“We cover a large area with our pharmacies, and some people don’t have any other close access to their medication, so it’s been stressful not just for us but for our customers as well,” she said.

“We’re lucky to have friends and people in the community to be able to help us out until we can be back at work.

“We’re all feeling better and we hope they can give us some answers soon so we can get the pharmacies back open.”

A Department of Health spokesperson said there did not appear to be any immediate threat to the community.

“WA Health is investigating the cause of illness in a small number of people,” they said.

“At this stage, there does not appear to be any wider risk to the community, but investigations are continuing.”

All four patients have recovered but remain in isolation as the Department of Health investigates.