Bumped Into A COVID Victim Today

[ProfessorGAC]

Guy used to be head locksmith of a major prison, and has been running a lock & key joint here for a really long time.
I think he's 3 years older than me so 67 or 68.
He came out to the golf course today to change the locks on several doors. (Their gaming machines were robbed a few weeks ago, and there's no clear evidence of forced entry, so...)
I'm talking to him while he's resetting tumblers and find out he had COVID.
And I mean he had COVID!
Spent 3+ months in the hospital!
Told me there was one period where his temperature didn't fall below 102 for over 5 weeks.
He was on 100% O2 for 11 days, and was on some form of oxygen enriched air for a total of 83 days!
He got out and couldn't really walk or talk.
Took him a month to not need a walker. Took him a week to speak out loud.
He got out of the hospital in late November, and he said he's been feeling good for about 5 weeks now.
From August to mid May before he got to feeling "normal".
I know others who had COVID but this was by far the worst case in someone I actually know.

[FirstLight]

1. holy crap

yea, we have been following the number of deaths but now will be the huge number of "recovered" folks who may have health issue for the long term... narly stuff!


It's really scary when you start hearing these stories, and think about how you (or me) have dodged a bullet

[babylonsister]

2. And he's lucky.

Sounds horrific.

[dawg day]

3. I'm glad he can go bacck to work.

What an ordeal. Most people who have it that bad leave the hospital in a coffin.

[ProfessorGAC]

4. He's Retired From The Prison

But, still has his store.
He's probably pacing himself, because he's a sharp guy.
Something I forgot: he was masking when he went somewhere, but....
Not at his shop, because walk in traffic is very low. He spends most of his day working on rekeying locks while watching TV.
He admits he was lax about it when someone strolled in.
He thinks one infected customer came in and he didn't think to grab a mask.
This isn't for sure. Just his best guess.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. He's made a remarkable recovery.

More power to him.

I learned a few weeks ago that my plumber's perfectly healthy 35-year-old son died of COVID last fall. He had been feeling moderately sick, then his temperature spikes suddenly. The father took him to the ER; 20 minutes later he was dead. He was married and had a little girl. This is a very close-knit Cuban-American family who had dinner together several nights a week. The son lived next door to his parents.

[Bengus81]

6. No different than the flu,just ask Trump

[Bev54]

7. I have a friend that has gone through almost the same thing, although

he was in an induced coma for about 2 1/2 weeks, far longer than they wanted. This was mid March and he is off oxygen and is learning to walk again, still in the hospital. Waiting to see how long it will take him to get back to normal, if ever.

[mountain grammy]

8. wow, what a story.. guy got lucky.

[NellieStarbuck]

9. I am so glad your friend lives to tell the tale.

I have been standing vigil from afar for a dear friend on a ventilator in Louisiana for over six months. I am not privvy to what exactly he was experiencing, as news was scant and discreet from his extended family, but my friend finally succumbed to the devastation of the virus three days ago. I shudder in horror at what he must have gone through and am sad, but thankful for the end of his suffering. The next person who says "It's the flu" may get a fist in the mouth from me.

[wnylib]

10. One response to people who insist

that it's just the flu is to remind them that the 1918 pandemic was "just the flu."

Of course, covid is not the flu, but covid deniers won't admit that.

[Warpy]

11. Even if you're not sick enough for the hospital, the damned disease sucks

I can't imagine why anyone would want to risk it over political or religious horse shit or because they're needle weenies.

This disease hurts at best and is lethal at worst. It isn't worth the risk.