Much has been written of the warning signs, symptoms and dangers of COVID-19. But what is it like to have the coronavirus? Several sufferers who shared their experiences living through infections are now recovered. They reflect on their life-changing ordeals in this fourth installment of Carolyn Presutti’s series chronicling life with COVID-19.
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Carlos Gavidia’s 21-meter yacht is named SISU, a Finnish term signifying grit and stoic determination – the very qualities Carlos relied on to win his battle with COVID-19. The boat flies a “Trump 2020” flag, angering some of his Florida neighbors.
Gavidia went to great lengths last month to acquire two drugs President Donald Trump has touted for treating COVID-19 – hydroxychloroquine and azithromycin.
He attributes his recovery to the medicines, he told VOA. Once he was well, Gavidia passed on his remaining medication to others with the coronavirus.
Multiple trials are underway testing the efficacy of hydroxychloroquine, typically used as an anti-malarial drug and by lupus sufferers. It remains unproven as a treatment for COVID-19.
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“I don't know why they say it doesn't work, because it does,” Gavidia said, and added that the people who got his leftover medication also saw rapid improvements.
Grateful that he is well, Gavidia tried to donate his antibody-rich plasma to a New York hospital to treat other patients. But the private flight to New York City was canceled when the pilots were informed that, upon their return from America’s biggest COVID-19 hotspot, they’d be under a two-week mandatory quarantine.
In Florida, no one would take Gavidia’s plasma until he tested negative for the virus. Undaunted, Gavidia and his 21-year old son, Casen, drove to a drive-thru express test site in West Palm Beach, Florida.
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Gavidia said getting an appointment for the test took hours, but the testing site was well organized and run efficiently by the National Guard.
Now he has a five-day wait for the test result which, if negative, will allow him to give plasma to a blood bank for distribution to hospitals treating COVID-19 patients. Gavidia thinks more recovered coronavirus patients would give blood if the process were streamlined.
“Really, they you know, these places that take the blood, the plasma, they should really offer the test,” he said. “And you know, I don't mind paying for it. It's just makes it very inconvenient and hard, hard to be a donor when it's not easy to get tested.”
Gavidia added, “So we're trying. We're getting it done slowly but surely.”
Meanwhile, Gavidia’s family of four – all symptom-free – has a newfound appreciation for activities they once took for granted: swimming, fishing, grilling Peruvian chicken and playing with a new puppy.
Many have criticized President Donald Trump’s handling of the coronavirus crisis, but not Gavidia. While he may acquiesce to his neighbors’ wishes to remove the Trump flag from his yacht, he plans to do something bigger and bolder – paint the vessel’s tender with an American flag and rename it, in big white letters: “Trump.”
Francis Wilson has incomplete memories from the 10 days he lay in a coma, kept alive by a ventilator. But he does remember thinking he was dead. Twice.
Now the young law clerk is “loving life” since returning to his Virginia apartment. He spent recent days wearing a mask and “sorting through emotional stuff.”
Wilson’s roommates, who were also ill and under home quarantine, are all recovered, including Zack Armstrong, who told VOA of a celebration when Wilson was finally able to leave his bedroom without a protective face mask.
Wilson said, “It’s been refreshing just to be back and around people I know.” Armstrong explained, “We had a celebration this morning because today's his first day of not having to wear the mask around the house. So he came up this morning. Yay! No mask." Wilson added, "It's a great feeling.”
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Wilson is piecing together what happened in the hospital by texting nurses who helped keep him alive. His fragmented memories include a nurse holding a phone to his ear so his family could say goodbye when death seemed imminent. He recalls someone saying “Francis, you need to pull through this. We love you.”