How bad is the virus—- first hand from a survivor

[Bassman Ia.]

This is a C and P



March 20 at 5:19 PM
****This is from a nurse who became sick:
COVID19 is not like the flu...at all... How do I know? Because I’ve lived through it to tell the tale!
Memoirs of a 31 y.o. male with no underlying health conditions.
March 3, 2020-Bronchitis like illness started, dry cough, no fever
March 5, 2020-Low grade fever starts, still thinking bronchitis
March 6, 2020-Fever climbs from 99.8 to 102.6 in one hour, thought it was flu and was now outside the Tamiflu window, stayed home for symptom management.
March 9, 2020-Fever of >102 continues, this isn’t flu, go to urgent care, diagnosed with pneumonia, started on Levaquin.
March 11, 2020-3 doses of Levaquin in, no improvement in symptoms, go to ER. Admitted, swabbed for COVID19, IV antibiotics got pneumonia on chest CT.
March 12, 2020-Get to a room and placed on supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula, 1 liter per minute (lpm). I’m only able to achieve 500 on my incentive spirometer, for perspective-my healthy lungs could hit 4000.
March 13, 2020-O2 saturation begins to decline, oxygen increased to 2 lpm, then 3 lpm, then 5 lpm. Oxygen saturation 88% on 5 lpm. The decision is made to use high flow (vapotherm) and move to ICU. Placed on 40 lpm and 60% oxygen. I’m terrified at this point because vapotherm is all that is standing between me and the ventilator. This is the moment I would have died at home had I not come to the hospital when I did. I would have respiratory arrested in my bed.
March 14, 2020-I have a bad coughing spell, my oxygen saturation drops to the 80’s. I’m still on 40 lpm and 60%. I’m trying to gasp for air, but because of the condition of my lungs, can only take small breaths without coughing more. I feel as though I’m about to die, my heart is racing, oxygen still low, and I’m sweating profusely. Im in respiratory distress! I pressed my call light trying to get the attention of anyone who can help. My nurse was in another room tending to another sick patient. Fortunately he sees me and comes to my room. I am now on 40 lpm and 100% oxygen, next step is the ventilator. I’m terrified. My breathing slows as my oxygen saturation slowly returns to the 90’s. I’m weaned back down to 60%. The same thing happens again in the night, and again I thought I was about to leave this world. Again I’m on 100%, this time for several hours. I’m slowly weaned again to 60%.
March 15, 2020-My morning arterial blood gas (which hurts like a 🤬) is normal. I get weaned to 50%.
March 16, 2020-My oxygen saturation is 97%, I’m weaned further to 30 lpm and 40%.
March 17, 2020-I’ve been in ICU 4 days, forced to use a bedpan because my oxygen saturation drops if I turn or even move too much. I am unable to clean myself; I’m feeling completely helpless and so embarrassed, but my nurses were great and very understanding. I now truly understand my patients’ feelings from all these years of nursing. I’m weaned to 25 lpm and 30%. I’m going to the medical floor.
March 18, 2020-I’m weaned to 28%. I can achieve 1500 on my incentive spirometer finally. I’m hopeful to be weaned to a regular nasal cannula. The provider comes in. I’ve been waiting for my swab results. I tested positive for COVID19...6.5 days of waiting for the outside lab to process the lab. I’m relieved because I finally have a diagnosis, a reason I’ve been so sick. I’m weaned to 4 lpm on a regular nasal cannula, 4 hours later I’m weaned to 2 lpm. 4 hours later I’m weaned to room air. My oxygen saturation stats 93% and above all night.
March 19, 2020-As I write this, I’m waiting to attempt a 6 minute walk test to see if my oxygen stays up, so I can go home. I’ve had no visitors this entire time due to my isolation precautions.
Guys, this is why social isolation is a thing. As a 31 y.o., I wasn’t supposed to get sick. I wasn’t supposed to be admitted to the hospital or the ICU for that matter. We’ve already had several deaths from COVID19 in this area. I thank God I wasn’t one of them! However, many won’t be as fortunate as I have been. Many will die, especially those with any lung or heart problems. So please, I beg you to #stayhome

[hugo_stiglitz]

Those who have not yet heard will still refuse to hear.

Thanks for the post, good read and scary!

[wildturkey]

Wow, so thankful the individual recovered. Just getting the breath knocked out of you is bad enough, but knowing you can’t get the proper oxygen would be terrifying.

[johnsobo]

Happy they made it.....a friend of a friend did not.

Last night, we lost one of our Sirens sisters to covid-19. She was healthy with no underlying medical conditions. Rest in peace, XXX XXXXXXX. I didn't get to ride with you nearly enough. We are all heartbroken.

Stay the **** home, people. This isn't "the flu

[BassinR83]

Those who have not yet heard will still refuse to hear.

Thanks for the post, good read and scary!

yes. We still have members on this very forum being ignorant and blatantly arrogant about still going into the public (BPS) and bragging about it to stir up things.

[BasserJim]

An acquaintance from my town who lives in LA now and works as a model has it, healthy young woman in her late 20s who exercises daily and eats healthy, no underlying medical conditions or risk factors, taken by ambulance to the ICU and almost died.

[Tarheel14]

Wowow. Soo scary... This is not something to take lightly.

[Hoffy1337]

Thank you for posting. Will forward this on

[chaseerry]

Flippin scary.

[NitroZ7]

Wow, so thankful the individual recovered. Just getting the breath knocked out of you is bad enough, but knowing you can’t get the proper oxygen would be terrifying.

I remember the interview with Christopher Reeves after he had his accident on the horse and was paralyzed. He said the worst part was not being able to breath. He said youvtake breathing for granted bit when you cant then it is the worst feeling in the world.

[izzylipz]

The scary part isn’t what’s happening. It’s what the government isn’t telling you about it.

[spinningreel]

How can other countries test and have the results in minutes yet here in the supposedly best healthcare system in the world, the test results takes days.

[BasserJim]

How can other countries test and have the results in minutes yet here in the supposedly best healthcare system in the world, the test results takes days.

I think that the phrasing of your question answers itself

[bossbowman]

This is a C and P



March 20 at 5:19 PM
****This is from a nurse who became sick:
COVID19 is not like the flu...at all... How do I know? Because I’ve lived through it to tell the tale!
Memoirs of a 31 y.o. male with no underlying health conditions.
March 3, 2020-Bronchitis like illness started, dry cough, no fever
March 5, 2020-Low grade fever starts, still thinking bronchitis
March 6, 2020-Fever climbs from 99.8 to 102.6 in one hour, thought it was flu and was now outside the Tamiflu window, stayed home for symptom management.
March 9, 2020-Fever of >102 continues, this isn’t flu, go to urgent care, diagnosed with pneumonia, started on Levaquin.
March 11, 2020-3 doses of Levaquin in, no improvement in symptoms, go to ER. Admitted, swabbed for COVID19, IV antibiotics got pneumonia on chest CT.
March 12, 2020-Get to a room and placed on supplemental oxygen via nasal cannula, 1 liter per minute (lpm). I’m only able to achieve 500 on my incentive spirometer, for perspective-my healthy lungs could hit 4000.
March 13, 2020-O2 saturation begins to decline, oxygen increased to 2 lpm, then 3 lpm, then 5 lpm. Oxygen saturation 88% on 5 lpm. The decision is made to use high flow (vapotherm) and move to ICU. Placed on 40 lpm and 60% oxygen. I’m terrified at this point because vapotherm is all that is standing between me and the ventilator. This is the moment I would have died at home had I not come to the hospital when I did. I would have respiratory arrested in my bed.
March 14, 2020-I have a bad coughing spell, my oxygen saturation drops to the 80’s. I’m still on 40 lpm and 60%. I’m trying to gasp for air, but because of the condition of my lungs, can only take small breaths without coughing more. I feel as though I’m about to die, my heart is racing, oxygen still low, and I’m sweating profusely. Im in respiratory distress! I pressed my call light trying to get the attention of anyone who can help. My nurse was in another room tending to another sick patient. Fortunately he sees me and comes to my room. I am now on 40 lpm and 100% oxygen, next step is the ventilator. I’m terrified. My breathing slows as my oxygen saturation slowly returns to the 90’s. I’m weaned back down to 60%. The same thing happens again in the night, and again I thought I was about to leave this world. Again I’m on 100%, this time for several hours. I’m slowly weaned again to 60%.
March 15, 2020-My morning arterial blood gas (which hurts like a 郎) is normal. I get weaned to 50%.
March 16, 2020-My oxygen saturation is 97%, I’m weaned further to 30 lpm and 40%.
March 17, 2020-I’ve been in ICU 4 days, forced to use a bedpan because my oxygen saturation drops if I turn or even move too much. I am unable to clean myself; I’m feeling completely helpless and so embarrassed, but my nurses were great and very understanding. I now truly understand my patients’ feelings from all these years of nursing. I’m weaned to 25 lpm and 30%. I’m going to the medical floor.
March 18, 2020-I’m weaned to 28%. I can achieve 1500 on my incentive spirometer finally. I’m hopeful to be weaned to a regular nasal cannula. The provider comes in. I’ve been waiting for my swab results. I tested positive for COVID19...6.5 days of waiting for the outside lab to process the lab. I’m relieved because I finally have a diagnosis, a reason I’ve been so sick. I’m weaned to 4 lpm on a regular nasal cannula, 4 hours later I’m weaned to 2 lpm. 4 hours later I’m weaned to room air. My oxygen saturation stats 93% and above all night.
March 19, 2020-As I write this, I’m waiting to attempt a 6 minute walk test to see if my oxygen stays up, so I can go home. I’ve had no visitors this entire time due to my isolation precautions.
Guys, this is why social isolation is a thing. As a 31 y.o., I wasn’t supposed to get sick. I wasn’t supposed to be admitted to the hospital or the ICU for that matter. We’ve already had several deaths from COVID19 in this area. I thank God I wasn’t one of them! However, many won’t be as fortunate as I have been. Many will die, especially those with any lung or heart problems. So please, I beg you to #stayhome

He was one of the outliers, Nightline did a show about this late last week otherwise healthy people in their 20's to 40's that had to be hospitalized because of the virus, its a very small percentage of the population but it does happen

[bossbowman]

The scary part isn’t what’s happening. It’s what the government isn’t telling you about it.

They saw something in China with our intelligence and thats why they went ape shit cancelling all sporting events that first weekend, the #'s coming out of China are an absolute lie.

[izzylipz]

They saw something in China with our intelligence and thats why they went ape shit cancelling all sporting events that first weekend, the #'s coming out of China are an absolute lie.

That would be correct. As in, BIG TIME!

[hardnibbles]

How can other countries test and have the results in minutes yet here in the supposedly best healthcare system in the world, the test results takes days.

Anyone who thinks we have the best healthcare in the world is obviously not in healthcare.

[188Musky]

Anyone who thinks we have the best healthcare in the world is obviously not in healthcare.

I am, and we do.

Perhaps it's the policy advisors that are the problem.

[hardnibbles]

I am, and we do.

Perhaps it's the policy advisors that are the problem.

Best in what way? Definitely not outcomes or cost or access. Maybe in research and design??

[Matt1212]

I am, and we do.

Perhaps it's the policy advisors that are the problem.

Thank you and I agree