Some of the symptoms are drastic. High fever, loss of taste and smell, choking congestion, diarrhea, the need for a ventilator, and for some, the coronavirus proves fatal.
Infants in Ohio County have recovered, and so have people between the ages of 7 and 85. For some, the symptoms are extreme and life-threatening, but for others, it’s been an inconveniece. As of this afternoon, more than 4.5 million Americans have been infected by COVID-19 nearly 155,000 have passed away, according to the federal Center of Disease Control.
“I got tested because of a co-worker, and I was surprised with the result, honestly,” explained James Guy. “So, I had a lot of anxiety when I found out I could have been exposed, and then waiting for the results? I was quarantined, but with everything we’ve been hearing, I didn’t know what to expect.
“I’m a smoker and I’m a little overweight, so I didn’t know how it was going to hit me,” Guy explained. “So, I just waited and basically freaked out the first day or two. And yeah, I waited for the worst because of everything we’ve been hearing over the past five months, and it took three days before I got the called and was informed that I tested positive.”
Symptoms
Fever. Didn’t happen. Breathing issues. Nope. He tasted everything and smelled the good and the bad.
But the chills? And only the chills?
“I didn’t have a fever because I was checking, but I was worried when I had the chills. It was like, OK, what’s coming next? I was pretty anxious,” Guy said. “We all hear all this information, and it’s all over the place so we don’t know what to expect when it hits home.
“I really did brace myself for the worst case possible, but the anxiety was the worst part, and I am so thankful. I was really surprised about testing positive and experiencing those cold chills without having an abnormal temperature,” he said. “Those two things surprised me, and I did what I had to do to keep other people safe.”
The Mask Task
Droplets. Aerosol. Liquid particles. Say it and don’t spray it.
That’s where most of the germs are present and how the majority of the community spread takes place.
“The fact that people are actually debating wearing a mask when we’re in public is amazing to me. What the CDC has outlined for us makes total sense,” Guy said. “It makes total sense because that’s how everything spreads, if you really think about it. The common cold spreads that way and so does the flu every year.
“I tested positive because a co-worker was exposed, and that’s how it happens. One person to the next,” he said. “I was lucky. I didn’t go through what so many have. It’s about the mask. Wear a mask if you can, is all I can say, and if you can’t because of a medical condition, I get that, but that means you have to take other precautions to keep others safe.”
While he’s not surprised the coronavirus somehow evolved into a political issue for some, Guy insisted it is about public health and nothing else.
“The people in our country seem to get divided over everything whether it’s taxes, immigration, or whatever,” he said. “For some reason, COVID-19 has become something that’s getting used, too, because we have an election day coming up in November. But trust me, when you find out you’ve tested positive, the last thing you’re thinking about is politics.
“Your mortality, your family … that’s what I kept thinking about,” the Wheeling resident added. “But then the chills went away, and I didn’t experience anything else, so now I’m just doing what I can to keep others safe.”
