“It’s not just like the flu. It’s not like a bad cold. It’s a serious virus that kills”
Michael Bane, a 42-year-old man from Chicago, tested positive for coronavirus and shared his story on Facebook.
Michal Bane wanted the world to know how dangerous the coronavirus is, so he posted on Facebook an honest and frightening description of his first eight days of illness. Bane, a fit man who was into sports and not that interested in going to the doctor without a valid reason, thought the coronavirus was not a major concern. “I am in shape,” he said in his Facebook post.
Bane learned in a matter of eight days that COVID-19 is a life-threatening disease that everyone should take seriously regardless of their age or health condition. The pandemic brought him to his knees.
At first, Michael tried to move on with his job and family life, but finally, after a long and gruesome struggle, COVID-19 put him into the hospital. He updated his Facebook story until March 21.
His original Facebook post that went viral started with the vivid question: “Does anyone even know anybody that has gotten the coronavirus? If you know me, you do now. My positive test for COVID-19 has been relayed to me, and I wanted to share the experience.”
He went to the hospital on March 3 to get a doctor’s appointment. “My wife works at this medical institution, and I thought it would be nice to surprise her with random flowers,” he wrote. “On my way, I had an exceptionally brief encounter with someone believed to test positive a short time later.
He realized his nose started to run on March 12, but he thought it was because of the spicy food he was eating at the time.
Bane said he developed a sore throat on March 14 but believed it was from post-nasal drip or from not sleeping with the humidifier on.
Bane’s sore throat increased by March 15, and his cough got more severe. He quickly developed a high fever, reaching up to 104.4°F. He then went for a check on March 17, and only one week after his first sign of symptoms, Bane discovered he had tested negative for the flu.
He ended up going back to the emergency room on March 21. He found out he tested positive for coronavirus. Doctors took chest x-rays and confirmed he had “bilateral pneumonia.” He was admitted to the hospital.
The same day he wrote: “So here I am, in the hospital on the 13th floor. The coughing won’t stop, and I’m waiting for the drugs to arrive. The point of all this? It’s not real for some of us until it happens to us or someone we know. Please, please, please, take this seriously. Practice social distancing.
He said that he was worried about his wife and child, feeling guilty as he may have infected them. He urged everyone to stay inside. “This is horrible, brutal, devastating. Protect the people you care about as best you can. I love you all.”
At the time of writing this article, Bane is still in the hospital’s ICU, hoping he can recover.
Haz clic para leer en Español: “No es sólo como una gripe. No es como un resfriado. Es un virus grave que mata”
