What is it like to get sick with Chinese coronavirus: American personal experience

When Carl Goldman and his wife Geri went on vacation on the Diamond Princess cruise ship, he had no idea he would end up among doctors in hazmat suits, in a biocontrol unit, in Nebraska. Writes about this ABC News.

Фото: Depositphotos

Together with the rest of the passengers and crew of the cruise ship, the Goldmans were quarantined, during which more and more people became infected with the Chinese coronavirus, officially known as COVID-19.

The virus quickly spread throughout the liner when it was docked on the coast of Japan, prompting the US government to evacuate Americans on board.

During this evacuation, the results of Goldman's diagnostic tests came: Jerry had a negative test for the virus, Carl, 66, received a positive result and went for treatment.

COVID-19, belonging to the same species as SARS, MERS, and the common cold, can cause mild symptoms, such as a sore throat or a slight cough. But it can develop into more serious problems, including fever and shortness of breath. In the most serious cases, patients need a respirator so that they can breathe.

The virus is more severe in older people and those with serious health problems. Based on data from China, where most deaths from the new coronavirus have occurred, about 2% are fatal.

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After a sleepless night, Karl and his wife were put on a plane bound for the United States. On board, Karl quickly fell asleep.

“When I woke up two hours later, I knew I had a fever,” Carl said. “My wife touched me and said that I was burning. She contacted military doctors, they took my temperature and immediately placed me in a quarantine zone.”

After landing in Omaha, Nebraska, on February 17, Carl was transported on a stretcher and in an ambulance to the biocontrol unit at the University of Nebraska Medical Center. He called it a "procession" of ambulances, military vehicles, first responders and federal marshals.

Any staff Carl interacted with these days was outfitted in protective suits.

“There were windows in the room, but they were made of thick double glass. The doors were closed all the time, so I felt like a fish inside an aquarium,” the man admitted.

Karl says that he did not have terrible symptoms, only a slight cough.

“The good news is my fever had stopped by the time I got to the hospital. On the first day and the first night I had a slight fever, and then it just disappeared,” says the American.

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Doctors measured his temperature every three hours.

“I think the biggest fear, especially with this virus, is dehydration,” Carl said.

Since there is as yet no proven effective treatment for Chinese coronavirus, doctors have given Karl over-the-counter drugs.

As soon as Karl’s symptoms disappeared, doctors regularly began to do tests until they got a negative result on COVID-19. Soon, the man was supposed to fly back to Los Angeles (California).

While the lungs are not completely clear of mucus, Karl does the breathing exercises recommended by doctors and walks around the room to maintain blood circulation.

“I feel good. Just had a nice lunch and am looking forward to the cheeseburger and baked potato today,” he said.

Read the latest news and everything you need to know about the outbreak of a new coronavirus from China. ForumDaily special project “Chinese Coronavirus”.

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