When 35-year-old Brenton clocked into work the Wednesday before Christmas, he didn’t know that the pains he nursed that day would haunt him for the next two weeks. His battle with COVID-19 put him among the millions of Americans who grappled with the virus during its recent winter surge. Like many survivors and vulnerable citizens across the country, his message is simple: get vaccinated.
His story is an example of the struggle being confronted in homes and workplaces across America as the fight against COVID-19 continues to rage.
The retail worker recalled the beginning of his symptoms, which would eventually put him in a hospital.
“I remember coming into work and telling a coworker about my body aching,” Brenton said. “By the time I got home, I’d already had a fever.”
By Friday, a combination of his fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue forced him to go to the emergency room, where he tested positive for COVID-19. While his physical symptoms would slowly improve, Brenton would struggle with the psychological impact of his diagnosis.
“Mentally, I was breaking down. I was absolutely miserable,” he said. “I felt alone and could not do anything to make it better. The pain went on for hours and hours, it was almost impossible to sleep. I have never been that depressed in my life.”
Unvaccinated like many of his fellow Daytonians, he would face 11 days of illness and fatigue before his symptoms finally subsided. What began with mild pain would end with vomiting and diarrhea. The experience left him shaken.
“It changed how I viewed the virus,” Brenton said. “We’ve had the virus around for two years and during that whole time frame, I didn’t even get a cold. I began to think I was asymptomatic and then I caught it. I have never experienced anything like that in my life. The pain, the misery, it just went on and on and at times it seemed like it would never end. It opened my eyes and I am getting vaccinated as soon as I can.”
It is a sentiment shared by many in Montgomery County, where the most recent data from the county’s Department of Health shows a 26% rise in cases. The ongoing surge has proven to be the most infectious since the pandemic began, with over one million cases reported nationwide on Jan. 11, according to the John Hopkins University and Medicine’s Coronavirus Resource Center.
As a fully vaccinated COVID survivor, Professor Crystal Echols’ experience could not have been more different from Brenton’s. The worst she would face was a sore throat, slight fatigue and runny nose; all of which subsided after just five days.
“Thankfully, COVID was a non-event for me,” Echols said. “All the symptoms were gone in about five days; then all I had to do was fight the cabin fever for the rest of my quarantine period.”
As the nation enters yet another year in the clutches of the pandemic, vaccines offer a glimmer of hope that higher inoculation rates will bring life back to normal. Raising awareness on the importance of vaccinations could put America back on track and save lives, one jab at a time.
Ismael Mujahid
Reporter