Two Hawaii COVID-19 survivors share lingering effects months after recovery
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HONOLULU (KITV) — The road to recovery is a long rough stretch for some people who had COVID-19. Patients say they continue to battle physical and mental effects months after being released from isolation. Two local survivors of the coronavirus say their journey has been emotional and their lives were turned upside down.
Before COVID-19, George Ma says he has never been sick in his 47 years of life. As a fitness trainer, he used to work five days a week. These days, the pace has slowed way down.
“Basically I will sleep for 12 hours to work six hours. I work every other day. I’m slowly getting better,” Ma said. “But there’s just so much more, that it’s still a mystery.”
Ma believes the unpredictable rate of physical recovery can put him in a dark place mentally.
“Going from someone that’s active, to laying out in bed, sometimes it could be a day, sometimes it can be two days. You can start getting really depressed,” Ma said.
Still, he tries to live life the way he used to.
“It’s funny, my other half always says, you still putting on cologne. I said yeah, yeah. Still doing my hair. When you stop doing things like that and you stop living life then COVID wins, and COVID beats you. I don’t want that to happen to myself,” Ma said.
It has also been a long journey for 60-year-old Dr. Leo Pascua, who was diagnosed with the coronavirus in late March. He was on a ventilator for 10 days while he was hospitalized. Pascua reports his only physical symptom that’s lingering is some breathing issues but the mental toll is ever present.
“We have people on ventilators right now and their families are going through what my family is going through,” Pascua said. “My wife, if I cough once or twice, she asks are you ok. The anxiety level of my family, that’s one of the side effect.”
From the beginning, Pascua has tried to stay strong.
“Saying to myself, Leo if that ever happens to you, there will be no whining, no drowning in your own self pity. Put on your karate gear, get up and train. If it means just standing there for two minutes before you’re winded for the day, good enough. Just do that,” Pascua said.
With that positive attitude, the doctor hopes to kick away COVID-19, one day at a time.
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