Antonio

Nobody believed me, but I really did have Covid.

UTAH, OGDEN: When I heard about the Chinese emergency room doctor who died from Covid, I knew the virus was real. I knew it was going to be a worldwide problem. However, the nightclub industry in which I work did not take Covid seriously, no precautions were taken to limit the spread of the disease. I think I caught the virus at one of my DJ jobs.

In March 2020, I began experiencing symptoms I could not explain. I thought I had allergies but it was not allergy season. Covid cases began showing up in Park City. I stayed at home, then woke up one morning with a fever and body aches. My heartbeat was irregular and I had difficulty walking. I was disoriented and had memory lapses. I started coughing blood. 

I called the Utah Covid Hotline and the operator laughed at me, saying I could not possibly have Covid.

I was afraid of going to the hospital, thinking that if I really did not have Covid, I might get it there. But I went to the ER and they would not accept me. I drove to another hospital. Along the way, thought of the millions of people all over the world who were suffering like me.

I walked into the new hospital and noticed that I was the only one wearing a mask. Anxious and confused, I couldn’t fill out the forms. I was given a number of tests but my lungs, heart, oxygen level, everything was okay and I was sent home.

But I did not feel well.