A Chicago COVID-19 Patient Talks About His Harrowing Experience From His Hospital Bed
CHICAGO (CBS) -- Michael Bane has been hospitalized for days with COVID-19, and he has a very strong message about it.
CBS 2' Suzanne Le Mignot on Monday spoke remotely to Bane, who is being treated for coronavirus at Rush University Medical Center.
Last Sunday, Bane started having severe symptoms. He had a very high fever and body aches that were so bad he couldn't even sleep. He spoke to Le Mignot from his hospital bed and at times, with very labored breathing.
Le Mignot: "What have the doctors told you, by the way, about your prognosis?"
Bane: "Well, I think my oxygen levels are good, so I haven't needed any supplemental yet. The fevers are constant. There's two things they want to get under control before we talk about leaving. The fevers need to stop, and then I need to be able to stay hydrated. I was very dehydrated all the time."
Le Mignot: "One of the most heartbreaking things for you was not being able to be with your daughter during this time."
Bane: "It's been heartbreaking. I mean, she knows daddy's gone right now. We FaceTime a lot. My wife says she's become very clingy; refuses to sleep in her room; has to sleep with my wife. And not being with my wife and kid, I miss them a lot. And you know, I know I have to stay away, because I don't want them going through this."
Le Mignot: "What would your message be to anyone watching us right now, thinking that, 'Ah, this social distancing is not important?'"
Bane: "If you have loved ones, you don't want to get this. You've got to take it seriously, because we're not all going to survive. It's real, and it's brutal." Bane said if he shows no signs of fever and dehydration, he hopes to be home with his family in about a week.
So where did Bane catch the virus? The 42-year-old said went to a hospital where his wife works to bring her flowers.
During that time, he had a brief encounter with someone believed to have tested positive for the virus a short time later.