>>KENT JUSTICE: IN IT FOR THE LONG HAUL MILLIONS OF AMERICANS HAVE RECOVERED FROM THE
CORONAVIRUS BUT ARE STILL
FEELING THE LONG-TERM EFFECT
STILL KIND OF SUFFERING
SHORTNESS OF BREATH, THOSE
COULD BE HEADACHES TIREDNESS
TROUBLE BREATHING AND HEART
PROBLEMS AND THESE ARE.
>> YOUNG OTHERWISE HEALTHY
PEOPLE AS WELL.
>>KENT JUSTICE: WITH SO MANY
PEOPLE CONTINUING TO SUFFER
DOCTORS ARE WORRIED THAT
PEOPLE HAVE BEATEN EVEN MILD
CASES OF THE CORONAVIRUS COULD
HAVE PROBLEMS THE REST OF THEIR
LIVES. RESEARCHERS ESTIMATE
ABOUT 10% OR ONE IN EVERY 10
COVID-19 PATIENTS BECOMES
LONG HAULERS NEWS 4 JAX I TEAM
INVESTIGATOR VIC MICOLUCCI
SHOWS US HOW FOR SOME THE VIRUS
HAS AFFECTS WON’T GO AWAY.
>> ON THE VERGE
OF DEATH. GEORGE REDICK IS WAS ALONE IN THE ICU IN A COMA WITH SEVERE COVID-19 COVID HAS
NOT BEEN KIND TO OUR FAMILY
THAT’S FOR SURE HIS DAUGHTER
KIM WHO WAS ALSO INFECTED WAS
LOSING HOPE HER FAMILY ALREADY
LOST SEVERAL LOVED ONES TO THE
VIRUS WE A FEW FAMILY
MEMBERS DIE, I’VE HAD SEVERAL
FAMILY MEMBERS THAT HAVE ENDED
UP ON VENTILATORS BUT HER
FATHER GEORGE WAS NOT READY TO
GO.
>> AND ON HIS 73RD BIRTHDAY.
>> AND HE CAME OUT OF THE
>> SO PEOPLE BETTER UNDERSTAND
THE HARD PART IS THAT YOU COME
OUT OF
THE COMA.
>> TODAY GEORGE IS STILL
RECOVERING AT ORANGE PARK
MEDICAL
CENTER’S REHAB HE’S HAVING TO
LEARN HOW TO DO THE SIMPLEST
THINGS AGAIN. TELL ME ABOUT THE
EFFECT AFTER THE VIRUS. MY
HEART TO 10%.
SO BUT I DON’T FEEL IT I DID A
LITTLE TIRED KNOW THAT KIND OF
STUFF.
US YOU ASKED ME THAT QUESTION
AGAIN IF YOU DON’T MIND WHEN
YOU.
>> THAT’S
BRAIN FOG. RETTIG IS IS WHAT
DOCTORS CALL A COVID
LONGHAULERS MEANING EVEN AFTER
SURVIVING
THE VIRUS. HE AND HIS FAMILY
HAVE LINGERING SYMPTOMS WERE
STILL KIND OF SUFFERING
SHORTNESS OF BREATH LIKE I GOT
USED TO MY MATH NOW I CAN
BARELY BREATHE IN MY LAST FOR
TOO LONG.
>> STILL CAN’T TASTE THINGS
RIGHT AND STILL GET REALLY
TIRED AND THEY ARE NOT ALONE
MILLIONS OF AMERICANS OF ALL
AGES HAVE AFFECTS THAT JUST
WON’T
GO AWAY.
>> IT COULD BE INFLAMMATION OF
THE HEART CAUSING THE HEART
MUSCLES
GET WEAK.
>> DOCTOR SAUMIL OZA IS THE
CHIEF OF CARDIOLOGY AT
ASCENSION SAINT VINCENT’S HIS
CARDIAC TEAM IS STUDYING THE
LONG-TERM CONSEQUENCES OF EVEN
MILD CASES OF THE VIRUS.
WE
DON’T KNOW.
>> DOWN THE LINE OF A 20 YEAR
OLD OR 30 YEAR-OLD DEVELOPS
COVID WITH
MINIMAL SYMPTOMS IF THAT IS THE
DAMAGE TO THE END OF HIM
COMPLETELY GOES AWAY OR IF IT
MIGHT DOWN THE LINE
20 YEARS LATER.
>> I WAS A HIGHER INCIDENCE OF
CORONARY DISEASE OR HIGH BLOOD
PRESSURE HE’S CONCERNED ABOUT
PERMANENT SCARRING AND DAMAGE
TO CRITICAL ARTERIES TO
PREVIOUSLY HEALTHY PEOPLE
INCLUDING ATHLETES. HIS CARDIAC
MRI SHOWS A CONDITION CALLED
MYOCARDITIS WHICH WEAKENS
THE MUSCLE AND CAUSES ABNORMAL
HEART RHYTHMS. IT’S REALLY
GOING TO BE RESEARCH THAT WE’RE
DOING.
>> IN 5.10 YEARS ON I’M ARE
COVID PATIENTS THAT’S GOING TO
TELL US. YOU KNOW WHAT KIND OF
LONG-TERM ISSUES ARE WE GOING
HAVE WITH THIS WITH
THIS VIRUS.
>> POSSIBLY MORE DISTURBING THE
AFFECTS ON BREATHING SAYS
DANIEL WISE AND THERE ARE
PEOPLE EVEN THAT HAD MILD
DISEASE TO BEGIN WITH NOT
HOSPITALIZED, NOT
THAT SICK. THEY CAN HAVE
PERSISTENT SYMPTOMS THAT LAST
WEEKS OR EVEN MONTHS THIS IS A
NORMAL SET OF LUNGS AND THESE
ARE FROM A RECOVERED COVID
PATIENTS NOTICE HOW THEY
LOOK CLOUDY. SOME CASES MAY
CAUSE PERMANENT DAMAGE AND THAT
COULD REQUIRE A TRANSPLANT.
I MEAN THAT YOU’RE GOING TO BE
SHORT OF BREATH,
THE REST OF YOUR LIFE
POTENTIALLY COUGHING. YOU KEPT
YOUR X-RAYS AND CAT SCANS WONG
CLEAR. SOME PEOPLE MIGHT NEED
OXYGEN. BOTH DOCTORS AGREE THAT
MOST PEOPLE
SHOULD RECOVER. BUT THE VIRUS
IS TOO NEW TO KNOW FOR SURE SO
THE BEST BET IS NOT TO
CATCH IT. THEY SAY THIS SHOULD
BE A WAKE-UP CALL TO EXERCISE
AND
EAT HEALTHY. DESPITE IT ALL
JORGE RODRIGUEZ AND HIS FAMILY
ARE
STILL THANKFUL. AND HOPING FOR
A FULL RECOVERY DAY BY DAY STEP
BY STEP RIGHT DON’T GIVE UP
JUST BECAUSE
YOU GOT.
>> AND I WANT TO GIVE THANKS TO
GOD. I HOPE YOU PUT THAT ON TO
YOU HAVE FAITH AND I GOT FAITH
FRIENDS OF LOVE THAT.
♪
>> AND GEORGE WOULD NOT LET ME GO WITHOUT THANKING EVERYONE WHO HELPED HIM ALONG THE WAY
FROM THE DOCTORS AND NURSES AT
THE
MAYO CLINIC TO ORANGE PARK
REHABILITATION. HE SAYS THEY
CANNOT GET
ENOUGH PRAISE. AND HE WANTS TO
TELL PEOPLE TO TAKE THIS VIRUS
SERIOUSLY BEFORE HE GOT SICK,
HE DIDN’T BELIEVE IN IT.
HE DIDN’T WEAR A MASK, AND IT
ALMOST
KILLED HIM.
>>JOY PURDY: I THINK WHAT A
STORY NOT YOU RECOVERED FROM
THE CORONAVIRUS YOU HEADED BACK
IN JULY AUGUST PEOPLE MIGHT BE
CURIOUS ABOUT THE EFFECTS
ON YOU.
>> JOY, I’M FORTUNATE AND I
DON’T HAVE IT NEARLY AS BAD AS
SO MANY OTHERS I HAD CHEST
TIGHTNESS IN MY HEART WAS
RACING FOR WEEKS AFTER I
EXERCISE A LOT MORE NOW AND I
TRY TO TAKE IT EASY.
BUT I WILL TELL YOU I STILL GET
HEADACHES AND SINUS PRESSURE
THAT COULD BE RELATED TO THE
VIRUS. ONE DOCTOR TOLD ME
IF YOU DID NOT HAVE THOSE