Coronavirus Tales : From Fiction to Reality

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https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/british-columbia/anti-vaccine-fort-st-john-pregnant-wife-1.6222325

Husband regrets anti-vaxx stance as pregnant wife lies in a coma 800 km from home


Dwayne Binette says rural alienation, online misinformation played roles in his 'wrong choice'
Andrew Kurjata · CBC News · Posted: Oct 22, 2021 6:45 PM PT | Last Updated: October 23

Dwayne Binette's pregnant wife, Krystal, is in a medically induced coma with uncertain chances of survival after getting COVID-19. (Dwayne Binette)
A former self-described "anti-vaxxer" says he regrets not listening to the science as his pregnant wife lies in a medically induced coma 800 kilometres from home.

Now he's speaking out in the hope he can convince other vaccine-hesitant people to change their minds before it's too late.

Dwayne Binette, 43, lives in Fort St. John, B.C., with his 39-year-old wife and two children, aged 11 and 3. There, he says, he was surrounded by people who didn't take the risks of COVID-19 seriously.

Under 60 per cent of eligible people in northeastern British Columbia are fully vaccinated, and patients in need of critical care are being transferred to other parts of the province to reduce stress on local hospitals.

Binette says he and his wife had started talking to their doctor about vaccination when their 11-year-old came home with mild flu-like symptoms on Oct. 4. Soon after, both he and his wife tested positive for COVID-19.

His wife, a member of the Prophet River First Nation who is 27 weeks pregnant, deteriorated and by Oct. 11 had to be taken to hospital. She is now in a medically induced coma in New Westminster, roughly an 800 kilometre flight or 1,200 km drive from Fort St. John.

She is hooked up to an ECMO machine, which replaces lung function in a bid to try to save her life.

Binette says his children, 11 and 3, are having a hard time understanding why their mother isn't home. (Dwayne Binette)
Binette says doctors are uncertain about the survival chances of his wife or their unborn baby and every day he wakes up hoping they are still alive.

"When you're away from your wife who's dying in the hospital and you're under quarantine and your kids are asking where mom is, I mean, it's pretty tough," he said.

Binette spoke to CBC News about why he didn't believe the science of COVID-19 vaccines and how he hopes other people can have their mind changed. The interview has been edited for length and clarity.

Dwayne, you said that before all this, you were a pretty open anti-vaxxer. That's how you described yourself. Can you tell me about that?

Yes, you're correct, I was. I was pretty much against this thing.

"Is this safe? Is this safe for my pregnant wife?" I was pretty dug in. I was going to wait and see. Obviously, I made the wrong choice.


Why is it that you didn't believe it when the government said everybody should get vaccinated, and there were news reports saying the safest thing is to get vaccinated — why didn't that connect with you?

I think in my area there's a lot of distrust toward the government. We haven't had a fair shake out here. So I think that plays a part. Also, there's a large amount of misinformation out there, especially with social media. It seems to play off of that and instead of doing the right thing and talking to the health professionals — doctors and nurses dealing with this pandemic — people seem to want to be able to just believe what they read on the internet, which isn't a correct way to do things.

I mean, if I could go back and change things, I definitely would. I was pretty set in my ways against getting this vaccination. I had multiple arguments with the family, with people on social media. It turns out that vaccination is a life-saving thing.

When you talk about not getting a fair shake, what are you talking about?

There's quite a few things in this region and the north, we seem to be left out. We're a smaller population than bigger cities, so it doesn't feel like our opinion counts. So when you have a lot of the decisions being made about our area from a different location, it's sometimes hard to accept.



As well, government doesn't seem to consider how it affects us up here. They seem to want to make decisions without even knowing how that will affect us in this area.

So that just turns into a knee-jerk, you don't believe anything they tell you?

Exactly.

You've changed your mind because of this tragic situation. But there were tragic situations you could have heard about and it didn't change your mind. So what would have changed your mind aside from your wife getting really, really sick?

I think having so much misinformation out there is a big thing.

I think having government do things in a way that is more comforting to people, so that they can explain things, in a way, and not just come down and order it to be done or else there is going to be consequences. This would make a real big difference.

You would know people who didn't believe [COVID] was a problem and, unfortunately, there's some people who might listen to your story and still not change their mind. They'll just think it's another bit of media hype.

I would suggest to them this is a life-saving measure. If you see a speeding truck about to hit one of your family members, you would jump into action and save their life. This is the same thing we have. We have a chance to save our friends' and families' lives, and we need to take that opportunity to do that. We need to get vaccinated.

This is for real. This is a life-saving measure. They're not guaranteeing that you won't get COVID [after] being vaccinated, but what they're saying is this will save your life. You won't end up in such a serious condition as my wife is in. So, if I could go back in months, I would have our whole family vaccinated and her life would be saved right now. I am sure of it.

 

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Neosho man fighting for his life following COVID-19 infection

https://www.joplinglobe.com/news/lo...cle_8b383c2a-09bb-11ec-8345-8b482c331efb.html

Neosho COVID-19 patient recovering after 'roller coaster' ride

• By Kevin McClintock | kmcclintock@joplinglobe.com
• Sep 3, 2021
• 4 min to read

ST. LOUIS, Mo. — The “miracle man.”

That’s what the nursing staff at Missouri Baptist Medical Center has dubbed Vincent Simone, the 23-year-old who has been fighting COVID-19 since early June.

Following a series of setbacks that family members have likened to riding an “out-of-control roller coaster,” the Neosho man spoke for the first time since Aug. 2 on Wednesday morning, less than an hour after a tracheostomy tube was removed from his throat.

When that moment arrived, Sarajane Armstrong, Vincent’s mother, was back home in Neosho for her daughters’ first day of school, a day she never misses. Afterward she received a video call from Hannah Simone, Vincent’s wife, who was at her husband’s side in St. Louis.

Armstrong gave Vincent her usual greeting — “Morning, Son, how’re you doing?” She expected Hannah to speak for him, or for Vincent to mouth his words, flash her a thumbs-up, or point to a nearby alphabet to spell out his answer.

Instead, “he said, ‘I’m doing good, Momma.’ and I screamed and I yelled and I ran through the house; I was saying, ‘Ah! He’s talking,’” she said. “I literally screamed because I hadn’t heard that voice in a long time” — since June 26, in fact, the day Vincent was placed into a medically induced coma.

On Saturday, Aug. 28, Vincent stood and walked five steps around his room. A few days later, he upped that count to 10 steps, moving from his bed to a waiting wheelchair.

“It’s absolutely amazing,” Armstrong said. “I don’t even have words. He’s had everything thrown at him and he’s fought through it all.”

An impossible comeback
Vincent, a new-construction plumber by trade and a 2016 Neosho High School graduate, blamed his COVID-19 on heatstroke on June 11, after a long day outdoors. On June 15, he tested positive for the coronavirus, for which he had not been vaccinated, and was placed under house quarantine. Two days later, struggling for breath, he was rushed to Freeman Neosho Hospital; later, he was transferred by plane to Missouri Baptist.

Despite his age and a strong constitution — he was a football offensive lineman and record-breaking weightlifter for Neosho High School — several preexisting conditions helped fuel the COVID-19-induced pneumonia inside his lungs, including monogenic diabetes and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, a serious lung disease.

He was first placed on a ventilator to aid his labored breathing. Later, Vincent was hooked up to an extracorporeal membrane oxygenation machine, which supports the regular functions of the heart and lungs to allow the body a better opportunity to fight off the virus. Later still, he was hooked up to a second ECMO machine — a rarity. Through July, Vincent also had to deal with a contagious bacterial infection, a bleeding ulcer and an infection of a heart valve.

It’s for all of these reasons Vincent was given a mere 30% chance of survival.

On Aug. 1, he was taken off one of the two ECMO machines, and remained stable until early Aug. 4, when Armstrong was told they would need to make a sudden, in-person trip north to the hospital. “They didn’t think he would make it through the night,” she said, “because his oxygen levels had dropped into the 60s and he wasn’t doing well at all.”

Vincent’s right lung collapsed the following day, she said, “and he pretty much quit breathing.”

That’s when the tracheostomy tube was inserted. Later, his left lung collapsed, and another tube was inserted to help him breathe.

“Then palliative care contacted us,” she said. “Wow, that’s such a horrible feeling.”


One of the doctors told her of her son’s grim chances, telling her should the machines fail he probably wouldn’t make it. “And I told him, ‘he’s going to make it.’”

A mother and her son
That night — garbed in a gown, gloves, hood and mask — she sat next to her son’s bed and talked to him, squeezing his hand. It was the first time she’d been able to touch her son since early June, when Vincent first went into home quarantine.

“We couldn’t really hug him — though I did give him a kiss with my (mask) on — but I just sat there and let him hear my voice so he would fight some more. My son’s a fighter. He always has been. Both doctors we spoke to flat out told us that they were not ready to give up on Vincent, and they never did.”

Less than 48 hours later, he woke up and was soon disconnected from the first ECMO machine, an unexpected improvement. As Vincent slowly gained his senses and grew more alert, his first concerns centered around the well-being of his younger siblings, who all adore him, and how the family was fairing financially.

“Just Vincent being Vincent,” his mother said.

He’s still “processing things a little bit; he’s doing pretty good with it,” she continued. “He’s a little emotional — anyone would be in his situation. He’s now just realizing some of the things he’s gong through, and it’s got to be overwhelming for him.”

 

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Getting vaccinated
Back in Neosho, Armstrong proudly stated earlier this week that she’s had her first COVID vaccine shot and is counting down the days for the second shot; other family member are in the process of doing the same.

Nobody in the Armstrong household was vaccinated when Vincent came down with the coronavirus back in June, and when Vincent was in the coma in mid-July, Armstrong was considering getting vaccinated.

“I’m now glad I’ve done it,” she said.

Prior to her son’s COVID-19-related problems, she admitted she didn’t think much about the pandemic’s dangers. But that changed with Vincent’s hospitalization.

‘Walking on clouds’
Whether it’s Armstrong or Hannah or another family member, someone is with Vincent at all times in St. Louis, “because he’s awake and he doesn’t want to be alone. and I don’t blame the poor kid, you know. He’s been asleep for almost three months.”

Right now, Vincent is off all breathing machines and both chest tubes have been removed. He is focused on regaining some of the 140 pounds he lost since his hospitalization. Those caring for him hope to move him to a long-term center to complete his rehab in nearby Springfield in the coming weeks.

On Thursday, after he’d walked from the hospital bed to his wheelchair without assistance of a walker, “all the nurses and his doctor on the floor were all cheering him on and clapping,” she said.

“I am walking on clouds right now,” she said. “I always had hope, but to see him sitting up in a chair and eating, it’s just a miracle. A true miracle.”

 

[Orbital-Fetus]

this thread makes me smile.

 

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Prince George's County Woman Hesitated to Get Vaccine – Until She Got COVID

Prince George's County Woman Hesitated to Get Vaccine – Until She Got COVID
"I didn't want to be a test dummy and I was adamant that I'm not putting that in my body. Adamant until I got COVID"

By Doreen Gentzler, News4 Anchor and Patricia Fantis • Published November 4, 2021 • Updated on November 4, 2021 at 6:12 pm



A Prince George’s County, Maryland, mother and grandmother spent months in her home, hoping to ride out the pandemic without getting vaccinated. Then, she got COVID-19.

Linda Mercer, 54, said she was hesitant to get vaccinated even though a blood clot condition put her at high risk for the virus.

"I didn't want to be a test dummy and I was adamant that I'm not putting that in my body," Mercer said. "Adamant until I got COVID."

Mercer said her feelings about the vaccine changed after she got COVID-19 from her grandchildren over the summer.


Months later, she struggles to feel like herself as she deals with lingering physical and neurological side effects from the virus.

"I got very sick. I started having night sweats, fevers, body aches all over me," she said. "As the days went, I got worse. When I got up to walk, I could not breathe."

Mercer's symptoms got so bad she was rushed to the hospital and doctors told her she had pneumonia brought on by her coronavirus infection.

"I'm thinking, OK, well … I can't survive from this. I already have an issue with my lung. My blood clots are in the main arteries of my lungs. So now my lungs is getting ready to do double work," Mercer said.

She spent several days in the hospital before her condition improved. But the retired Metro worker is still struggling to recover at home. Dealing with long haul COVID symptoms, including headaches, chronic pain and muscle aches.

"It can vary so much in person to person on the effect that it has on someone.

It can be anything from muscle aches and poor exercise tolerance to brain fog and headaches. So, you know, lots of different symptoms and it can look different, and we're still learning a lot about it," Dr. Mona Gahunia, an infectious disease physician with Kaiser Permanente, said.

Gahunia has seen the damage the unpredictable virus can do.

"I can't enjoy that quality of life because I don't know how long these long haul effects will last," Mercer said.

Even as new coronavirus cases fall nationwide – vaccine hesitancy remains high as we head towards the busy holiday season and extra opportunities for the virus to spread.

"This is the time, if you haven't gotten vaccinated, to go ahead and do it before we see any possible surges associated with more indoor gatherings," Dr. Mona Gahunia said.

A recent survey found that mistrust in the government and the vaccines themselves, has kept millions of Americans from getting a coronavirus vaccine.

Many fear vaccine side effects, some with no evidence they exist. That’s why Mercer is sharing her story and her decision to get vaccinated after surviving COVID. She said she hopes to encourage others to roll up their sleeves and prevent the pain she continues to endure.

"So that this may help you make a decision from someone that is experiencing it, have experienced it, still going through it and make a decision from that," Mercer said.

Doctors say even people who have gotten infected with the coronavirus should get the vaccine, because it provides a stronger and longer lasting level of immunity than a natural infection.

 

[Capitol]

Is this a bot or what

 

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https://www.kgw.com/article/news/he...tion/283-4af7d5ec-aa26-4cfb-98de-c8e9b9c0d550

Self-proclaimed COVID skeptic in Oregon survives severe infection, encourages vaccination

Howard Breidenbach of Myrtle Creek admits he did not take the virus seriously and did not get vaccinated. He hopes his story will resonate with others like him.




Author: Galen Ettlin
Published: 4:43 PM PST November 9, 2021
Updated: 7:21 PM PST November 9, 2021


OREGON, USA — An Oregon man is alive and back home after more than a hundred days in a Seattle hospital for COVID-19.

Howard Breidenbach of Myrtle Creek in southern Oregon admits he did not take the virus seriously.

"This is a conspiracy, just a flu they're overinflating," he recalled of his feelings prior to getting sick.


He refused vaccination at a pharmacy.

In late July, he had to be taken to the UW Medical Center, severely ill with COVID-19. He was semi-conscious for about three weeks, unable to breathe without the help of machines.

"I thought I was dead," Breidenbach said. "Couldn't remember my birthday, couldn't remember my name."

He had to put his growing trucking business on hold.

"We were set to retire within five years," he said. "I lost everything."

Doctors told him he had a 30% chance to survive.

After 102 days in the hospital, Breidenbach was able to return home to Douglas County. He said he's now sharing his story with other people who are skeptical about COVID-19 and the vaccine as he was.

"I agree with them, they should have their choice," he said. "But at the same time, what freedom do you have in the grave, besides to be worm food?"

Douglas County is about 56% vaccinated, compared to more than 80% in Multnomah County.

During his Zoom interview with KGW Tuesday, Breidenbach was still connected to an oxygen tank and could not suppress his coughing.

"The COVID cough never goes away," he said.

He is now fully vaccinated against COVID-19 and urged people to separate pandemic issues from politics.

"Right and left, red and blue...we're still all neighbors."

 

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[ShenJingPoQi]

Random tweet: Covid denier or Covid vaccine hesitant individual dies from Covid. Yet this is meant to make us take the vaccine or support the political and pharmaceutical line.

We can keep doing this FOREVER, did they die from Covid or did they die with Covid. They can never answer this and with majority dying at the time with 3-4 co-morbidities; the burden is just too much for them to accept and to even answer.

When did twitter become news and can anyone prove these people existed, actually died from covid? The answer as always is no. Lol.

Childish narrative

 

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Random tweet: Covid denier or Covid vaccine hesitant individual dies from Covid. Yet this is meant to make us take the vaccine or support the political and pharmaceutical line.

We can keep doing this FOREVER, did they die from Covid or did they die with Covid. They can never answer this and with majority dying at the time with 3-4 co-morbidities; the burden is just too much for them to accept and to even answer.

When did twitter become news and can anyone prove these people existed, actually died from covid? The answer as always is no. Lol.

Childish narrative

 

[ShenJingPoQi]

Is this meant to be funny?!! A tweet is not news. And majority people just read the headline retweet it if it fits their agenda; whether left or right.

There is zero real investigator journalism anymore.

How many of these Covid or vaccine deniers supposed death from Covid were actually investigated?!? Like how many journalist see if the deceased had other underlying health issues or even had a drug addiction?!? As many has said before and will say again, did they die from Covid or with Covid?!

Modern media is a very excellent indication of the cognitive ability of the educated class. If the people giving you news can’t give you basic facts; than we dealing with cognitively impaired educated class.

 

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