MEDINA, Ohio - A COVID-19 survivor has a message of hope and patience after he was diagnosed with the virus on March 14 by the Cleveland Clinic.
"I was looking at the news thinking I had a one-way ticket to the ER and I was going to have to be on a respirator but what they told me is you have to self-treat. There's no treatment plan, other than Tylenol and Advil and if you feel shortness of breath go to the emergency room," says Brian Zawada of Medina, Ohio.
Zawada is a 48-year-old father of three who tested positive for COVID-19 after returning from traveling on the west coast.
Zawada says he felt flu-like symptoms. His fever went back and forth between 99 and 103 for nine days.
Zawada stayed home, quarantined in his house with his wife and 18-year-old son, while keeping his distance as much as possible.
While sick, he was watching the news of the coronavirus pandemic while trying to avoid misinformation.
"At one point, I realized I had to step back to turn off the TV and decided I'm not going to click on that link. It's just not healthy from a mental standpoint. I just have to monitor my symptoms and if I get worried, I have to escalate it. I think that was the right approach," he explains.
That approach not to feed into his fears paid off. Zawada managed to avoid a hospital stay and is now sharing his experience in a blog and with anyone he talks to.
"I didn't have that giant cough. That wasn't the leading indicator. Recognize you'll have different symptoms and whether you have it or not, try not to spread whatever you have to others. Wash your hands. Let's try to kick this thing out and move on," he says.
After two weeks of being sick, Zawada says he's feeling much better and is now ready to help others with whatever they may need.
"It's an energy thing for me. I have nothing in my chest, no cough, no fever in 10 days, and I'm symptom-free," he says.
Click here to read Zawada's blog.