West Hollywood man tests positive for coronavirus speaks out about his experience to warn others
WeHo COVID-19 Patient Day 11
FOX 11 continues to follow a 32-year old photographer fighting the coronavirus. It was two weeks ago today that Matt Schulte first fell ill, vomiting, fever, loss of breath. In our nightly update he says he is still has a lingering cough and is now working with a diagnostics lab to get home testing approved.
WEST HOLLYWOOD, Calif. - What is it like to get sick with the coronavirus?
A West Hollywood man says he got sick on a ski trip to Aspen last week which was less than a 24-hour period.
West Hollywood COVID-19 patient recovering from virus week 2
It's a new week and we've got a positive new update from a man we've been tracking daily who tested positive for coronavirus. One week ago today. To our surprise... Matt Schulte was full of energy and the same guy we saw last week! Schulte says he spoke with the public health department today. He says he needs to show no symptoms for three days and would not need to re-test. Then he'd be out of home quarantine and like the rest of us... Just follow the safer at home order.
Never thinking it was COVID-19 he flew back to Los Angeles and got worse.
Matt Schulte, 32, is sharing his detailed story each night with FOX 11 News warning others as to how serious this virus is.
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Schulte started documenting his experience on social media hoping his experience can prevent others from contracting this horrible virus.
"This morning I received news that I’ve tested positive for Covid 19. I haven’t known anyone, personally, that’s been affected, so, as embarrassing as it is to admit, I hadn’t taken almost any precaution prior to getting sick. As soon as I began feeling symptomatic, I was far more cautious and ultimately went to the ER last Friday for testing. Since then, I’ve remained in isolation and I’ll do so until this passes. I’m sharing this with you in hopes to serve as a cautionary tale.... you may be asymptomatic, you may be presymptomatic or you may just think you’re incapable of being a carrier and passing it on to someone in a much more vulnerable position than yourself. Please act in solidarity and protect those that need protecting. Do your part by staying home, washing your hands and being vigilant. If it can happen to me, it can happen to you. All the love- be safe!", Schulte posted.
What To Expect:
Schulte says, "Documenting my experience the best I can and trying to give you all the information in one place, rather than trying to respond to you individually. If you have any questions, please don’t hesitate to ask. Please please PLEASEEEE take precautions, take this very seriously, understand how important of a role YOU play in this, and be careful. It’s up to ALL OF US to prevent the spread of the virus. Thank you for all the love and the continued support!"
Prior to Tuesday, March 10 his symptoms included:
• Intermittent nausea
• Difficulty breathing
• Slight fatigue
On Tuesday, March 10:
• Woke up vomiting, threw up non-stop couldn't keep anything down.
• Chills
• Body aches
• Fever
• Diarrhea
• Difficulty breathing
• Mild cough
• Extremely fatigued
Wednesday, March 11:
• Vomiting (3-5 times per day)
• Throat was getting worse
• Runny nose during the day and extremely congested at night
• Extremely fatigued
• Chest was getting heavier and started to feel like it was full of fluid
• Body aches
• Cough was getting worse
Thursday, March 12:
• Nauseous, but no vomiting
• Throat was much worse
• Chest was getting worse
• Fatigue, cough, runny nose
• Body aches and fatigue
Friday, March 13 (testing day):
• Woke up with worst sore throat of my life. Very swollen glands and couldn't swallow anything.
• My chest felt like an elephant was sitting on it, it was very difficult to breathe.
• My cough wasn't that bad it actually improved a bit.
• I started to feel very weird...
Saturday - Tuesday:
• Everything pretty much worsened and my cough was uncontrollable.
• My chest was still very heavy
• I'm still feeling that weird, light-headed, unable to really process things, sick feeling.
Where did he get testing?
Schulte tells FOX 11 he called the nearest urgent care center and they informed him that in California there is a shortage of tests so the only way to get tested is to go to the emergency room.
So, on Friday, March 13 he went to Cedars-Sinai because he had ALL the symptoms and had just traveled to a highly-infected area in Aspen. They were able to administer the test on him (2 nasal swabs and a throat swab).
"I'm uninsured and they don't let you know a price beforehand. They told me it'll likely be free because Trump declared this pandemic a national emergency," Schulte said.
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He says he was told to self-quarantine with his girlfriend and will test again in about fourteen days to make sure he's negative.
He says he was told the biggest concern for him is that he doesn't get bronchitis or pneumonia.
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In order to protect yourself from a possible infection, the CDC recommends:
Avoid close contact with people who are sick.
Avoid touching your eyes, nose, and mouth.
Stay home when you are sick.
Cover your cough or sneeze with a tissue, then throw the tissue in the trash.
Clean and disinfect frequently touched objects and surfaces using a regular household cleaning spray or wipe.
Wash your hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, especially after going to the bathroom; before eating; and after blowing your nose, coughing, or sneezing.
For more information, visit https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019-ncov.
FOX 11's Christine Devine contributed