After spending 64 days in the hospital following a positive coronavirus diagnosis and losing most of his fingers, one man is hoping his story will inform others about the seriousness of the virus.
According to KNX 1070 News, Gregg Garfield and a dozen of his friends fell ill during a ski trip to Italy in February, just a few weeks prior to the coronavirus shutdowns in the U.S.
Garfield's immune system was hit the hardest and he was immediately hospitalized at Providence St. Joseph Medical Center in Los Angeles, where his condition began deteriorating.
He was put on a ventilator for a total of 31 days with doctors giving him a 1% chance of survival, according to the news station.
Garfield recalled having serious complications as a result of the novel virus including MRSA, sepsis, kidney failure, liver failure, pulmonary embolism, and burst lungs.
However, he made a miraculous near-full recovery in April and was released from the hospital.
"I am a prime example of a guy who shouldn't get it," Garfield told the news station. "I can really hope people really do take this seriously and look at me, I am an example of what you don't want to have happened. And I am very, very fortunate to be alive with given a one percent survival. That means if you're in my situation, you won't make it."
Garfield's survival may have shocked doctors, but the necessary amputation of his fingers on both hands will serve as a lifelong reminder of his battle with COVID-19.
"I've survived this. I'm doing fantastic. However, take heed on this. My hands are never going to be the same. I don't have fingers anymore. This can happen to you," he explained to KTLA.
Garfield's surgeon, Dr. David Kulber of Cedars Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, amputated all the fingers on his right hand and most on his left hand after the virus impacted his blood flow.
"COVID has effects on the endovascular blood stream, so it actually affects the blood flow," he said explaining that it's why some people with the virus have had strokes and why the standard is to put "patients on blood thinners."
Garfield has a long journey ahead of him including six operations to reconstruct his fingers using prosthetics, which won't be covered by insurance unlike the $2 million two-month stay at the hospital.
A GoFundMe account set up after he first tested positive has raised over $200,000 for help cover healthcare costs.
With coronavirus cases surging around the nation, Garfield hopes that people will do their part by social distancing and wearing face masks not only for themselves but for others.
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