San Francisco Doctor: "I Am An ER Physician And I Have COVID-19"
SAN FRANCISCO (CBS SF) -- University of California, San Francisco emergency room doctor Rosny Daniel has been on the front lines in the Bay Area's battle against the coronavirus. Now, he's become a patient.
Daniel took to the social media platform Medium to talk about his life since he tested positive for the COVID-19 strain of the coronavirus over the weekend.
"I am an ER doctor and Saturday morning, I got the unfortunate news that I tested positive for COVID-19," he wrote on Medium. "My leadership team contacted me to provide me support. I talked to my family and several close friends to let them know. Got on the horn with my close contacts to let them know (I haven't actually had any close contacts since becoming symptomatic). I also spoke with my local DPH and Occupational Health team to help notify anybody and everyone necessary."
Read More On Medium About Dr. Daniel's Recovery From Coronavirus
Daniel said his symptoms began as mild.
"I started feeling very slightly sick on Thursday evening," he wrote on Medium. "My only symptoms were mild cough and that pre-sick feeling (kind of light headed and tired)"
Daniel believes he didn't catch the virus at UCSF. He's currently a home quarantine.
"I likely did not put anybody else at risk of contracting Coronavirus and probably didn't get it at work," he wrote.
So how does it feel to have a mild case of coronavirus?
"Physically, I feel fine," he wrote on Medium. "Mild muscle soreness and headaches mostly. I haven't had any more fevers since waking up a little sweaty Friday morning. My breathing is fine. No nausea, vomiting, diarrhea."
But, he admitted, there is psychological toll on coronavirus suffers.
"Emotionally, I feel anxious, guilty and thankful," he wrote on Medium. "I feel anxious because I know that this disease can get a lot worse very fast. I am type 1 diabetic and asthmatic, so I have been extra paranoid about wearing personal protective equipment (PPE), washing my hands and watching for symptoms of COVID-19."
Daniel is hopeful his age and overall good health will be enough for a quick recovery.
"I am hopeful that because I am mostly healthy and active, my asthma is in good control and my diabetes is in good control that I will get through this without severe or critical illness," he wrote. "So far I feel fine, but I am closely watching my symptoms and will call my brother, sister or one of my friends to take me to the hospital if I get severe symptoms like very high fever, shortness of breath, chest pain or severe fatigue."
Daniel wrote that providers have to look out for and support each other during the current crisis.
"As healthcare providers, we often pretend we aren't sick and try to 'tough it out.' We definitely shouldn't be doing this (now, or probably ever). We need to take our symptoms seriously if we are worried we will endanger others. We need to have each other's backs."
