Delaware County man shares experience with COVID-19
NEWTOWN SQUARE, Pa. - A Delaware County man is sharing his experience with COVID-19. He is hoping to open people's eyes that staying home is important to reduce spread.
"I've had oxygen coming in up my nose coming out of the wall," Jason Hartelius told FOX 29.
Hartelius, of Newtown Square, is detailing his three day hospital stay and his battle against a nasty case of COVID-19.
"I've been sick where you feel like you can't breathe. This was different. This was unlike anything I've ever felt," he explained.
Hartelius, a broadcasting colleague and producer for NFL Network, is home now after spending three days at Riddle Hospital in Delaware County. He says he called an ambulance Tuesday morning when breathing became dangerously difficult.
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"It's scary and it's multiplied by the fact that you're in this room alone," he said. "Everyone who comes into your room has to get freshly gowned up, masks, all wear shields around their faces. Doctors and nurses were amazing — completely fearless in all this."
Hartelius says the doctors treated him as if he had COVID-19 even though his test results didn't come in until after he was discharged from the hospital days later. He also talked about the delayed COVID-19 case counts in a short video he posted on Facebook from his hospital bed.
"Some people are saying oh look at the numbers, there's only so many cases. I feel like those numbers are at least a week behind," he said.
Hartelius says he shared the video in hopes of opening people's eyes.
"I've had several people tell me, okay, I'm staying home now," he said. "If a couple people change their mind because of that video then I guess putting myself out there to the public in a hospital gown was worth," Hartelius said.
Hartelius' hospital video has more than 20,000 views. While he is home and starting to feel better, he's quarantined for the next week. Doctors tell him it could be a couple of months before he's 100 percent.
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