Being A Surfer Probably Saved His Life After Being Struck With COVID19.

Australian ASI surfing instructor, developed flu like symptoms.  In 3 days he had collapsed, taken to hospital, put in intensive care.  The doctors said, if he wasn’t a surfer, he probably would have been dead.  This happened in November 2019.  This is his story….

Joe Black, (not his real name) is an advanced level surfer, and had a full time job as a surfing instructor for many years.   At 40 years of age, he loved his surfing instructor job.  He previously had a trade business and made the move to do what he loved most in the world, surfing. 

He surfed most days, delivered surfing lessons most days and overall was pretty fit and healthy. 

In mid November 2019, he developed flu like symptoms.   He felt fluey, had a bit of a cough, a slight fever but not enough to be concerned about.  But something was different, his body just didn’t feel right.  Still he didn’t give it too much more thought.  
 
After 3 days, he collapsed and was rushed to hospital.  His lungs were full of water, operating at only 20% capacity.  His organs were starting to shut down.  The doctors could not believe he was still walking.   He was isolated in ICU.   

Doctors and nursing staff attending to him, were fitted out in full protective garments, gloves, face masks.  Joe thought it was strange.  Now that might not seem strange these days, but we are talking about November 2019.

The doctors couldn’t tell him what was wrong with him.   They didn’t know how to treat him.   They put it down to pneumonia with an exotic virus of some sort.   They gave him very high doses of all types of antibiotics including coloquine that made him feel very sick, but designed to fight pneumonia and other related diseases.  

His temperature was over 45C four days in a row.  The doctors wanted to put him in an induced coma so his body could fight the infection – but he refused.  After 2 days he had to fight to get himself checked out of hospital. 

His mother-in-law was visiting from overseas and she is a professor of nursing so she was able to monitor his vitals and attend to him. 

In the meantime, his wife, and small children and then his mother-in-law also became sick.  The children had mild symptoms and recovered within a week.   His wife and mother inlaw were, bed ridden but recovered within 3 days. 

Joe Black survived. He was on ton of "antibotics" for just over 2 months. and he slowly got better but still has not fully recovered.  He said it was like nothing he had had before. When you went to breathe, you could not take in air. It was like feeling you have when your lungs were fully expanded with no more room to take in are.  My breathing sounded like I was underwater.  

The doctors think the fact he was a surfer helped save his life.  Surfers typically work on increasing their lung capacity which is helpful if caught under water when wiping out in bigger waves. It means the surfers body can make the most of any oxygen in their lungs, until they can get to the surface.  

It’s now mid April 2020, 5 months since he became ill, and he is still not 100% better.  He gets tired very quickly.  Joe has been out surfing only 2 times, but can’t spend any longer than 60 mins in the water before he is exhausted.   Compared to before he got sick where he would spend hours in the water and also deliver surfing sessions on the same day. 

Did he have COVID19?   

He hasn’t been tested but the Health Department recently contacted him and said it is 99% certain he had it back in November 2019.   They want to test him to see if he has any antibodies.  However, they can only test him once they have an antibody test.  They don’t know when that will be. 

They have also told him stay silent and not tell anyone else he could have contracted COVID19 back in November.  

How did he get sick?   Joe says a lot of Chinese were doing surfing lessons with the surf school.  Many from the Wuhan area.  It was a private lesson and some of the kids were quite sick with flu, that he had to stop the lesson.   He can only suspect that’s where I got it. 

Joe now spends his days recuperating and researching about COVID19. 

But he says, “something is not right”.  There are so many unanswered questions he has.  And why he is being told to stay quiet.  His daily facebook posts are removed, maybe as they may mention a certain country that may be responsible.  However, he continues to collect a lot of information.   

Like him, it now turns out people were getting ill since November 2019.   

Australia shut its borders to China in February. Then to the rest of the world in March.  Which, Joe says, seems to have saved Australians. In addition, the States within Australia have closed State borders and people must stay in their local areas. All of which is also essential for controlling the virus.  

Stay local is Joe’s message. 

He encourages everyone to practice social distancing when out exercising.   Especially the young teenagers and people in their 20’s.   Everyone is at risk.  

Life goes on and we will make the most of it.  For sure, I will definitely not give up surfing, says Joe!  It looks like it saved my life.  

 

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