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First COVID-19 Case: Patient's Experience: Part 2
Dennis Robbins shares his experience as the first patient with COVID-19 at Genesis.
Featuring:
Dennis Robbins
Dennis Robbins was the First COVID-19 Case at Genesis Healthcare. Transcription:
Scott Webb (Host): Welcome to part two of a two part special podcast series brought to you by Genesis Healthcare System. In part one, we spoke with Infectious Disease Specialist dr. Jignesh Modi about he and the Genesis Healthcare team worked to save Dennis Robbins’ life and what they learned from their first COVID-19 patient. Please listen to part one if you haven’t done so already. And today, in part two of the series, you’ll hear from Dennis Robbins in his own words. You’ll hear how a healthy 48 year old man became the first Genesis Healthcare COVID-19 patient and how grateful he is to have survived the virus. Thanks for listening to part two of our series. I’m Scott Webb. Dennis, thanks so much for being on. Your story is an inspirational one. I want to have you start by telling us how and when you found out you had COVID-19.
Dennis Robbins (Guest): Well it started on March 16th. I began to have a fever, cold chills, body aches. I called my family doctor and he wanted me to go get a chest x-ray. And the results of the chest x-ray come back negative. He thought maybe I just had a common cold, put me on some antibiotics and from there, about four days later, I was still feeling sick and decided to go back to work. Went to work on a Sunday afternoon. On my way to Michigan, I started feeling worse again, fever. When I returned back home, the next day, I had a fever of 106 and ended up going to the emergency room.
Host: We’ve heard that it’s fevers, and dry cough and we kind of have a sense of what the key kind of symptoms are but 106, that’s really frightening.
Dennis: Yeah.
Host: All right so take me through then from the time when you thought maybe you just had the common cold to when someone tells you heh Dennis, this thing that everybody’s talking about, this pandemic thing; you’ve got it. what was that moment like? What was your reaction to finding out you had COVID-19?
Dennis: Well after I found out my fever was 106, my wife decided that I needed to go to the emergency room. Upon arriving at the emergency room, temperature was 105.5. I walked in, met the ER doctor and he wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. After they done a few tests, they ruled out the common flu, the bird flu, and he told me that it’s a possibility that I had the COVID-19 and from there, we went and done some more testing. They ran a CAT scan on me to see what my problems was. My lungs had shut down and I ended up on a ventilator. I was on the ventilator for eight days unconscious and upon waking up, I realized that I’d been on the ventilator and we went from there.
Host: Wow Dennis, man I am just like taking all this in because you watch the news, you see things on Facebook but to really – to actually talk to someone who’s been through this eight days unconscious and we wake up and they basically say, so Dennis you have been on a ventilator for the last eight days. And I’ve talked to Dr. Modi and he explained to me kind of what they did with you and how they I believe they were able to help you to survive this by turning you from you back to your stomach and having to do all this manually. It was quite a process to help save your life. And so how did they explain things? What did they say to you after those eight days besides heh, you’ve been on a ventilator and you’re still alive. What exactly did they say to you? How did they explain this to you?
Dennis: They said that I was a very sick man. If it wasn’t for them proning me, that I would have not made it. if I’d have waited a couple of hours to come to the ER, I probably would have not made it. I’m very thankful that the doctors knew what they was doing. It was a really scary experience.
Host: I’m sure you have a lot to say to Dr. Modi and the staff of the hospital and I’d like to just give you the chance to do that in your own words. What would you like to say to them?
Dennis: I think it was a blessing that the doctors that was on staff that day knew what they was doing and the nursing staff and the doctors that was there gave me 110% of their time and took care of me. I started out as a 48 year old man that was healthy. This virus tried to take me away. And I can’t thank the nursing staff and the doctors – words can’t describe how I feel about the Genesis staff for saving my life.
Host: Really amazing story Dennis. Last question for you, what would be your advice to the rest of America as someone who survived COVID-19 whether it’s about the signs and symptoms and when to call 9-1-1, when to go to the hospital, your feelings about people wearing masks, the value of that? Anything in your own words that you’d like to tell the rest of us as a survivor of COVID.
Dennis: This virus is not a hoax. If you have the symptoms, go get tested. They have the tests, get tested, protect yourself. This virus is – it’s out there. It’s not a hoax. It’s the truth and you can’t see it. So, you got to protect yourself. Wear your mask. If it could happen to a 48 year old healthy person and knock you down within a week; it can happen to anybody.
Host: That is so well said Dennis. And I’m so glad to have it in your own words. Truly just an inspirational story. We hear so much negativity and all the downsides of all of this and to know that the Genesis staff and Dr. Modi and the nursing staff and everybody, every bit of ingenuity and medical expertise that they had to save your life to know that you walked out of the hospital, to hear the gratitude in your voice. I know you’re not walking around today because you are just a normal guy, right, you are not walking around feeling like an inspiration. I can hear it in your voice. You just feel happy to be alive. And I’m happy you’re alive. We all are. But you really Dennis are an inspiration and I thank you so much for your time.
Dennis: I appreciate it, thanks.
Host: That’s Dennis Robbins, Genesis Healthcare patient and COVID-19 survivor. Visit www.genesishcs.org to read more about his incredible story. And thanks for listening to part two of our series brought to you by Genesis Healthcare System. I’m Scott Webb. Stay well.
Scott Webb (Host): Welcome to part two of a two part special podcast series brought to you by Genesis Healthcare System. In part one, we spoke with Infectious Disease Specialist dr. Jignesh Modi about he and the Genesis Healthcare team worked to save Dennis Robbins’ life and what they learned from their first COVID-19 patient. Please listen to part one if you haven’t done so already. And today, in part two of the series, you’ll hear from Dennis Robbins in his own words. You’ll hear how a healthy 48 year old man became the first Genesis Healthcare COVID-19 patient and how grateful he is to have survived the virus. Thanks for listening to part two of our series. I’m Scott Webb. Dennis, thanks so much for being on. Your story is an inspirational one. I want to have you start by telling us how and when you found out you had COVID-19.
Dennis Robbins (Guest): Well it started on March 16th. I began to have a fever, cold chills, body aches. I called my family doctor and he wanted me to go get a chest x-ray. And the results of the chest x-ray come back negative. He thought maybe I just had a common cold, put me on some antibiotics and from there, about four days later, I was still feeling sick and decided to go back to work. Went to work on a Sunday afternoon. On my way to Michigan, I started feeling worse again, fever. When I returned back home, the next day, I had a fever of 106 and ended up going to the emergency room.
Host: We’ve heard that it’s fevers, and dry cough and we kind of have a sense of what the key kind of symptoms are but 106, that’s really frightening.
Dennis: Yeah.
Host: All right so take me through then from the time when you thought maybe you just had the common cold to when someone tells you heh Dennis, this thing that everybody’s talking about, this pandemic thing; you’ve got it. what was that moment like? What was your reaction to finding out you had COVID-19?
Dennis: Well after I found out my fever was 106, my wife decided that I needed to go to the emergency room. Upon arriving at the emergency room, temperature was 105.5. I walked in, met the ER doctor and he wasn’t sure exactly what was going on. After they done a few tests, they ruled out the common flu, the bird flu, and he told me that it’s a possibility that I had the COVID-19 and from there, we went and done some more testing. They ran a CAT scan on me to see what my problems was. My lungs had shut down and I ended up on a ventilator. I was on the ventilator for eight days unconscious and upon waking up, I realized that I’d been on the ventilator and we went from there.
Host: Wow Dennis, man I am just like taking all this in because you watch the news, you see things on Facebook but to really – to actually talk to someone who’s been through this eight days unconscious and we wake up and they basically say, so Dennis you have been on a ventilator for the last eight days. And I’ve talked to Dr. Modi and he explained to me kind of what they did with you and how they I believe they were able to help you to survive this by turning you from you back to your stomach and having to do all this manually. It was quite a process to help save your life. And so how did they explain things? What did they say to you after those eight days besides heh, you’ve been on a ventilator and you’re still alive. What exactly did they say to you? How did they explain this to you?
Dennis: They said that I was a very sick man. If it wasn’t for them proning me, that I would have not made it. if I’d have waited a couple of hours to come to the ER, I probably would have not made it. I’m very thankful that the doctors knew what they was doing. It was a really scary experience.
Host: I’m sure you have a lot to say to Dr. Modi and the staff of the hospital and I’d like to just give you the chance to do that in your own words. What would you like to say to them?
Dennis: I think it was a blessing that the doctors that was on staff that day knew what they was doing and the nursing staff and the doctors that was there gave me 110% of their time and took care of me. I started out as a 48 year old man that was healthy. This virus tried to take me away. And I can’t thank the nursing staff and the doctors – words can’t describe how I feel about the Genesis staff for saving my life.
Host: Really amazing story Dennis. Last question for you, what would be your advice to the rest of America as someone who survived COVID-19 whether it’s about the signs and symptoms and when to call 9-1-1, when to go to the hospital, your feelings about people wearing masks, the value of that? Anything in your own words that you’d like to tell the rest of us as a survivor of COVID.
Dennis: This virus is not a hoax. If you have the symptoms, go get tested. They have the tests, get tested, protect yourself. This virus is – it’s out there. It’s not a hoax. It’s the truth and you can’t see it. So, you got to protect yourself. Wear your mask. If it could happen to a 48 year old healthy person and knock you down within a week; it can happen to anybody.
Host: That is so well said Dennis. And I’m so glad to have it in your own words. Truly just an inspirational story. We hear so much negativity and all the downsides of all of this and to know that the Genesis staff and Dr. Modi and the nursing staff and everybody, every bit of ingenuity and medical expertise that they had to save your life to know that you walked out of the hospital, to hear the gratitude in your voice. I know you’re not walking around today because you are just a normal guy, right, you are not walking around feeling like an inspiration. I can hear it in your voice. You just feel happy to be alive. And I’m happy you’re alive. We all are. But you really Dennis are an inspiration and I thank you so much for your time.
Dennis: I appreciate it, thanks.
Host: That’s Dennis Robbins, Genesis Healthcare patient and COVID-19 survivor. Visit www.genesishcs.org to read more about his incredible story. And thanks for listening to part two of our series brought to you by Genesis Healthcare System. I’m Scott Webb. Stay well.