CORPUS CHRISTI, Texas — A Gregory woman who is battling COVID-19 at Spohn Shoreline hospital said she always wore her mask when out in public, but she still caught the virus.
Kimberly Cisneros, a 34-year-old mother and hairdresser, laid in her hospital bed on oxygen while speaking with us virtually about the dangers of catching the virus.
”I always masked up," Cisneros said. "I knew it was serious because I have quite a few people that passed away that I was close to, so I knew it. I didn’t think it was going to happen to me.”
Now, Cisneros said says she’s on Remdesivir, undergoing convalescent plasma treatments, is on blood thinners and other medicines to try and keep COVID at bay. Cisneros has been in the hospital since Thursday and says she is the only person on her floor who can actually walk around. She is currently on 15 liters of oxygen, which usually means a patient is in for an extended stay.
”I have a wonderful nurse, I have two wonderful nurses," Cisneros said. "To be honest I was crying and I told her I don’t wanna die because I was already on oxygen and she says repeat after me -- 'I have Covid but Covid doesn’t have me'.”
Cisneros is one of many patients hospitalized with COVID-19 in Nueces County. She said she knew COVID-19 was serious and took precautions but still caught the virus.
Local pulmonologist Dr. Salim Surani said our hospitals are full of patients like Cisneros and everyone needs to take the virus very seriously right now as we are entering our second surge.
"A lot of the people think that COVID-19 is a kind of simple disease like flu and common cold and all that, it is not, especially in the high-risk group like the elderly, even a compromised person, somebody with a bad lung --that can be catastrophic,” Surani said.
Cisneros said she wants to remind everyone to make sure they wear their mask because COVID is a real danger. Unfortunately, she has found out how real of a threat it is as she now sits in this hospital hoping the medicines she’s given will save her life and get her back home to her son and family.
For the latest updates on coronavirus in the Coastal Bend, click here.
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