‘It happened to me’ — Charlotte native diagnosed with coronavirus. Here’s his story.
Last week, the Center for Disease Control issued updated statistics on the demographics for those testing positive for the novel coronavirus COVID-19. Out of about 2,500 cases in the U.S. between Feb. 12 and March 16 , around 31% were people between the ages of 20 and 54. Among them is 32-year old Charlotte native Gene Hoskins.
Hoskins, who now lives in Durham and travels often for gigs as a gospel singer, flew to Toronto, Canada, for business on Tuesday, March 10 through Charlotte Douglas International and returned on Sunday, March 15. While his flight to Toronto only required him to fly from Charlotte directly to Toronto’s Pearson International, the return trip brought an additional stop, New York’s LaGuardia airport.
After landing back in Charlotte, Hoskins made the drive home to Durham and crawled into bed by midnight. Monday morning of March 16 was just like any other workday — he woke up and prepared for his day job as a psychologist. Feeling fine — except for a slight cough that he thought was from his asthma and allergies — he decided to stop by a local grocery store to stock up on food before heading to the office.
“I didn’t think anything of it because I normally develop a cough around this time of year due to the pollen in North Carolina and having asthma,” Hoksins told CharlotteFive.
That evening, he started to feel a little achy, the same aches that usually signal the start of the flu. He called a friend who had just recovered from the flu, and let him know that he was feeling the same symptoms and would go to urgent care the next morning if things got worse.
The aches got worse and he began to run a fever, although he still never thought that it could be COVID-19. While he knew the virus was circulating, especially through travel, he just didn’t want to believe that was his diagnosis. Although looking back, he said he was certain that he contracted the virus from traveling; he just can’t pinpoint where in his travels.
Getting tested for coronavirus
The next morning, he drove himself to urgent care. “After going through intake, the doctor who actually tested me came into the room in a full hazmat suit. I understood the precaution, but the jokester in me couldn’t help but laugh,” Hoskins said.
Hoskins says the test consisted of two swabs of his nostrils and one of his throat, the usual test for the flu. He was told to go home and self-quarantine for the next 14 days to be safe. Someone from the doctor’s office would contact him with results.
The next day, he received word that the flu test was negative. He became a little worried and anxious. But as a man of faith, he began to pray for good news.
“I knew that I had to practice the things that I sing about. I relied on my belief in God to get me through the waiting period.”
Nearly 72 hours later, more results were back: Hoskins was positive for COVID-19.
Treatment for COVID-19
There is currently no medication on the market to help with the virus, and self-quarantine is the only option for now. Hoskins took Nyquil at night and Tylenol to help alleviate his aches and fever during the day. Both helped tremendously, and less than a week later, he is back to feeling like himself.
Overall, he exhibited moderate symptoms. His low-grade fever hovered just under 100 degrees, and he had a mild cough and somewhat uncomfortable aches. He describes his experience with COVID-19 as the flu, amplified.
The North Carolina Health Department has called him daily to monitor his progress.
“They are stunned each time I tell them that I’m getting better, rather than worse,” he said. “They told me to alert them if I start to feel bad again.”
Hoskins is grateful for people in his support system in Durham for dropping off meals and essential items on his doorstep while he waits out the remaining 7 days of his quarantine period. How is his quarantine stash? He said he wishes that he would have stocked up on more ice cream and ginger ale ahead of time — they are some of his favorite items when sick.
“Having to tell my inner circle that I tested positive came with a little shame initially. But, I had to realize that I did nothing wrong except be human and travel.”
He’s used his time in isolation to plan for work, create new music, and catch up on his favorite Netflix and Hulu shows. His advice to anyone else who may be experiencing symptoms or those who get diagnosed, stay positive and keep positive people around to help encourage you through it.
