SUMTER COUNTY, Fla. – A man from Sumter County shares his story of getting the coronavirus and recovering.
Tony Perry lives in The Villages with his wife Susan and wants to share his story to show you can recover from the potentially deadly virus.
“I feel very fortunate, I can say I’m alive now because of my wife,” Perry said.
The 67-year-old said his wife has experience as a critical care nurse as an infection control officer in the U.S. Air Force and she recognized his symptoms after the couple returned from a family trip. He said his health started to decline when he got dry cough and a fever.
“I was feeling poorly and my wife said we need to take you to the hospital,” Perry said.
Perry said much of what happened after he was hospitalized and tested positive for COVID-19 is a blur of beeping machines, tests, and nurses at Leesburg Regional Medical Center.
“I really didn’t have a clear grasp of how sick I was, I knew I was sick,” Perry said.
While hospitalized he was diagnosed with viral pneumonia as he was battling COVID-19. At one point Perry said doctors turned to experimental treatments.
“I was given Hydroxychloroquine and also azithromycin,” Perry said.
Alone at the hospital, Perry said he had to stand up to the coronavirus and put his words into action.
“Susan and I had an agreement before I went into the hospital, she said ‘think positive thoughts because you are coming home,” Perry said.
While in quarantine the couple who has been married for 25 years were forced to be apart.
“There I was in the hospital bed and all I could think of is you got to get better,” Perry said.
After 17 days in quarantine, he said he plans to donate plasma and hopes the cure to COVID-19 is on his blood.
Tony said he feels great and is waiting for another coronavirus test to ensure he tests negative. His wife tested negative and never exhibited symptoms.
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