COVID-19 survivor warns about side-effects, masks and vaccines

CALGARY (CityNews) — Is walking down the stairs difficult? Maybe not for you, but for some who contract COVID-19, even minor tasks like walking and lifting things can leave you out of breath.

A warning coming from one man who went from very active to struggling to do everyday tasks.

“The symptoms were very mild at first, so I was very not worried, then another day passed and that’s when it really hit me,” said 36-year-old Gord McColl, who fought COVID-19.

“I woke up extra tired and I tried to walk from our couch to the bathroom, which isn’t very far away. By the time I got to the bathroom, I was hyperventilating and it was really scary, I was able to turn on the shower, and the steam from that kind of made me able to get my breath back. Shortly after, my partner Laura called 911.”

READ MORE: Case rates have doctors dreading next hospital shifts in Alberta

McColl believes a recent visit to the doctor’s office, with a possible close contact of COVID-19, landed him in the ICU at Rockyview Hospital.

He says COVID-19 is no joke and people do not understand its consequences until they contract it.

“I was very active, I am a very active person, I am a snowboarder, I do kayaking, so I was in very good shape before COVID,” he said. “Now I feel very weak, I have lost about 16 pounds. When COVID-19 is your reality, it’s completely different, and things like wearing a mask in public, getting vaccinated, they seem so minor when you are actually in it. So I hope that sharing my story, I am helping people make better decisions.”

Feeling grateful to the healthcare facilities and his loved ones, McColl feels he is recovering well after leaving the hospital Monday but warns others might not be so lucky.

He says, being safe and taking precautions are the keys to avoid getting COVID-19 in the first place.