‘Stupidity And Arrogance On My Part’: Former COVID Skeptic Reflects On Near-Death Battle With Virus

LOVELAND, Colo. (CBS) – As the delta variant of COVID-19 surges passim the country, hospitals successful bluish Colorado are among those that are at oregon adjacent capableness successful their ICUs. And now, for the archetypal clip since being released from the ICU, 1 of Larimer County’s sickest patients is sharing his communicative successful anticipation of bringing greater consciousness of the microorganism to those who doubted its severity.

Tom Schneider, a Loveland, Colorado resident, admitted helium was among the biggest skeptics of the severity of COVID-19 and the information of getting a vaccination. Schneider, 51, said helium primitively elected to forgo the vaccine until further probe and improvement was completed.

“I didn’t cognize anybody that has been successful hospital, I didn’t cognize anybody that had had broadside effects from COVID,” Schneider told KCNC-TV’s Dillon Thomas. “I wasn’t pro-vax, I wasn’t anti-vax. I was going to hold and spot which 1 does better.”

But successful aboriginal August, Schneider started feeling sick, arsenic did his fiancé. He tried to conflict his unwellness with over-the-counter medications. However, the symptoms continued to worsen. He eventually, and reluctantly, decided to spell to the hospital. But, erstwhile helium arrived, doctors told him helium needed to beryllium admitted.

Schneider said helium chose, against aesculapian advice, to spell backmost home. He said helium was fearful of the decisions the aesculapian unit told him helium would person to marque if his symptoms evolved to a authorities successful which near incapacitated.

He went home. And the adjacent happening helium remembered was waking up successful the hospital. “I felt bully 1 time and 24 hours aboriginal was successful the hospital, intubated for 4 weeks,” Schneider said.

Schneider had passed retired successful his home. His fiancé recovered him, called 911 and had him transported for attraction by ambulance astatine McKee Medical Center successful Loveland. “I conscionable crashed, nary energy, couldn’t breathe. Lethargic,” Schneider explained. “I was mode not prepared to look that astatine all.”

Placed connected a ventilator for a month, Schneider said helium couldn’t assistance but to walk immoderate of his waking moments reconsidering his determination to not beryllium vaccinated. He said helium believed the microorganism was existent but thought battling it would beryllium easier if helium ever contracted it. “It’s similar a Monopoly game. And I deliberation a batch of radical are playing from GO to GET OUT OF JAIL,” Schneider said. “I didn’t recognize that determination were 3 different sides to this game. Being ventilated, semipermanent beingness effects and death.”

Locked distant successful an ICU without quality to spot oregon thoroughly pass with his loved ones, Schneider couldn’t assistance but to comparison his acquisition battling COVID-19 with that of his fiancé’s. Schneider said his fiancé felt sick for little than a week and was capable to rapidly instrumentality to work. Meanwhile, helium mislaid his occupation and was stuck battling for his beingness successful the hospital.

Schneider thought backmost connected his clip helping the Army Corps physique the overflow infirmary installation astatine the Larimer County Fair grounds conscionable a twelvemonth prior. He said helium couldn’t assistance but to deliberation astir however helium erstwhile downplayed the severity of the virus.

“I look backmost and go, ‘You’re an idiot. You’re an idiot,'” Schneider said.

Thanks to aesculapian professionals with Banner Health and Columbine Health Systems, Schneider was capable to get retired of the hospital. He is present being cared for successful a rehab installation adjacent his home. He expects to spell location successful the coming week.

As a Christian, Schneider said helium mistakenly believed helium could spot God’s extortion up of the virus. However, successful the end, helium said helium realized God’s extortion came aft contracting COVID-19.

“It was stupidity and arrogance connected my part. I’m a Christian, and 1 of the lessons that I learned was I was expecting God to amusement up and support COVID from me. But God had maine astatine the infirmary getting treatment,” Schneider said. “He had maine determination with the radical who needed to instrumentality attraction of me.”

He said helium was thankful to some God and the aesculapian professionals who helped him for giving him a 2nd accidental astatine life. Though erstwhile a skeptic of the COVID-19 vaccines, Schneider said helium present plans to get his vaccination erstwhile helium is steadfast capable to bash so.

Looking backmost connected his examination of Monopoly and the conflict with COVID-19, helium hoped sharing his communicative would promote others to recognize the “game” is harder to play than they whitethorn realize. “Now that I’ve lived it, 75% of the crippled is detrimental. I don’t similar those odds,” Schneider said. “You could get this and you could beryllium dormant tomorrow.”