In this episode, Matthew interviews TJ Volonis. Two weeks ago, TJ started to exhibit classic symptoms of the Coronavirus and was diagnosed by his doctor as having caught the virus. He will describe his experience with the virus and the progression of the sickness as he experienced it.
Be sure to read and download the transcripts to this episode. Click on the tab above.
Check back often for more episodes pertaining to health and wellness and issues concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please send your questions to goingviralpodcast@gmail.com
Website: https://goingviral.buzzsprout.com/
Thanks for listening and please share this episode.
In this episode, Matthew interviews TJ Volonis. Two weeks ago, TJ started to exhibit classic symptoms of the Coronavirus and was diagnosed by his doctor as having caught the virus. He will describe his experience with the virus and the progression of the sickness as he experienced it.
Be sure to read and download the transcripts to this episode. Click on the tab above.
Check back often for more episodes pertaining to health and wellness and issues concerning the COVID-19 pandemic.
Please send your questions to goingviralpodcast@gmail.com
Website: https://goingviral.buzzsprout.com/
Thanks for listening and please share this episode.
spk_0: 0:05
Hello and welcome to the going viral podcast. I'm Matthew's Ender, a certified registered nurse anaesthetist. I'm in Advanced Practice Nurse that specializes in the practice of anesthesia. Scope of this podcast will explore health and wellness from the broad to the specific. My aim is to educate while offering a unique perspective. Thank you for joining me today and let's get right to the show. So thank you for joining me today for the fourth installment of the going viral podcast Today. I am recording this on April 2nd 2020 and the world did pass a grim milestone of one million confirmed cases of patients with Corona virus. Right before hitting record. I checked again and it was 1,007,000. And that's from data that is put out by the Johns Hopkins University School of Public Health. So this is a time, obviously, where a lot of us are worried, stressed, totally understandable. Of course, even the scientists are saying we don't know what to make of this yet it usually takes time to come up with an answer to a lot of the questions that we have, so we're mostly glued to the news cycles and the television and print media. One of the things that strikes me is how all other news has stopped. You know, if you watch some of these 24 hour news cycle shows where they have to fill a 24 hour period of constant news of all kinds of different topics, the only topic they're talking about right now is covert 19 or the Corona virus. Ah, it's just There are so many things that are odd and surreal that we're going through right now. My personal experiences, I'm out of work. I never thought I would ever say that it except for retirement. I'm in health care and there is always a need for health care providers. But right now I am essentially unemployed. So this is one of the reasons I started the podcast, because I have to be of service of some ways, shape or form, because I go nuts any other way. So I'm trying to get information out to people. Always remember to try to share this with people that you think could benefit from this information. And as I've said before, I do plan on getting into the stress management aspect of of my knowledge and of people's knowledge that I know to help with the obvious and normal and understandable anxiety that we're all going through. But in the meantime, I want to continue talking about aspects of this Corona virus in terms of trying to get the word out on certain things that are important, possibly unique, possibly things we haven't talked about in the news, like the previous episode that we did with the hazardous materials expert Ray Pearson. Again, I really hope that people are listening to that and sharing it with health care providers. So they know that they have to think about decontamination after they finish a shift at the hospital. It's very important. It's just something that we never have been trained on or thought about in our medical training. So I'm hoping a lot of people can share that and listen to it. So it's at least on their radar on then. Also just some different topics in the future with, um ah, an anesthesiologist that I know who was going to be on an airway team in in April, and he has agreed to sit down and talk to me after he finishes that shift about his experiences. Monday I have an interview set up with a physician who specializes in infectious disease. But in the meantime, today I was able to speak to a Nen vivid jewel. His name is T. J. Vallone us, and he was actually a friend of my wife's when they were in college many years ago, and she kept in touch with him and found out on social Media that he actually did contract. The Corona virus lives in New York City, so it's understandable why he may have caught it. And he graciously agreed to spend some time talking about his experience with the virus. So without further delay, here is my talk with TJ. Okay, so, uh, this is a t j villainous. Thank you, TJ very much for joining me, your friend of my wife's. And that's how I came in contact with you. And ah, we found out that unfortunately, you contracted the Corona virus there in New York City before we kind of get into the details there. Can you tell me a little bit about yourself? How you came to live in New York City, things like that. And then we can kind of, ah, go into the topic at hand.
spk_1: 5:05
Sure. Uh, well, he said my name's TJ villainous. Thank you so much for having me on your podcast. Um, how did I end up in New York? Well, um, after I graduated from u Mass Amherst, which is where I met your wife. She never good friends. My software, You're in college. I had friends who were living in New York and had invited me to come down and check it out. Back then, New York was known to be a pretty dangerous place and not like the number one location for people to move Thio. But it was really on the cusp of changing into a whole new city, which is happened over the last 20 years. I've lived here, so yeah, I came here mainly for friends, and, you know, I found a really great community. People here, I'd be able to have a lot of interesting career career's really throughout the course of my time here. And I just love how dynamic and energetic and, um, interesting a place it is. So
spk_0: 6:00
So what do you do there in New York?
spk_1: 6:02
I am in between jobs Uh, yes. You used to work as a visual artists producing my own artwork, uh, and showing selling it as well. But I did that for a good five or six years on now, in the middle of a career change. So I'm leaving the art behind. And I am currently waiting to start a nursing program. Ah, in a few about six weeks and saying me towards the end of march or sorry turns the end of May. Um, and, uh, yeah, I'm looking to go into nursing and get into the medical world and started medical profession.
spk_0: 6:42
Well, obviously, that's quite timely that we we obviously need a whole lot more nurses and, uh and you and from what I understand from we spoke of before, you're also thinking about advanced practice nursing as well.
spk_1: 6:54
Potentially. Yeah, that's one of things that tracks me to the nursing field is there are just so many options. There's so many different things that nurses do in health care setting that I know if I want something that really resonates with me and hopefully that I'm really, you know, good at and potentially going on and maybe getting a degree as a sierra. A nurse anaesthetist would be fantastic. But we'll see you.
spk_0: 7:19
That's great. I I am biased, but, ah, that it obviously an excellent excellent choice. So being there in New York has obviously posed some extra interesting lifestyle changes. Tell me a little bit about that.
spk_1: 7:35
Um Well, just in terms of, uh, the feeling of the city at this point, you know, we're we're no several weeks into this, and, um, it's very quiet, and New York is not usually a quiet city. I live in Brooklyn on guy live in a very residential area, so it's not usually too noisy and certainly not like, you know, ah, Fifth Avenue in Manhattan. But, um, I've noticed there are much fewer people in the streets. There is very little traffic. Um, things are just seems, seems just using just It just seems to be darker in general. Um, and having just kind of broken my quarantine, at least to the point where I'm going outside. Um, you know, the parks are as busy. There's a lot of people out because it's one of the things that people are allowed to still do. We're not on full lock down all the essential businesses are closed. But, you know, certainly hospitals. Certain restaurants that do delivery grocery stores, um, other like optometrists, that kind of stuff. Those things are still open, but the vast majority of businesses are closed.
spk_0: 8:46
Okay, so and as far as have you made it since all this started? Have you made it into Manhattan to see what it's like there?
spk_1: 8:55
No, I haven't. Um, I actually contracted Cupid 19 relatively early on, and that grounded me pretty quickly. So as soon as I had any symptoms, I quarantine myself. So I haven't had a chance to get into Manhattan yet. On I'm still a little tired. And I'm not ranging quite that far from home yet,
spk_0: 9:16
right? Smart. So any idea or any theories whatsoever about how you might have contracted it?
spk_1: 9:24
I really don't have any idea. Um, just from being in circulation, you know, I'm an active person. I go out, I ride my bike around the city. You know, I had appointments, met with friends. I did my best to kind of, like track things back to potential vectors. Like people that I came in contact with, You know? So my friends said that they saw other people who ended up with Corona and then, like around the same time, I did, Uh, no. Just before. I guess it's just before I did, Um and then we they had. I had met with them right after having contact, come in contact with those people, but nobody knew it was going on. They didn't have symptoms at that point, So there are certain friends that could have passed it to me. But it's just little things. It's just really, really difficult to track unless you've got some kind of like medical forensics.
spk_0: 10:17
And that's the problem with it is that no one knows where it's coming from. No one knows who is carrying it an asymptomatic on, and that's really what has happened here is, is just that time or you become symptomatic and you could be a carrier. Yeah, yeah, and it's It's really hard to track now worry. Did you spend much time in Manhattan before you felt like you were infected? Is that something that you feel like it could be a factor or is just busy enough there in Brooklyn?
spk_1: 10:47
Um, it could have been a factor. I doubt it had got actually got my medical clinic is in Manhattan. I had to get a bunch of blood work done for nursing school. You know, like they're require, at least tighter is not to get certain vaccinations and pull together all my records and all that kind of thing. But I think that was well over a week before I had any symptoms. I have to look back at the calendar. Um, but they weren't. That clinic doesn't accept Cove in 19 patients. Of course, anybody who walks through those doors could be a vector and transmitting the virus. So again, really hard to tell. But I don't spend a lot of time normally in Manhattan. Most my life these days is in Brooklyn.
spk_0: 11:27
Okay? So because the reason I ask is because that's really world. The news focuses is on that main area of New York Manhattan. They're showing the subways. They're showing the, you know, the financial districts. And they're showing, you know, the famous picture look at right now is Times Square being empty. You know, things like that, Of course, you know No, no self respecting local is gonna find themselves in Times Square. But uh, but
spk_1: 11:51
never. Yeah, well, there is a global can't put pandemic on our doorstep
spk_0: 11:55
like that Creepy. Uh, but so that is an interesting It is an interesting thought of what areas around Manhattan are also dealing with. This Justice Bailey is Manhattan and, you know, from even further into it, how are the hospital's doing in the outer boroughs?
spk_1: 12:15
Well, in terms of the location, I mean, you know, that's interesting point that, you know, people are so focused on Manhattan because that's what people know of New York City, especially if you've never been here. And if you don't have, ah, a sense of the larger geography that's involved in what is New York City? But the vast majority of cases are actually in Queens. Oh, interesting. Last night checks. Now. My information is now a couple days old, and this is just constantly changing. But I think something like half our or nearly half of the cases in New York City, as of maybe like three or four days ago were in Queens. So you know, people think of Manhattan, but it's actually in other boroughs. Other boroughs. I've been hit harder.
spk_0: 12:54
Interesting. Now see, that's that that was not even on my radar. That doesn't mean it wasn't on other people's, but as faras the news that I've been getting. I I wasn't even thinking about that, so it's a very interesting point. So when did you first realize or even think that you could have possibly caught this?
spk_1: 13:12
Well, today Marks. I think I was like, Day 15 or Day 16 after I had initial symptoms. Um, so going back that far, uh, actually had my interview for nursing school that morning on This is a Thursday morning and I felt fine throughout the rest of the day. I went for a long walk with a good friend of mine. She had just gotten back from San Francisco. Um, in your it's not really It's impossible for her to be a factor because I literally got had symptoms that same evening. Um, it doesn't incubate quite that quickly. I think it's saying up, you know, like minimum sort of two days up to two weeks. Um, so she wasn't Joe isn't at fault, but she was at risk afterwards. Let her know right away when I start developing symptoms that she needed Thio, stay home and self quarantine and not go to see her mom who is older and all that. Um, yeah, it was that Thursday night where I served, so it felt weird like I had. I felt flushed and warm. Um, it's about the like, a little tiny of a headache, and I just decided for the hell of it to check my temperature. And, um, the highest temperature record was 99.8. For me, that's particularly warm because I generally run cool, but my average body temperature is usually more like 97.5. So that was the first clue was that Thursday night? Um, the next day on Friday, I woke up with this Worth wrote that continue to get worse throughout the course of the day. On that persistent persisted for a few days. Um and then the next day after that, like it started on and no fever after that, I only had a few of the very first evening. How interesting. Yeah, I have a lot of other friends who got it here in New York, but also one in Dallas. And I think they had what is more critical. A typical experience which is they start off with a fever over the course of weak. They got better. Then they relapse and had a really much force fever. Um, and then another week later, we're more less clear symptoms. And they had coughing and things by, like, the second day. I had a much worse headache. The sore throat was still there. Just generally felt like lethargic. You know, when you're not when you're not feeling well, you just don't feel like doing much. Um, I felt flushed, Um, and those were the symptoms. That kind of, like stayed with me for, like, the two weeks to varying degrees. But again, I only had a temperature of the very first night at No, The point it was checking obsessively had a thermometer by my my heart yet no back and forth. Um, yeah, I never developed a fever after the very first night, but I had that lethargy. And if that flushed feeling were like, my face felt warm to the touch um, the rial problematic symptom that I had developed. I think it was around a four. Um, where, you know, the night before I had a really hard time sleeping I just couldn't get comfortable and I didn't know why he's here. You're in that half half state were, like, half awake but half asleep, but not really sure what's going on. And when I woke up that morning, I had a very acute pain in my back. It felt it felt like it was topic like I was on the surface of my back, like we're on the edge of my left scapula. Weirdly, whenever I would draw a deep breath, say about like, maybe 80% of my normal volume, I would get this absolutely stabbing pain that comes sort off is a vory, become just sort of a soreness and then very quickly shoot through my lung. Um, that pain was also associate ID with movement. So getting out of bed was really difficult for me, without tremendous amounts of pain, finding the right position so that I didn't activate the pain was difficult. Um, yeah, it was. It was actually pretty intense. Um, the next day after that, in the days after her, from that one point, it got a little bit better day by day. But it took probably a week and 1/2 about to finally kind of resolve and for me to not have any pain very longer. Um, the day that day I called my clinic, and I requested a Teladoc appointment with my GP, and she and I had a conversation the next day and explain that symptom to her because, you know, to me, it felt weird ID. It felt a lot like, you know, when you pull like a very specific muscle and it's just like it's super painful, no matter what you do, it's just sort of it just sort of in the irritation. It's not like that, but on my back. But it was obviously related to lung. So when I was describing that, she's like, Oh, that's actually very consistent with pneumonia or, um, pleurisy. So that would have been the Myra respiratory symptoms for Cupid.
spk_0: 17:52
So you have sense to your you know, the way you feel have made a full recovery, Have you? Have you had any, You know, any issues since then,
spk_1: 18:04
right? No. Um, you know, it was it was for me. It was a very gradual but very linear and clear healing process. I didn't have any relapses. I never developed fever again. Um, the headache was always sort of there in the background. You know, it's one of those things like you're not even sure if it's there like there's something that's been bothering you, um, being like just like being flushed and just very lethargic persisted for a long time. Towards the end of my recovery period, I noticed in the evenings, like around like, six or maybe seven o'clock at night, I would just get suddenly very tired. So those that lasted for, like, maybe three or four nights. But as of yesterday, I feel like I backed 100%. I have no lingering symptoms. The issue of my long has completely gone away. Um, there's no there's no residual anything.
spk_0: 18:54
Well, that's obviously great news. When when you had that consultation with the telehealth physician, what were the recommendations, if any,
spk_1: 19:07
Uh, with the recommendations, there weren't really any recommendations, you know, she did tell me she's like she was able to take my respiratory rate and my heart rate over the phone. That's something I could you know. I could give her that information just by county. How many breath for harmony, pulses or heartbeats? I have, over the course of a certain period of time that she was clocking. Um, so, you know, there were some diagnostic tools, although obviously, she couldn't listen to lung function with a stethoscope or do anything like that. Um, the recommendation, you know, or the conclusion that she drew was that it was a viral instead of a bacterial. Pneumonia are a poor pleurisy, um, and to just stay home. Um, and basically, she said the only the only reason you should go to a hospital is if you have serious shortness of breath to the point where you can't speak a scent full sentence without being out of breath by the end, or getting up and going to the bathroom to use, you know, getting up to go the bathroom. If you were out of breath just from that one small movement she said at that point, then you should You should check in and go to the go to the hospital.
spk_0: 20:19
And what was it her conclusion that you you did in fact, have the Corona virus?
spk_1: 20:24
Yes, she said, based on my symptoms, uh, it was inconsistent with a lot of the other cases that she's seen, um, another kind of any other evidence that she's read on medical journals or e mails or whatever in within the community.
spk_0: 20:39
And of course, because of the shortage, she didn't feel like it was necessary for you to be tested.
spk_1: 20:45
Um, I did call in New York City, has a Cupid hotline. Um, and so I called in and they were someone taking information. So they asked, you know, like, how old are you? Um, you know, what are your symptoms? When did they start? Etcetera, etcetera? A zay faras. I understand. You know, a public health specialist then reviews all the information that's collected and decides who should get tested. You shouldn't, um I did get a call back two or three days later because that, you know, review all of the information. But I missed the call and they didn't leave a message. They never called back. I don't know if they were calling to say that they reviewed my information and they didn't think that I was eligible, you know, because the chances are very high for, like, 95% chance that I have it. And I was saying home anyway, So it would self resolve. Um, I don't know what they're how their how they're allocating tests and who they want to get tested. Um, so, yeah, I did try.
spk_0: 21:45
Yeah. I mean, from what I understand is, you know, the highest priority or the health care providers that are on the front lines. Then you go to the, you know, the public service industry, like the police officers and firefighters. Ah, and, Ah, and of course, N b A. Players. Because, you know, we have to know if they're positive, right?
spk_1: 22:03
Oh, my God. What if there was no more professional ball? I mean, that's,
spk_0: 22:07
uh I think that was the first time I've ever gotten on a soapbox so far. I'm, ah, Sparta's. The podcast is concerned anyway, um, still, So again, it's great to hear that you're feeling better. Of course, you're one of the ones that it was able to come out the other side. It's also interesting to me to hear about the different symptoms that people are experiencing where, you know, we're hearing all about the symptoms of Chris Cuomo right now on CNN, and, uh, he's he That's his favorite topic, of course, because he says he has it now and talks about how he has a continuous non stop 101 fever without without break or chills. Or Or, you know, Shaking said he chipped a tooth last night because he was shaking so bad. So he you know, he's exp blaming different symptoms. And then, of course, there's this whole population of people that have to end up on a ventilator or, you know, uh, hospitalized. And then now it's not so much of an older person's virus anymore either. They're saying now it's 30 and above, and the hospitalizations air getting higher and higher source percentage is concerned for the younger people. And yet there are some people that are literally walking around zero symptoms, and they have it, and they never have symptoms the entire time they have it. And that's the That's one of the confusing aspects of this of this virus. So ah, I do appreciate you giving me, you know, your experience on it, because again, it's also a little bit different than what some other people have here. What many other people have experienced.
spk_1: 23:46
Yeah, I've had I've had friends who, like reference earlier in our conversation who had more of the sort of like the Chris Cuomo's, you know, version of coded. So yeah, it sze kind of all over the place and you know my symptoms. I think relative to those friends of mine were less. The pain in my lung was really crazy, and the first day was very concerning. But because it did get less over the course of time, I was less and less worried. I was worried about relapsing, though, because that's there's that 7 to 10 day window where they say most or many cases have that relapse on. That was consistent with a lot of my other friends. But I do have. I do have other friends, too. I've spoken with who said that they had, you know, just like a light flu. That was kind of like a not not terrible, but, you know, uncomfortable maybe for like, a week got better. And then they had another light flu, and after two weeks, a result. So it's the same idea, but much less debilitating. So it's hard to say, Um, yeah, I mean anything from a sore throat and we're going to allergy season. No, right somebody and said on Facebook. Kind of got this funny, but you know, now we're going allergy season. People are coughing and sneezing from allergies, and it's gonna be like the Scarlet letter out there. What's going on through throat side, eye and shade at anybody who's, Ah, you know, coughing and sneezing at this point because you don't know. We just don't know.
spk_0: 25:14
That's exactly right. I mean, it's gonna be very difficult to tell the difference. And that's why they keep pushing for the testing and and getting everyone or as many people as possible tested, you know, and and they do. They are coming out with new tests now that are quicker as faras the outcome are, or the results. Question is, how many can they get out there? And how many people can they get tested? Because obviously it would have been very helpful to you if you could have known for shore. Do I have a cold? Do I have a flu or do I have the virus? So, yeah, but based on your symptoms, obviously, and based on the time frame to it, sounds like the 14 days you actually needed toe, get through it and that's that was the time frame. And the other thing was, this has been fairly consistent. And that is the first sign was a low grade fever. Ah, many, many people talk about that being their first sign. Not a fever of 102. Ah, but a low grade fever. And that was their first sign that something was going on. And it turned out to be the virus.
spk_1: 26:21
Yeah, that I've been told and also coupled with a sore throat that follows soon it soon thereafter as the virus or cold eyes, it's the throat and then moves down, you know, into the lungs from there,
spk_0: 26:35
right? Right. Well, I really appreciate your time. I appreciate you sharing this with me because obviously it's Ah, it's a personal situation, uh, personal health. And hopefully some people will gain some information from it as faras what to watch out for if especially a lot of people that have listened to this so far, our health care providers and they are obviously much more in danger of catching this virus than than a person just going to the grocery store. Yes. So this will help them keep symptomology on the on the radar to pay attention to what possibly could be the first symptom or first couple symptoms, and then they'll know. Okay, Um, I'm gonna quarantine for 14 days. Now,
spk_1: 27:25
we left something that I've noticed coming up more and more on Facebook in terms of, like, my friends conversations in the vast majority. My friends like, I'm not a nursing school yet. I do have friends to work in medical and who are nurses, but the vast majority, my friends or not, And the thing that people are going to talk about Norm or as they sort of like, learn more about microbiology and virology specifically is infectious dose and the health health care workers that are on the front line and many of whom are not getting proper p p e r getting crazy amounts of exposure to large doses of virus. And that dramatically increases a assistant the likelihood that they're gonna get it, but also, theoretically, how badly they get it.
spk_0: 28:08
Absolutely. Yeah, They're talking about viral loads of health care providers just being through the roof and and then, you know, obviously you can only prevent that so much, especially in a facility where you are lacking personal protective equipment, which is the biggest concern right now is you're being expected to take care of known infected patients without the proper equipment. And obviously that is that is a major concern. And then to reference my previous episode. Another thing that people are generally not thinking about is the concept of decontamination. After finishing up their shift at the hospital, you know, I I interviewed ah, hazardous materials expert who believes that there should be HAZ mat tents set up outside of hospitals for providers tow, walk through and be decontaminated as if they were. They just took care of Ebola patients because he says that you know, Cove it 19 is a very dangerous biological virus that requires or should be considered criteria for decontamination procedures. And people were getting off their shift and they're going home. So it's There's many, many levels of concern here.
spk_1: 29:27
Yeah, yeah, And you know one thing I want to impress upon people who listen to this, you know, one of the things that people were saying or that I was reading early on, even when China was kind of just dealing with this this crisis was all those things around us that our foe mites that are but that can potentially be transmit the virus to us. And the one thing a lot people don't think about. You're our cell phones. Um, and we touch them constantly. Where? Pop, we're pulling in my pocket. If we touch something, we're gonna touch that cellphone. Right Right there after.
spk_0: 30:02
Yes. I mean, it's It's definitely a new normal out there, that's for sure. Um, it's it's, ah, very surreal experience.
spk_1: 30:10
You know, just be super super careful because, you know, we're all responsible for our own health. But in this in this specific situation, we're responsible for everyone else's help around us and then the transmission to people beyond that.
spk_0: 30:25
Absolutely. Yeah, It becomes exponential.
spk_1: 30:27
Yeah. Is that
spk_0: 30:28
so? All right. Well, TJ, I really appreciate your time and ah, you sharing this with us and, ah, you know, again, it's something that we can look out for, just knowing firsthand what someone has gone through. And I'm very happy to hear that you have made a full recovery
spk_1: 30:45
pleasure being in your podcasts.
spk_0: 30:47
Well, thank you So again. Thank you very much. I really appreciate your time. And it was great to meet you,
spk_1: 30:53
Chronicle. Absolutely. My pressure and happy I can help in any way.
spk_0: 30:57
Okay, so that'll do it for this episode. I hope to see you with the next one. This is Matthew's ender and the going viral podcast. Please stay safe and stay well.