I got COVID-19 & Kaiser Sucks
Oh, Costco sucks too. On Christmas Eve 2020, I went to Costco in Alhambra, California to pick-up some filet mignon to make some Gordon Ramsay’s Beef Wellington. Christmas Eve was the only day I went out for the past two weeks, or let alone seen anyone. Costco got greedy. None of that early covid distancing protocol exists anymore like during the first lock down in March 2020. After the first lockdown, Costco had lines because they limited the number of people that could get in, and they had lanes where you could only walk one way. Lately, they just let anyone in without number restrictions. I typically wear two masks when I’m indoors: a CDC certified N95 mask and a surgical mask on top. Costco was so packed that people were bumping into each other. I either got COVID-19 through my eyeballs or the circulated air.
A week later, I tested positive for COVID-19 at a Kaiser drive-through and began feeling the typical symptoms such as fatigue, fever, aches, chills, migraine and shortness of breath. My blood oxygen dipped to an average of 94–96% for two weeks. I had to call in sick; in doing so, my boss recommended me antibiotics because he mentioned how helpful antibiotics were when he got COVID-19 . I got many texts from people who also pushed me to get antibiotics citing faster recovery.
I immediately called Kaiser to schedule a telehealth appointment. The doctor I met with virtually cited that COVID-19 is a viral infection, and antibiotics are for bacterial infections meaning antibiotics would not help at all. As I began to deteriorate in the next 2–3 days, I tried again to schedule a telehealth appointment. This time I lied, saying I had a sinus infection. First of all this, doctor was a b1tch and cited that my records said I had COVID-19 and that I don’t have a sinus infection, rejecting my request for antibiotics. According to the Kaiser profile, this doctor had 40 years of experience, so I should probably believe her and not COVID-19 survivor experiences…right?
10 days later, I wasn’t getting any better — fever was still going strong and my and my blood oxygen dipped to 92%. I couldn’t make it down the flight of stairs without a seated rest break. At this moment, I decided to go to Kaiser Baldwin Park, California. After I checked-in, I received a triaged (fever, blood pressure, and blood oxygen check) and waited there without food for 8 hours. There was no food, water or blankets (COVID chills!). Once I overheard someone saying they had been waiting since the night before, I decided I didn’t want to die in a Kaiser E.R. waiting room cold, alone and hungry so I left.
Once my friends and family heard I couldn’t get into a Kaiser E.R., they scheduled a same day appointment with a doctor from “Heal”, and a friend, who is a physician's assistant, called me. Both wrote me a prescription for antibiotics! They cited while COVID-19 was a viral infection, it might have caused secondary effects like pneumonia. Later that evening, a doctor and friend drove from Orange County at midnight since he heard what happened and how long I’ve had COVID-19 and lingering symptoms. He gave me 60 milligrams of prednisone, a steroid that helped me breathe again. I felt a jolt of energy and could walk properly for the first time in two weeks. He suggested I go to his hospital in Orange County.
I got there at midnight after driving through an hour of fog. The E.R. doctor immediately saw me, the team there provided two blankets, drew my blood and took an x-ray of my lungs. After looking at the results, the E.R. doctor, 3rd person that day, prescribed antibiotics! — citing mild pneumonia in my lungs.
After I got the antibiotics and steroids, I was on my way towards recovery and was close to normal four days later. My beef with Kaiser was my insistence on getting antibiotics. Rather than receiving personalized care, they have this flow-chart-like system: if patient has this, give him that, if he has that, give him this. Their system is rigid, and for something as dynamic as COVID-19 causing other issues like: organ failure, secondary effects, new strains developing, potential vaccine resistance - I’m going to opt with a different provider as soon as possible.
I wish you all well. I had a tough experience with COVID-19, and although what I had was considered mild (no ventilator or organ failure), it was longer than what I heard others had to endure, a total of 12–14 days. On the spectrum careful, I consider myself pretty high, I didn’t go to restaurants, when I was at supermarkets, I wore two masks and spray my items with alcohol before I put them away. As dorky as it looks, I recommend you wear safety glasses if you have to get groceries or get it delivered. If you get COVID-19, I recommend you go outside of the Kaiser Network, like the “Heal” app to get you antibiotics to prevent secondary effects, and get the individualized care you need. Good luck and stay safe!
