Ep14: Surviving Coronavirus and What We Can Do To Turn A Negative Into A Positive
Episode Summary:
24-year old COVID-19 survivor Zach Nicolaos shares his experience with the virus. Now he’s using it to make a difference as a convalescent plasma donor with OneBlood and hopefully to save lives.
Raw Transcript:
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I'm Sarina Fazan, taking a risk making a difference and changing the course of your life. Remarkable stories from people defying the odds. You're listening to Trailblazer. Hi everyone and thank you so much for joining us on Trailblazer. I'm Sarina Fazan on Trailblazer, where you hear from amazing people and their remarkable stories and boy do I have one for you today. Joining me right now is Zachary Nicolaos. Zachary's, thank you so much for joining us. Of course, thank you for having me here. It's oh my gosh, so you're 24 years old. And you live in Tampa, Florida, and thankfully, you're safe healthy now. But you recovered from COVID-19? Yes, I did. It was a long 10 days. Let me tell you, well, you know, what, just you know, just talk to me about that. Like, what happened? What happened and did you know, could you tell immediately that you had the virus. So right off the bat, I was kind of laid off in my apartment, to me being on a boat and I kind of caught my foot open in the sand.
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So I really wasn't leaving my place. I was really kind of trying to stay at home and just like left, leave my leg up and elevated. And how long ago was that? Was that was that in? That was the beginning of March or when was that? about midway through March? So about the 15th. Okay, all right. Okay. Um, and so an ouch on your foot, by the way. Yeah. So I was just trying to keep it low key. And starting on the it was like about a Saturday, I started getting some symptoms. So the symptoms started with a sore throat. And from that it led into some phlegm and also like a really, really wet cough. And based on the symptoms that they were advertising for Coronavirus, they were mentioning that it was normally a dry cough or you know, it wasn't really a wet cloth and I really had a severe amount of phlegm. So I was like, this is something it might not be Coronavirus. I might just have the flu.
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So from that from going on about two days, it got a little bit worse. So I started feeling a little achy, a little tired, a little sore, and then it sprung into a fever.
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So how high was the fever? Remember, I think the highest was like 103. Okay, so high pretty high and normally I'm an individual that does not get sick. So I've never had the flu, pretty adamant about getting my flu shot. So about two days after I had the symptoms like wow, I go I probably should reach out to you know, the department health, you know, try to schedule a Coronavirus test. I mean, this is something that, you know, I should get ahead of instead of, you know, prolong it, waiting it out and good for you. Because once again, I mean, you're 24 years old and you realize that you're
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a recent grad of UT correct. Okay, so good for you. So you see, you think to yourself, I need to get ahead of this. Exactly. And you know, just you know, being in Florida, my family's not predominantly here. They're up in the northeast. So I was trying to, you know, be ahead of the curve here. So, I went and I got tested on the 24th of march through one of the drive thru clinics that they offer here in South Tampa. It was through Bay care, and I had to get pre screened before too, so
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To place a phone call with the department health, and then they transfer me to a care but it was a preliminary screening to basically ask what symptoms I had was I in contact with someone who might have had the virus and was, you know, another factor was my friends came back from spring break. So they were traveling, you know, somewhere in Europe and also somewhere in Mexico and you know, the Caribbean. So that's where I kind of, you know, maybe caught it. Wow. Now, and I want to hear about the whole process, but just to stop right there. Because a lot of people have talked about testing and you know, it was hard to get a test. Did you find that to be the case? Or was it pretty simple. Um, the one roadblock I have is when I called into the department health I was on hold for about 45 minutes 45 minutes, so it was like yeah, it was like by the time I got connected through department health and then go to bed cares about 45 minutes, um, and they took down my phone number and name immediately because they don't want me to get disconnected after waiting that long. Well, that was good, but I'm thankful for that. Because I did with some
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My afternoon. But and you weren't feeling well on top of it. Right. So I mean, that's I mean, it's hard to stay on hold. I think at any point that when you're when you're sick, good for you that you did stay on hold. All right, so 45 minutes on hold. They take down your name and number because they don't want you to be disconnected. Yes. And this is on Monday, March 23. So Monday, March 23. They were offering the drive thru clinics over by Raymond James Stadium, over in their back care facility over there. And unfortunately, on that Monday, I couldn't get a test that day, because they only did it a certain amount of hours, I'm pretty sure was maybe nine to one or nine to noon. And at this point, I made the phone call about 230. So they told me that they are offering them on Tuesday, March 24. And I was like, oh, that'd be great. You know, I'll go first thing in the morning. They basically told me to come anytime between the range of the hours that they were offering, and I got right in, I sat in my car with many other individuals that were sitting in their cars. I would say there's probably about 100 cars at 9am. And that's when it opened. You're kidding. No, it was backed up all the way
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Pass like, halfway past Raymond James Stadium. Wow. So were you surprised to see the number of people I was shocked, at first to see the number of people that were maybe trying to be proactive and get tested. But then I was also thinking based on our numbers that they were advertising, you know, that Hillsborough County has been having as positive cases. I was like, no way this many people have ever, you know, maybe they do, but I don't think these numbers are gonna come to fruition here. So, wow. Okay, so so then so then what happened? So then I went to the drive thru clinic, I pulled right up, you know, I was pre authorized to do to make my phone calls ahead of time, which many individuals. I don't think we're doing that. So it was slowing down the pace that they were taking people because people had to fill out forms, paperwork at their insurance info and stuff like that. So I kind of breezed right through it and went right to the front. I sat in my car I rolled down the window. These people were suited up with face masks and everything. And what they did was I tilt my head back in my car, they took this about four, I'd say four to five and swab.
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They stuck it up my nose hit something. And they pulled it right back out. It was less than about five seconds. Wow. Yes. And then how soon Did you find out that you had a positive diagnosis? So I basically recovered for the most part before I got my results back. You are kidding. No, I'm not. Okay. So. So you take that test on March the 24th. Tuesday, a Tuesday. And when exactly did you get the results back the next Monday, the next Monday. So by that time,
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was that frustrating for you? It was frustrating because I have family and friends that are up in New York and they were getting tested results within 48 hours, 72 hours, they were getting results way faster. And I know other individuals such as me and my friends that came back from spring break, they came you know, back into the Tampa area. And they went and got tested due to being over in Spain and other areas were hotspots this time, right? And they were waiting for up to two weeks, two weeks to get the results. So I'm maybe my pre authorization health
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In terms of like, feeding me along, and the data was already in the system, but like, my friends are asymptomatic, but you know, it took so long for them to get your test results back. And you know, and that
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that is an IQ is, is not very comforting because you need to know when I say you at people need to know, you know, especially if they have a positive diagnosis to stay away. I mean, I know where social distancing, and we're doing that anyway. But at this point, so you don't know your diagnosis, but you're not feeling Wow. So what do you do you stay alone at your apartment? Because you live by yourself? Right? That? Yes. So unfortunately, this is the time period that I don't have roommates, and I live by myself. So it was difficult for me to sit there all day by myself, you know, not knowing what's going on. Am I actually sick? So this was a Tuesday what I did was I can't went back home. You know, they told me when I left the clinic, you know, stay in your house. Stay in your place for the next 40 days of quarantine like seven to 10 days. You know
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At least, so I was like, Okay, I'll do that, like, that's what I have been doing. I've already been staying in my place I haven't loved. And from there, I just continue to take over the counter medication, you know, to try to help myself feel better. And I would one day I'd feel a little bit better, you know, my symptoms would alleviate a little bit and then from there, they've come right back. Like maybe in the morning, I'd feel great. And like, I'd take a conference call, you know, I'd be working in that by like, maybe four in the afternoon, I'd be like, Whoa, I got hit by a truck. Like it's just, I kind of relaxed a few times. And I was doing some research on it. And it seems like some other individuals are also experiencing that as well. So bless your heart and you're you're an operations analyst. So you were still trying to work. Yes, I still was working. I was still sending emails. I was still sitting on meetings. You know, I just sounded like really nicely. Oh, my gosh, bless your heart. So tell us though, during that period, because I have had, I have talked to people who have been, you know, who have recovered from COVID-19 the Coronavirus, and most of them have had very mild symptoms, but you did not correct
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Yeah, I mean, based on talking to some individuals that I know that have had it, you know, my symptoms seemed a little bit more severe than theirs. And I'm not just saying that because I was like nervous and I already survived it. I'm saying that because I experienced all the symptoms, like, there were some like minor symptoms that are not minor, but the regular symptoms, which were like fever, cough, you know, chest pains. And I was like, Okay, and then my went into, like, everything under the sun, like I was feeling like, we just, I just had no motivation or drive. Really, maybe it is the flu or something like that. And I kept talking to my other friends that I have that are nurses and like, you know, maybe you do have the flu. You know, you really haven't left your place. You've been in contact with anyone. Maybe Maybe it is the flu. And
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looking back, though,
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10 do you know, is there are there distinct differences, though, between the flu and your symptoms with COVID-19 now that you can now that you can, you know, see clearly think clearly? Yes, so I've actually never had the flu.
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But knowing like what I experienced, like my chest was very tight, like to the point where the right side of my chest was like, compressed. So like, I would literally sit in a chair like or like sit on the couch and I'd be like this kind of like hum over, like leaning over, right? And from that point, I was like, wow, something's up. Something really is up. And this was about Wednesday, Thursday, I started getting these really bad chest pains. I was like, wow, like this point. I already have a fever. I'm burning up. I'm sweating. I'm dying from this. Yeah. But from that point, I was like, I'm just gonna take over counter medicine, you know, hopefully, it'll help alleviate some of these things. And my chest was kept getting tight to the point where in the middle of the night, it was about two in the morning I woke up it might have been like Thursday or Friday. And my chest was just I felt like it was burning up. I felt I was gonna have a heart attack and like, I'm a young individual. I don't expect to have a heart attack in the meantime anytime soon. But it just felt like my chest was coming in. And it was like, I couldn't take deep breaths was just short and narrow breaths right as I was taking aspirin, the
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And I was like, I need to prevent a heart attack, you know, popping a few aspirin. Wow and you were telling me before and and I didn't realize that you never even had the flu but I know you I know you said you were very diligent about always getting a flu shot but you've also told me before you are very healthy you take care of yourself. So this was really surprising and surprising that you got the virus in the first place. Definitely in watching like the daily press briefings that you know, the White House puts on like washing your hands, social distancing, you know, whatever you touch wipe down with a wipe, you know, I made sure that I had the cleaning like it's like fantastic cleaning products. You know, I think fantastic. kills the Coronavirus. It's one of the cleaners that can kill it. So you know, I bought that you know, I obviously I did not go to the store and buy these things like I actually had them all delivered dropped off my door so like I was really doing the whole social distancing of not interact with anyone and you still and you still were diagnosed. So are you caught, caught a virus. So during the time and Gosh,
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was there a point when you were going through it
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And, and I asked you this question before and I hope it doesn't come across as insensitive or anything but did you did you think that you would survive it? Or were you afraid that you were you would not survive it? I was worried that I was not going to survive it in the middle of the night when I was waking up, you know, and like, my chest was tired. I was I was the at this point and NyQuil I was taking was worn off. It's already been four hours, you know, so I was like, wow, I go, my symptoms are full flash, like hitting me right now. I go, I don't know what to do. You know, like, I'm by myself, like, what, what do I do? So I just, like kind of try to be positive, and stuff like that. And just, you know, FaceTime my friends, you know, and they were like, like, take yourself like, just like, it was like really positive to have interactions, my friends through FaceTime like that's something we didn't have 10 years ago, right? So it's just something that you know, we take it for granted honestly, right, we really do. And especially going through like a pandemic and wherever when stuck at home, you know, like being able to see your close family and friends through FaceTime really helps like get through things, you know, and and what we've heard about
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This virus so much is that you know, people do go through it alone. And here you are, you're going through it alone. And even if your family was here, they probably would not even really had a chance to see you anyway. But did you tell your family? What was happening? I mean, I'm a mom. So I can tell it. I mean, I can tell you that if I was in New York and knowing that my son was here in Tampa,
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suffering through this, I would I would be having a heart attack. Yes. So I guess you could say the first like four days of symptoms like I really, I guess, like mom, I think I have a good common cold, you know, like, what do you think like, I don't think I've Coronavirus like, I have a sore throat and a cough. Like I get that once a year like normal for flu season just, you know for anyone have so she's like, okay, just like monitor, you know, just take your like day coil and stuff like that and like you'll get through or take your multivitamins like, you'll be fine. So they Okay, cool. And then Monday, like I really wasn't feeling well. So like, you know, I'm gonna go get tested. And I think like, it really dawned on my parents that I was going to test it like, Oh, you might have it, you know, so
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We'll see. Right And so, you know, and we talked about how you didn't get the test and the results until a week later. Do you think if you'd gotten the results sooner, that would have changed anything at all? I think if I had the results sooner, I would have been a little more anxious. Just to kind of put a name on what I was had, you know, that would definitely make me a little more anxious and nervous that like, wow, I might not it might take a turn for the worse like, I don't know, you know, we see on the news, you know, the death count is going off like, that's nerve racking like that insights, you know, fears some individuals you know, especially people that are in sensitive groups, you know, like senior citizens are individuals you know, that might have pre existing conditions so, Well thankfully you recovered and but you've got you've gone Zack one step further now, you you committed yourself to helping other people. Tell us about that you You are now a convalescent plasma donor and for those who don't really know that much about convalescent plasma, kondylis and Plaza right now, there is no better
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Same for the Coronavirus, so caught they're saying the convalescent plasma really is the key? Or is the the biggest sign of hope or the biggest hope for people who are critically ill with the Coronavirus. How did you know that and how did how did it come to be that you became a convalescent plasma donor? So to start off,
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I would say last Sunday, my friend reached out to me, one of the individuals I went to grad school with and she was like, hey, my uncle's in the hospital. He has Coronavirus COVID-19. And he is in need of a plasma transfusion. Like, would you be willing maybe if you guys were the same blood type to donate plasma at this point, like I was like, Yes, like I'll definitely help out like just you know, me being healthy, you know, recovered, you know, I'd love to help out and have people suffer less than what I had under. So I said yes, I definitely can do it. You know, she sent me the link through one blood to sign in basically comm forward and
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donate my plasma, you know, so I put all my information in, sent that through. And then from there one blood contacted me and I'll send everything off for me within two days. Wow. So that so very fast, but it's but it ended up that your friends uncle your friends loved one did not need that plasma and you knew that before even donating plasma. Why did you decide to donate? anyway? So I already signed up and I thought, you know, I might as well help out individuals while I can. I'm not going to, you know, flake and not show up or not go, I was like, I already made a mission that I'm going to do this I'm going to follow through on my word. So that's really what I went on, went through and did I just wanted to, you know, help individuals and I knew that if someone could get my plasma and have less severe symptoms than I endured, then I thought, you know, would be a great positive benefit, and how was the experience for you? So I thought that one blood experience was fantastic. Normally when I get my finger prick at the doctor's office, or I just have like an annual blood draw, I'm here
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pass out.
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Funny enough, the phlebotomist were fantastic. I didn't have any bruising or anything like that, like they really nurtured me and walked me through the process. And this is my first time ever donating blood
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let alone plasma. So I really was in for a treat, you know, I didn't know what to expect. But I think that a lot of us did a great job I was I had no bruising, no bleeding after and stuff like that, you know, they really took care of me the whole whole nine yards, and then to actually see that bag of plasma. How did that make you feel? It made me feel great. I saw this huge like yellow orange bag applies. I was like, wow, like this is gonna go and help potentially up to three individuals, you know, through plasma transfusions, and I was like, wow, this is this is truly awesome. You know, it's a pretty big bag. If anyone's ever seen a plasma transfusion bag had thought I might have lost 10 pounds but
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it was awesome to see. So what would you say to other people out there that you know, may have gone through the Coronavirus, and thankfully have
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I've recovered and now could be in a position that you're in, what would your message be? I would say go for it. And I would don't say donate plasma. It's something that, you know, is so selfless and just something so easy that you can really do and I was, it took less than an hour, you know, and like an hour of your day to give back and help three people that you know, could use that hour, you know, so I definitely think that people should go forward and donate blood, you know, and I could see myself being a future donor again, you know, donating plasma, which is amazing. And, I mean, is it crazy for you to think, okay, we're all living right now. And we're making history, but you really are part of the history as a recovered patient, and now a life saving donor. I mean, this is something that you will probably be sharing with, you know, your kids, your grandkids, loved ones for years to come. Yeah, I'd love to show on this podcast.
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can really reiterate what happened in 2020. I know absolutely. So what would your message be to
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to two people that are going through the Coronavirus right now, what would your message be to them, my message would be be positive, and you know, just you know, take it day by day and, you know, stay on your medication and your over the counter meds, you know, to get in alleviate some of the symptoms. And you should get through this. You know, I was really worried that, you know, this is a long, daunting 10 days that I endured the symptoms, but there's light at the end of the tunnel, and it's positive at the end, you know, so And were you worried and I hope this question does not come across as insensitive or anything. But were you worried that you would have
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people would not want to be around you, you know, after knowing that you've had the Coronavirus only because there's so much fear, right. There's a lot of there's fear, uncertainty and sometimes a lack of knowledge as well. Hmm. Definitely, like a fear around COVID-19. But I think that people are coming around to it. Seeing that I recovered, I was out and donating blood. You know, it's like that. Yes, we should still be social distancing. You know, yes, maybe there's a potential
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So that I could catch it again, you know, help us or symptoms, we don't know, these are the all the unknowns that are coming from this virus. So my friends are a lot of them are taking precautionary steps in terms of, you know, really social distancing. Not seeing me because let's face it,
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you know, it's not a, it's not a bad thing. As of right now, you know, we will get through this. I mean, as you know, Florida is moving towards phase one of reopening. So it's turning around and as a as a recovered patient of COVID-19. In your opinion, do you feel that Florida is taking the appropriate steps?
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I do. I really wasn't watching the local news as much in the beginning of this process of you know, Coronavirus, and the outbreak and the flare up in Miami and stuff like that. But what I did start looking at is like what they're doing, you know, and stuff in terms of nursing homes in terms of, you know, what if they're closing what they want to reopen, and I really do think that Florida has been doing a good job. I read an article yesterday that Florida made sure that
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nursing homes were closed down that people were not having contact with outside people and stuff like that and that will really help protect the older generation that are might be in nursing homes. I think Florida is ahead of the game. In fact, I was listening to a press conference The other day I was putting together a piece on a press conference and some of the Fire officials and the police chiefs were saying that Florida is we're so prepared for hurricanes that we just you know, we just we just know as a community and as a state or as a state the proper steps to take Yeah, I definitely think that we are in a good position right now and based on what the White House press briefings at the other day about what they found out about the virus in terms of you know, indirect sunlight you know, can help kill it you know, and bring down the half lives and also what they were talking about was UV light you know, can kill it you know, and using just Clorox bleach and want to counter can kill the bacteria on like a hard, non porous surface. Yeah. So like these are definitely things that I think that will help bring Florida round
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bring us back. Well, on a closing note, do you think that this is definitely your only 24 year you've got a long life to live? Do you think this definitely has changed your life though? Zack, I'm definitely I would say definitely I really am a positive individual but this really makes me even more happy just to be alive You know, right now you know, I got through this, you know, a little bump in the road, but you know, there's light at the end of the tunnel and I'm positive, I can make an impact in the future. Well, thank you so much. And again, thank you so much for being a donor and being a life saver. Literally a lifesaver. Thank you so much sack Nicholas for joining us. He's from Tampa. Well, you actually not from Tampa, you're from New York. You came here for grad school. And you loved it so much. You said yes. It's very hard not to love to have a Florida but the weather the beaches I mean, a few more things you can add on? Yeah, absolutely. I love always giving Tampa Tampa plug thank you so much for joining us back Of course. And thank you so much, everyone in closing, paraphrasing one of my favorite parts.
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It's Ralph Waldo Emerson, go where there's no path and leave a trail. Thanks so much for listening to Trailblazer everyone. I'm Sarina Fazan.