Family Member With Both COVID and Pneumonia

I had a prior post on this subject, but parked it in draft, because we were asked to hold mentioning who it is, on social media, until all family members are told privately, and not all have been reached yet.

Prayers up, please?  

UPDATE:   The family member is not on oxygen or a respirator yet and not in ICU.  The pneumonia is a secondary bacterial infection to COVIDA, not part of COVID. 

As for treatment, a few things have already been tried, but there has been no improvement, but the good news is, there also has been no progression of the disesase.

The regimen was changed again (as I've mentioned previously as a medical transcriptionist, doctors don't care about what politicians or hedge-fund shareholders say, they will try anything for their patients for what works.

At present, they are on a new antibiotic for the pneumonia, sinus medication, and pain medication.  

The person was an avid daily runner before being infected, so this is likely the reason they are  not on a respirator or oxygen, as of yet rather than any regimen, very good physical condition and health before this, and yet the secondary bacterial pneumonia infection isn't clearing.

It is likely that the viral infection and the bacterial infection are  complicating the treatment of each other; thus, treating and clearing the bacterial infection with an antibiotic will help the body to only have to then fight COVID, but it's a matter of finding which antibiotic the bacterial pneumonia is sensitive to.

They are fighting it, very strong person - keep the prayers coming, though. 

Update:  9/22/2020

Now that all family has been contacted, we can reveal that it is Mark's stepdad. 

We spoke to him tonight, he sounds much stronger :)  

The other day, he could only give one or two words, struggling to breathe.

Unfortunately, they were certain that COVID had now entered his lungs.  He is still not on oxygen or a respirator, though, likely attributed to the fact that he was an avid daily runner, mountain climber, and tennis player - but it's watch and wait. 

As for symptoms, he said he first lost his smell and taste completely, then he he had the worst sinus blockage of his life, then the fever, then struggled to breathe, then came to the ER.

He was very careful, wore a mask everywhere, very clean, so right now, it's track and trace.

However, there is still so much we don't know about this virus, and we know that surgical masks sometimes gap or don't fit properly.

Also, IMO,  people have become so focused on masks that wearing gloves has all but been forgotten, forgetting this thing is also is also droplet-borne, right?

I still wear gloves, too, when I go out - not that even that will necessarily protect me, but it helps.

Regardless, keep those prayers coming, please?

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Update:  9/23/2020

He was even stronger last night :) The pneumonia aspect is improving and his fever is down to 100.  They talked about sending him home within the next couple of days, but will see how it goes today - he's still pretty weak, his joints still hurt, and so do his lungs, though they're better.  They'd like to get his temp down to under 100. They also mentioned that they have a service that comes out in hazmat suits and fumigates your home before your return - no joke!

He's on the COVID ward and says he feels fortunate - he's encouraged to walk around because of the pneumonia, and he can see other people in rooms, and they are all on respirators and oxygen - scary stuff.   

Also, people are bugging him to death about signing new DNRs/living wills in case he takes a turn, which he already signed when he entered, plus asking him every five minutes where he's been 5,000 times, trying to figure out where he contracted it, but he hasn't been anywhere but the grocery, running in his neighborhood, and playing tennis, which he's already told them 5,000 times.

Fingers crossed ...

Update:  09/24/2020

He was feeling much better, but today, he developed kidney pain.

He has had no history of kidney problems, not even stones  - and a little known fact about COVID is that sometimes, COVID attacks the kidneys as well.