“You need to be prepared to not be okay”
Brandon and wife Jamie in Banff
Brandon Knill is 30 years old. He exercises, he works from home, he wears his mask.
He never expected to get COVID-19.
“My wife and I go kickboxing almost six days a week,” says Knill. “I was feeling a bit off and I thought it was just too many exercise days in a row. But it wasn’t. I tested positive for COVID-19 a few days later.”
Knill was admitted to QCH at the beginning of April – he’s been on our COVID-19 unit since. “It’s been difficult – going from boxing 6 days a week to laying flat on my back has been a bit of a culture change.”
Jamie, Knill’s wife, tested positive for COVID-19 as well. Her symptoms were milder, Knill says. “10 days later, she’s back out walking the dog. I’m in the hospital. COVID-19 doesn’t seem like something that effects everyone equally. You never know what will happen – you’re just rolling the dice.”
The Knills have been paying attention to the guidelines, but they weren’t entirely fearful of COVID-19. None of their friends had it nor did they know anyone who did. “A lot of people our age think we’re invincible – and I‘m not immune to that either. You may be fine, but you may not be. You need to be prepared for not being fine.” This experience has changed their views on COVID-19 and the seriousness of it. “This isn’t easy: no one knows what COVID-19 will do to them.”
“You never know what will happen – you’re just rolling the dice.””
Knill has had over a dozen clinical staff caring for him, from physicians to nurses to respiratory therapists and more. No matter who’s caring for him, one thing never changes. “The staff have been very positive, very upbeat when they come into my room. You can tell the people that work here really care about what they’re doing.” But after spending over a week on QCH’s COVID-19 unit, Knill has noticed something else. “They’re tired. You can only push healthcare workers so far. We need to be safe.”
While COVID-19 has been hard on him, Knill seems positive. “I’m taking it a day at a time.”