Another family acquaintance - many of you would know of them if I said the name or what they did - lost a family member to COVID-19 recently.
There's a good chance we had it back in Feb/March. I was sick for 5 weeks and missed a week of work. I'm the guy that has to be sent home when he's pale and can barely stand, so that's something. There were several times I almost went to the hospital. It took 2 months to feel like I had a modicum of energy. It wasn't until August 1st I noticed I could stand without getting dizzy (I've had BPPV once before, which coincidentally or not showed up again when I got sick).
I still haven't had the guts to ask our friend if her husband died from it. She hasn't said directly, but everything about his illness points to it including being on a vent and ECMO as well as having a PE and stroke.
Another friend was hospitalized and released and a few acquaintances or their family have had it, some dying and some surviving.
And still, people believe it's overhyped.
Were this 1918 - without antibiotics, ventilators, and other modern advances in medicine - I dare say the death toll would already surpass that of the Spanish Flu.
There's also a lot of long haulers out there and people left behind who have lost mothers, fathers, sons, daughters, husbands, wives, and others.