Whitby man beats coronavirus after 49 days in hospital

From barely ever being sick, to spending 49 days in the hospital — a 56-year-old Whitby man has beaten the novel coronavirus and along with it, the near impossible odds that were stacked against him.

Joe Persico spent 20 of those 49 days on a ventilator in an intensive care unit (ICU) after being admitted to Lakeridge Health Oshawa over six weeks ago.

His wife Cindy’s retelling of the extremely trying time is a glimpse into the ravages of the virus, it’s physical toll, and the emotional roller coaster ride it took them on.

COVID-19 diagnosis and hospitalization

The ordeal began on March 19, when Joe says his temperature spiked. Cindy says their family doctor, who knows that Joe rarely ever gets sick, advised they go to emergency immediately since he was already experiencing flu-like symptoms.

While Cindy was ruled out as a candidate for COVID-19 testing due to her mild symptoms, Joe’s condition at the time set off alarm bells. An X-ray revealed he had pneumonia and he was admitted right away, even before a coronavirus swab was taken.

“They were treating him as if he had COVID right from the beginning from the symptoms that he had,” Cindy said.

As Cindy’s 90-year-old mother lives with them, she also self-isolated in her room at home for 14 days.

Two days after he was admitted, Cindy says Joe began being treated with hydroxychloroquine and antibiotics. The day after that, he was moved to the ICU and placed on a ventilator.

Joe Persico was placed on a ventilator two days after being admitted into the hospital for COVID-19. Photo courtesy: Cindy Persico

Joe says he doesn’t remember a single thing from that point, as he was in an induced coma.

“I woke up 25 days later. Before I could speak to everybody, I was hallucinating for three or four days after that,” he says.

Fighting the battle alone

As per coronavirus protocols, Cindy and the rest of Joe’s family were not allowed to be by his side as he fought for his life.

Cindy says not being there in person was heart-wrenching.

“That was the worst part. We were talking on the phone that morning — very minimal conversation. He was crying and scared and I’m trying to comfort him,” she says. “We didn’t even (video chat) to see each other before he went on the ventilator because everything happened so fast.”

During his time in hospital, Joe’s temperature remained consistently high and his condition barely improved for about three weeks.

“It wasn’t consistent where he was making small (bits of) progress. He would get a little bit better one day and then he would go four steps backwards the next day,” explains Cindy.

An Easter miracle

On Easter weekend, after almost three weeks on a ventilator, Cindy got the call she’d been waiting for.

“He was our Easter miracle. I got a phone call from his phone at 5:05 p.m. and when I answered, the nurse turned the phone and showed Joe’s face with a big smile without the vent in his mouth,” says Cindy, getting emotional as she relived the moment.

Joe Persico video chats with wife Cindy after being taken off a ventilator on Easter weekend. Photo courtesy: Cindy Persico

She worried that he wouldn’t remember her because he was having hallucinations and was delirious for some time after he woke up.

But Joe says that part of the experience was almost comical.

“It was very funny. I was hallucinating so bad — my wife married a wrestler,” he laughs, explaining his incoherent imaginings. “My daughter married five people and was pregnant!”

Cindy adds that there were also scary times when Joe had hallucinations of being on fire. They were told that was normal after being on a ventilator for a long period of time. He was also not able to speak for a few days as the vocal cords could stretch and scar due to the tube that had been in his throat.

“Along with the virus and the effects of the virus (the hallucinations) create a lot more confusion. And being on his own and me not being able to be there — I think that made things worse for him because he felt like he was being abandoned,” says Cindy.

Recovery and post-COVID issues

Adding to the emotional trauma, as he began to recover Joe found himself unable to walk on his own after being bedridden for so long.

“I just wanted to come home and I couldn’t,” adds Joe. “I couldn’t walk. I tried to get up (and felt like) I had no muscle whatsoever in my body. I tried to pick myself up out of bed, I couldn’t do it.”

Emergency Room doctor Brett Belchetz, who did not treat Joe but worked through the SARS epidemic in 2003, says patients who have to be put on ventilators can generally expect a prolonged recovery time and muscle atrophy is a common occurrence.

“There is a lot of trauma that occurs to your body as a result of prolonged ventilation with artificial breathing occurring,” says Belchetz. “There’s extensive physiotherapy that’s required to get these people up and mobile and back to their level of function, if (at all) they are able to achieve their previous level of function again.”

In Joe’s case, not only was he unable to walk, he could not even sit up or lift his arms. After working with physiotherapists at Lakeridge Health, he is now able to walk by himself and occasionally with the help of a walker.

“I’m getting stronger every day and just looking forward to the next phase,” says Joe.

Release from the hospital and next steps

When Joe was finally discharged from hospital on May 7, the staff that was involved in his treatment along with other hospital personnel held a “clap out” for him, applauding as he was wheeled out.

The celebrations continued with a parade of about 70 cars that drove by their home, honking their horns and wishing Joe well.

From here on in, Joe says he has virtual physiotherapy appointments once a week and he tries to exercise as much as he can, including lung and breathing exercises. Overall, his prognosis looks good but they do have to keep an eye out for any after-effects or discomfort in the lungs.

Belchetz says post-COVID lung issues are also not uncommon. The recovery from COVID-19 is not as simple as getting over the flu and can vary greatly, depending on the severity of the illness.

“For many patients, and in particular those patients with more serious illness, this has no similarity to recovering from the flu,” he says. “We’re certainly seeing signs of permanent changes to lung function, permanent scarring of the lungs.”

Belchetz says some more severe complications like blood clots in the lungs can lead to lifelong issues. Cognitive deficiencies have also been seen in people who have been on a ventilator for a long period of time.

Luckily for Joe, his post-COVID journey is off to a good start.

“I feel so good, I feel strong actually,” he says.

Companions in coping and moving on

While fighting the horrors of COVID-19 in the hospital was a nightmarish situation, Joe and Cindy say the staff at Lakeridge made it bearable with their kindness, compassion, and high quality of care.

Cindy also says it was her family doctor who “helped me stay sane” with daily calls and check-ins on Joe’s health and her mental state.

“She was always trying to calm me down … she was a godsend in that sense,” she says. “It was very difficult to stay strong and positive but I knew I had to because (if I didn’t) I could have ended up in the hospital right next to Joe. So I had to stay strong and positive for my family and for Joe.”

Joe Persico with his wife and daughter after he was released from hospital on May 8. Photo courtesy: Cindy Persico.

Moving forward, Cindy says they’re going to continue their lives as they always have — living for and in the moment, but adds that they’ll make sure never to take each other for granted.

“We get to grow old together and I’m thankful for that every day,” she says.