St. Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara describes battle with coronavirus

Nearly one month after first experiencing symptoms of COVID-19, St.

Lucie County Sheriff Ken Mascara says he's still dealing with the effects of the virus.

CORONAVIRUS.

NOW- HERECEIVED TWO NEGATIVE TESTSAND TELLS TREASURE COASTREPORTER MEGHAN MCROBERTSABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE WITH THEVIRUS.<< SHERIFF KEN MASCARA- BACKAT WORK- AND FEELING A LITTLEBETTER EACH DAY&“I STILL HAVECONGESTION, I STILL FEELWEAK." AFTER A TOUGH FIGHTWITH COVID-19& HEHE CONTRACTED IT AT THEFLORIDA SHERIFFCONFERENCE IN JULY.

MORE THANA DOZEN PEOPLE INCLUDING ATLEAST SIX SHERIFFS HAVE TESTEDPOSITIVE SINCE ATTENDING THECONFERENCE.“LEE COUNTY,THATWAS, WAS ACTUALLY SEEING ASPIKE IN COVID CASES.

I SAIDWHAT DO YOU THINK, HE ASSUREDME THE HOTEL AND THE SHERIFFASSOCIATION HAD TAKEN THEPROPER PROTOCOLS TO KEEPEVERYONE SAFE”“IN HINDSIGHT,MY GOD, WE PROBABLY SHOULD NOTHAVE HAD IT” HE SAYS THEHOTEL HAD MASKS, HANDSANITZERS AND PEOPLE SOCIALDISTANCED.

"IF WE WERECONVERSING AND TALKING ABOUTSOMETHING WE ALL HAD ANINTEREST IN NORMALLY WE WOULDREMOVE OUR MASKS SO EVERYONECOULD HEAR AND SEE FACIALEXPRESSIONS, SO I KNOW PEOPLEWOULD SAY DID YOU WEAR YOURMASK 100 PERCENT OF THE TIME?NO BUT I CAN SAY WE WORE ITPROBABLY 80 PERCENT OF THETIME” MASCARA SAID HE FELTACHY DRIVING HOME FROM THECONFERENCE& AND FOR A COUPLEDAYS FELT PROGRESSIVELYWORSE..

WITH BODY ACHES, HEADACHES, AND A FEVER.

FINALLY-GETTING A COVID-19 TEST ANDTESTING POSITIVE A WEEK AFTERTHE CONFERENCE.“THE BODYACHES WERE WORSE THAN ANYTHINGI COULD HAVE IMAGINED” HESAYS HIS DOCTOR TOLD HIM TOTREAT HIMSELF AS IF HE HAD ABAD COLD& NOW SWEARING BY AREGIMEN OF HIGH DOSES OFVITAMIN C, ZINC, AND A MALARIAMEDICATION CALLED QUININE,WHICH HE FEELS SPED UP HISRECOVER.“EVERYBODY HAS ADIFFERENT REACTION.

ITALKED TO PROBABLY 150 PEOPLEWHO HAVE EXPERIENCED COVID.THERE SYMPTOMS ARE DIFFERENTTHEIR DURATION IS DIFFERENT,THEIR SEVERITY IS DIFFERENT,AND THEIR TREATMENT ISDIFFERENT.

THIS WORKED FOR ME,I JUST WANTED TO SHARE IT WITHOUR COMMUNITY” HEPLANNING TO DONATE PLASMA NOWTHAT HE SAYS HE HAS BOTH SHORTAND LONG TERM ANTIBODIES.“UJUST HOPE AND PRAY AS ICONTINUE TO GET BETTER I HAVENO LONG TERM EFFECTS FROM IT”MM NC 5