MORGANTOWN, W.Va. – Pastor of the Chestnut Ridge Church, Kevin Demming contracted COVID-19 during a trip to Israel and shared his story and recovery on Talkline with Hoppy Kercheval.
Demming says currently he is recovering at home in quarantine and shared his symptoms.
“Sore throat, body aches, low-grade fever- never had a fever over 99.6, coughing, shortness of breath, real bad headache from the back of the head to the base of the skull and sinus pain that feels like your sinuses are on fire behind your eyes,”Demming said.
Demming says he and his wife heard the news of the coronavirus before the trip and were concerned about traveling.
“We were a little nervous about even traveling at that point, because it started to make the news in bigger detail,”Demming said,”I started the trip not feeling great with some sinus symptoms and I was thinking, that’s just what it is.”
When they arrived in Israel they got the first notion that it was a very serious situation.
“We weren’t able to visit Bethlehem or Jerrico, they shut that down and quarantined everyone there,”Demming said,”We were all extremely conscientious of it and we were washing hands all the time and trying not to touch anything.”
On March 11, on the flight back to the United States Demming’s symptoms began to worsen, so he took steps to distance himself from other passengers. When they arrived home they wore masks and avoided their two children that did not go on the trip.
By Sunday, March 15 he continued to feel worse and went to Mon Health.
“I came in the back entrance with a mask on and did not touch anyone and they put me in an isolated room,”Demming said,”They tested me for flu, strep throat and other ailments and said those are negative we will test for the coronavirus.”
Demming’s diagnosis of COVID-19 was confirmed on Thursday, March 19 and he returned home where he has been in quarantine since. Demming says his wife and one child are symptomatic and are recovering.
“She has it, and my 20-year-old son has mild symptoms and probably has it,”Demming said,”My youngest son has been down in the basement away from us and is not showing symptoms at this time.”
Demming is very thankful his family is recovering and that only one other person on the trip became sick.