A Texas man who contracted COVID-19 twice is now treating PTSD for fear he could catch the virus a third time.
Shaun Santiago, of Houston, Texas, captured COVID for the first time in the summer of 2020.
“I was in the ICU for two weeks,” Santiago told KHOU. “Doctors and nurses are totally on PPE, so you don’t see how they really are. There’s no human contact.”
Santiago, who works as a program director in the Texas Department of Family and Family Protection Services, was released from the ICU after testing twice negative for COVID. A few weeks later, Santiago returned to the emergency room because he was not feeling well.
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After a doctor told Santiago he had COVID for the second time, he was admitted to the hospital.
“I said,‘ I can show you my two negative results, ’” Santiago said. “She wasn’t sarcastic, but she said, ‘You’re one of the lucky ones who caught it twice.’
Once news broke about the pharmaceutical companies working on a third booster shot, Santiago felt a sense of relief, though he says he is trying with PTSD to fight COVID on numerous occasions.
“I don’t want to catch it a third time. I don’t know if I can catch it a third time. I don’t even know if scientists know if it can be caught a third time,” he said.
Dr. Louise McCullough, who works as a neurologist at the University of Texas Health, cares for patients with long-term COVID. McCullough stated that 35% of people with mild cases of COVID treat PTSD three months after recovery, while 77% of people with severe cases of COVID treat PTSD.
“Having anxiety, depression, PTSD, trouble sleeping, all those things we have treatment for,” McCullough said. “Just talk to your doctor and don’t be embarrassed, because they’re so common. You’re not alone, you’re not sick, you’re not harmed. You just need to know.”
McCullough ended his statements by saying “the best thing you can do is protect yourself. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask. Wash your hands.”
In August 2021, three Houston hospitals had to close due to a wave of COVID cases.
On August 24, Memorial Hermann issued a statement to Newsweek in terms of closures.
“As COVID-19 continues to increase rapidly in the Greater Houston area, and with hospitalizations exceeding previous surge volumes, our workforce is being pushed to the limit,” the statement said. “We are actively seeking all solutions to help alleviate the burden on our front-line staff and ensure that we continue to provide safe, high-quality care to all those in need.”
Newsweek has contacted McCullough for further comment.