This archive report was first published on 1 July 2020.
On March 15, 2020, Ahmad Ayyad, a 40-year-old athlete, was rushed to the hospital after experiencing severe symptoms of Covid-19. He had been in the best shape of his life, but the virus had other plans.
Doctors placed him in an induced coma for 25 days to save his life. When he finally woke up, he was a shadow of his former self. His muscles had atrophied, and he struggled to breathe.
"I woke up and looked at my arms, my legs, and my muscles were gone," Ayyad recalled. "I was kind of freaking out, like where are my legs? Where did my legs go?"
It's been two months since Ayyad's harrowing experience, and he's still recovering. He's still out of breath at times, still nursing the damage to his lung and heart.
But Ayyad has a message for those who refuse to take Covid-19 seriously: wear a mask, don't gather in big groups, and take care of yourself and those around you.
"People are acting like it's gone. It's not. Wear your mask. Don't gather in big groups. Take care of yourself and the people around you," Ayyad said.
"Take it seriously. It's not a joke. It can kill you, even if you think you're healthy and immune to it. You're not."
Ayyad's experience serves as a stark reminder of the virus's severity. He hopes that others won't have to go through what he did.
