A 28 year-old Kansas City man tested positive for COVID-19.
Lawrence Smith told 41 Action News he felt ill two weeks ago and assumed it was the flu, but after being tested for the flu, his results came back negative.
AND CASES NATIONWIDEARE NEARLY 63-THOUSAND.ROUGHLY 9-HUNDREDPEOPLE HAVE DIED.TONIGHT -- A KANSAS CITYMAN DIAGNOSED WITHCORONAVIRUS IS TALKINGABOUT HIS EXPERIENCE.AS 41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER MCKENZIENELSON EXPLAINS -- HEWANTS PEOPLE HIS AGETO HEAR HIS STORY.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGAFTER BEING SICK ANDMISSING A FEW DAYS OFWORK " A 28 YEAR OLDKansas City MAN " SAYSHIS EMPLOYER NEEDED ANOTE STATING HEDIDIN"T HAVE THECORONAVIRUS.
IT SEEMEDLIKE A SIMPLE TASK "BUT QUICKLY TOOK A TURNWHEN HE TOOK A TESTHERE AT THE UNIVERSITYOF KANSAS HOSPITAL.LAWRENCE SMITH - 28 YEAR OLDCORONAVIRUS PATIENTSI guess they pulled myresults on the computer andthey kind of gave me that lookand said, go ahead and sitover there and we"ll cometalk to you and in that momentI knew.LAWRENCE SMITH SAYHE"S FEELING FINENOW " BUT 2 WEEKSAGO " IT WAS ADIFFERENT STORY.SMITHSHeadache, I wassweating, I had the chills, Igoup to turn the heat on andthen I started getting cold, Iwas sweating, I wasuncontrollably, that went onfor about 2 days and then Iwas like, I"m going to goto the hospital.SMITH WENT TO THEEMERGENCY ROOM AT THEUNIVERSITY OF KANSASHOSPITAL.SMITHSThey ran a couple of testson me for like bronchitis, theflu, for any other respiratorydiseases and everything cameback negative.FOR 48 HOURS " HEEXPERIENCED FLU LIKESYMPTOMS.AFTER THAT - SMITH SAYSHE"S BEEN FINE.TO BE CLEARED TO GO TOWORK " HE WAS TESTEDFOR COVID-19" AND THERESULTS CAME BACKPOSITIVE.IN SHOCK - THE HEALTHY28 YEAR OLD - POSTED AMESSAGE TO HISFOLLOWERS ON SOCIALMEDIA.SMITHSYou know I just wanted toput it out there like you know,hey guys, for the people thataren"t taking thisseriously, for the people thatthink it"s a joke or theythink it"s a hoax, orit"s a conspiracy you knowlike, it"s real, here I am,I"m 28 years old, I go tothe gym 6 days a week, I drinka gallon of water a day and Ihave the virus.RIGHT NOW IN MISSOURI -THERE ARE AT LEAST 60CASES OF CORONAVIRUShave the virus.RIGHT NOW IN MISSOURI -THERE ARE AT LEAST 60CASES OF CORONAVIRUSIN PEOPLE AGES 20-29.THAT"S THE MOST OUTOF ANY OTHER AGEGROUP.IN JOHNSON COUNTY -THERE"S AT LEAST 9.TODAY - DOCTORS ARESTRESSING THATEVERYONE TAKEPRECAUTIONS ANDRESPONSIBILITY FORTHEIR HEALTH AND FOROTHERS.DR. Steve Stites, UNIVERSITY OFKANSAS HEALTH SYSTEM chiefmedical officerSEvery age group can getthe disease, the question iswhat will it do to you and whatwill you do to the next personyou give it to.MCKENZIE NELSON - REPORTINGAS FOR TRAVEL - SMITHSAYS HE WAS IN TORONTOAT THE END OF FEBRUARYAND ATLANTA SOON AFTER.HE SAYS HE WAS NEVERAROUND ANYONE WHOWAS SICK.REPORTING IN Kansas City,MCKENZIE NELSON, 41ACTION NEWS.SMITH IS NOW WAITING ONMORE TEST RESULTS TOSEE IF HE CAN GO BACK TOWO
Howard Monroe reports.
