The number of COVID-19 cases in Illinois is skyrocketing in a drastic fashion. Not all coronavirus cases are the same varying from asymptomatic, to a low-grade "cold", to the extreme requiring a hospital stay. As hospitals near capacity, an Illinois police chief shared her experience with the virus and it is nothing short of frightening.

Increasing Coronavirus Cases Graph Arrow Concept
Ivelin Radkov
loading...

Knock on wood.

To my knowledge, I've not had COVID-19 although I was sick in December of 2019 with a 4-day 100+° fever and slept pretty much the entire time. Even after donating blood, I've never been notified about having the antibodies.

Truth be told, for whatever reason, I've recently become terrified of contracting the virus.

NSW Records Deadliest Day In COVID-19 Pandemic With 18 Deaths
Getty Images
loading...

Vaccinated or unvaccinated?

If you're reading this article you're most likely an adult which means you have the choice to be or not to be vaccinated and, although I chose to receive both Pfizer vaccinations and the booster, I don't judge or look down on anyone who does not. I wish everyone had that mentality.

Get our free mobile app

I'm glad I did though to lessen the blow should I get COVID in the future. And, if that happens, I hope my symptoms are less than what Rockford's Chief of Police experienced

"I was wondering what life was going to be like for my kids without their mom."

City of Rockford Government
City of Rockford Government
loading...

Chief Carla Redd of Rockford, Illinois' Police Department shared those exact words that will stop some in their tracks while others simply scroll on with eye-rolls. Her 3-week battle with COVID-19 was less than "just a cold" as often described on social media channels much too often.

She was due to get her vaccinations after doing her own research to form her own opinion but caught COVID-19 just days before the scheduled appointment.

I couldn’t get out of bed. I was wondering what life was going to be like for my kids without their mom. I was that sick.

As a parent and son of an elderly mother, I can't read her words without questioning if I've been too lax with the pandemic despite being vaxxed and boostered.

She shared two important points, you may believe you're not high risk (and you may be correct) but others may be at risk.

If you don’t want to get vaccinated for yourself, do it for a loved one!” she says. “You may not have an underlying condition that puts you at high risk, but your mom or grandma may. Protect others and get vaccinated.

Thank you, Chief Redd, for putting this out there despite the blowback and negativity you may receive.

Answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions

Vaccinations for COVID-19 began being administered in the U.S. on Dec. 14, 2020. The quick rollout came a little more than a year after the virus was first identified in November 2019. The impressive speed with which vaccines were developed has also left a lot of people with a lot of questions. The questions range from the practical—how will I get vaccinated?—to the scientific—how do these vaccines even work?

Keep reading to discover answers to 25 common COVID-19 vaccine questions.

 

The Funniest Coronavirus Memes & Tweets That Will Get Us All Through This

 

More From 96.7 The Eagle