'You've got to get the shot': N.B. pharmacist recovering from COVID-19 credits vaccines for keeping him out of hospital
Ten days ago, Sussex, N.B. pharmacist Kevin Duplisea was snowshoeing with his dog. Today, he has a hard time catching his breath walking around his home.
“I had ongoing fevers, night sweats through the night that I had to get up and change my clothes, change the bedding, like sopping wet night sweats. There were fever dreams, or sort of the delirium that goes with a fever. Around day three, day four, I lost my sense of taste, my sense of smell,” he said in a virtual interview from his home.
Duplisea is in his 40s, does CrossFit and has spent the last year vaccinating hundreds in his community. At times, he’s taken the vaccine to them, giving the shot while they are in their vehicle or in their home, with approval.
But last week, he tested positive for the virus with a rapid screening test, and had the symptoms to prove it.
“I’m so happy that I had three vaccines, because I don’t know what would have happened. I’m certain I would have ended up in the hospital,” he said.
Duplisea said he had an immunity response after each dose of vaccine, and believes it’s what kept him out of the hospital.
Dr. Mark MacMillan, with the province’s medical society, says using the term “mild” when describing Omicron isn’t necessarily correct – because the variant is still putting people in hospital. He sees it first-hand.
“There are some people in hospital, yes, who have been fully vaccinated and who even had their booster, but those patients are not requiring intensive ICU care. They’re more requiring supportive care that can be done on a regular hospital bed floor. So while we do, again, recognized vaccines are not perfect, they are our best defence,” he said.
As of Tuesday, 192 people have died from the virus in the province.
“We do have deaths from COVID-19,” said Dr. MacMillan. “This does continue to happen. Hopefully not on a daily basis but the numbers at this point are too high. And regardless, any death of anyone is unacceptable when we have a vaccine that can help prevent that.”
Duplisea is technically out of isolation, but is still at home with lingering symptoms.
He had just written a column on how to treat COVID-19 symptoms while recovering at home. Days later, he had to use his own advice.
He says fluids are key and so is rest.
“I think all of us here in New Brunswick are at the point where we wonder if all of these restrictions are necessary or not, or can we just go on with our lives?” he said. “They are necessary. I mean, if you’re not vaccinated, you, in my opinion, have a really big risk. You’ve got to get that shot.”
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Several flight attendants from Pakistan have gone missing after landing in Canada
Multiple flight attendants from Pakistan International Airlines have abandoned their jobs and are believed to have sought asylum in Canada in the past year and a half, a spokesperson for the government-owned airline says.
BREAKING Ottawa public school board, 3 Toronto-area school boards launch lawsuit against social media giants
The Ottawa-Carleton District School Board and three school boards in the Toronto-area have launched legal action against social media giants, accusing them of "disrupting students' fundamental right to education."
Doctors visiting a Gaza hospital are stunned by the war's toll on Palestinian children
An international team of doctors visiting a hospital in central Gaza was prepared for the worst. But the gruesome impact Israel’s war against Hamas is having on Palestinian children still left them stunned.
Crypt near Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner could fetch US$400,000 at auction
A one-space mausoleum crypt in the vicinity of Marilyn Monroe and Hugh Hefner will go on auction Saturday, when it is expected to reach between US$200,000 and $400,000.
Tipping is off the table at this Toronto restaurant
A Toronto restaurant introduced a surprising new rule that reduced the cost of a meal and raised the salaries of staff.
A fight to protect the dignity of Michelangelo's David raises questions about freedom of expression
Michelangelo's David has been a towering figure in Italian culture since its completion in 1504. But in the current era of the quick buck, curators worry the marble statue's religious and political significance is being diminished.
A Nigerian woman reviewed some tomato puree online. Now she faces jail
A Nigerian woman who wrote an online review of a can of tomato puree is facing imprisonment after its manufacturer accused her of making a “malicious allegation” that damaged its business.
Premiers not being truthful about carbon tax, Trudeau says while sparks fly in Ottawa
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau says Conservative premiers across the country are 'not telling the truth' when it comes to the carbon tax. Trudeau's comments came as fresh sparks were flying in Ottawa at a recalled House of Commons committee.
Far North police 'dispatch' polar bear stalking schoolyard
Police and local hunters in an Ontario Far North First Nation community have “dispatched” a polar that was showing abnormal behaviour and treating the area as a hunting ground.