FAIRVIEW HEIGHTS — Kevin Anderson Sr., while recovering from COVID-19, is spreading this message: Get tested and wear masks.
Anderson got sick soon after the pandemic hit the St. Louis area. He was admitted to a hospital March 27 and was put on a ventilator. He lost more than 70 pounds during his hospital stay.
He was discharged almost six months ago, on May 2, but he still is recovering. Walking is more difficult now and he gets tired easily. He has nerve damage in both of his hands. It’s difficult to pick things up, and he can’t close his right fist all the way.
“I will never be the same,†Anderson said. “I already know that.â€
Anderson, 61, of Fairview Heights, worked at the Hogan Street Regional Youth Center in St. Louis. For years he coached his grandson’s teams in football, basketball, baseball and track and field. Because of his lingering symptoms, he hasn’t been able to work or coach since he was hospitalized.
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Over the past six months he has spoken out about his experience with COVID-19, making appearances on television and in the . He keeps a stack of laminated copies of his press clippings.
“People are just dying, dying, dying,†Anderson said. “It’s just tearing me up, because people don’t believe — you have to wear a mask, you got to social distance.â€
Cases on the rise
This week, Illinois put the Metro East area, where Anderson lives, under tighter virus-related restrictions after the COVID-19 positivity rate exceeded 8% for three consecutive days. Starting Wednesday, bars and restaurants must close at 11 p.m. and cannot offer indoor service. Meetings and social events are limited to 25 guests or 25% of the room’s capacity, whichever is lower.
The reported rate Tuesday was 8.3%.
Statewide, Illinois has seen a steep increase in COVID-19 cases throughout October. The state’s rolling average hit a record high of 4,587 on Tuesday, according to a Post-Dispatch analysis. Before Oct. 12, the average never had exceeded 2,565. On Saturday, the state reported 6,161 new cases — the highest number recorded throughout the pandemic.
The Illinois Department of Public Health reported 4,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Tuesday, bringing the state’s total to 382,985 since the pandemic began.
Anderson fears winter, when the region will face not only COVID-19 but influenza and other respiratory illnesses. He said residents need to be warned.
“I promise you, this is going to be bad,†Anderson said. “November is going to be one of the worst months of COVID.â€
As of Monday night, the Department of Public Health reported that 2,758 people with COVID-19 were in hospitals in Illinois. Of those patients, 595 were in intensive care units and 241 were on ventilators. The state hasn’t had that level of hospitalizations, ICU patients or patients on ventilators since June.
‘It takes a tragedy’
Anderson said he wants to encourage people in the community to get tested for COVID-19, and not to try to wait out the illness because of fear, or concerns about the costs of tests or treatment.
Anderson is a father of three and has two grandchildren. He said his children and everyone close to him are behaving carefully during the pandemic, because they know what he went through.
“It takes a tragedy to make us wake up,†Anderson said.
Denise Read, a speech language pathologist at Memorial Hospital Belleville, said Anderson was intubated for 18 days. It took six days after that for him to recover his ability to eat and drink.
Patients in his situation often have difficulty swallowing, Read said. However, she added, Anderson’s case was more serious than most.
“His case was very severe,†Read said. “He was very ill.â€
Read said she was impressed by Anderson’s positive attitude during his recovery. She’s glad that he is focusing on prevention and helping others understand that they can overcome the virus if they become ill.
Anderson said he believes change needs to come both from government and from individuals. The pandemic is an economic issue and a scientific issue, he said. More programs to help people access testing and masks in the Metro East would go a long way.
For him, the road to recovery is mostly about time. His main concern right now, though, is his message.
“Some people don’t believe how serious this is,†Anderson said.
These maps and charts show the spread of COVID-19 in Missouri and Illinois.
Timothy Wiemken, a professor and infectious disease expert at St. Louis University, gives a brief explanation of why you should be wearing a mask, the proper way to use your mask and a few things you shouldn't do with a mask. Video by Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com
Photos: Fairview Heights man uses his Coronavirus experience to educate community
Coronavirus survivor hopes to encourage caution
Kevin Anderson, left, and his grandson Ramon Gates, 8, pose for a portrait at the St Clair County Health Department in Belleville on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. He was finally released on May 2 after having been intubated for 15 days and put into a medically induced coma for another 15 days. At one point Anderson says doctors told him he was only five hours away from dying. He is now using his experience to encourage the community to take the virus seriously, "It doesn't hit home until they see someone close to them affected," says Anderson "This ain't nothing to play with." ÁñÁ«ÊÓƵ were waiting to speak to Gov. J.B. Pritzker following a press conference. (Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com)
Coronavirus survivor hopes to encourage caution
Ramon Gates, 8, helps his grandfather, Kevin Anderson's, up off a bench in the St Clair County Health Department in Belleville on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Anderson was admitted to the hospital on March 27th three days after testing positive for COVID-19. He finally was released on May 2 after having been intubated for 15 days and put into a medically induced coma for another 15 days. At one point Anderson says doctors told him he was only five hours away from dying. He is now using his experience to encourage the community to take the virus seriously, "It doesn't hit home until they see someone close to them affected," says Anderson "This ain't nothing to play with." The pair was waiting to speak to Gov. J.B. Pritzker following a news conference. (Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com)
Coronavirus survivor hopes to encourage caution
Kevin Anderson reminisces about coaching youth football while he and his grandson Ramon Gates, 8, wait to speak to Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the St Clair County Health Department in Belleville on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Anderson was admitted to the hospital on March 27th three days after testing positive for COVID-19. He was finally released on May 2 after having been intubated for 15 days and put into a medically induced coma for another 15 days. At one point Anderson says doctors told him he was only five hours away from dying. He is now using his experience to encourage the community to take the virus seriously, "It doesn't hit home until they see someone close to them affected," says Anderson "This ain't nothing to play with." (Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com)
Coronavirus survivor hopes to encourage caution
Kevin Anderson helps his Grandson Ramon Gates, 8, undo his bowtie after taking photos with Gov. J.B. Pritzker in the St Clair County Health Department in Belleville on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Anderson was admitted to the hospital on March 27th three days after testing positive for COVID-19. He was finally released on May 2 after having been intubated for 15 days and put into a medically induced coma for another 15 days. At one point Anderson says doctors told him he was only five hours away from dying. He is now using his experience to encourage the community to take the virus seriously, "It doesn't hit home until they see someone close to them affected," says Anderson "This ain't nothing to play with." (Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com)
Coronavirus survivor hopes to encourage caution
Ramon Gates, 8, rests his head on his grandfather, Kevin Anderson's, lap in the St Clair County Health Department in Belleville on Thursday, Oct. 22, 2020. Anderson was admitted to the hospital on March 27th three days after testing positive for COVID-19. He was finally released on May 2 after having been intubated for 15 days and put into a medically induced coma for another 15 days. At one point Anderson says doctors told him he was only five hours away from dying. He is now using his experience to encourage the community to take the virus seriously, "It doesn't hit home until they see someone close to them affected," says Anderson "This ain't nothing to play with." The pair was waiting to speak to Gov. J.B. Pritzker following a news conference. (Colter Peterson, cpeterson@post-dispatch.com)
Annika Merrilees • 314-340-8528 @annie3mer on Twitter amerrilees@post-dispatch.com
