In fact, the last time Dr. Jeffrey Huml treated Barbosa, he was unconscious; COVID-19 forced him into a coma for six weeks.
Barbosa said his entire body had paralyzed and the virus had almost killed him on several occasions.
“They told my family to say goodbye to me three times. They said they were going to disconnect me,” he said.
But Barbosa survived and is on the long road to recovery.
“I’m surprised. This is really a miracle,” said Dr. Huml of Northwestern Medicine.
Although Barbosa has some relatives in the western suburbs, his immediate family – including his wife, two children and parents – are all in Mexico. They were unable to visit him during the nearly four months he was at the Central Dupage hospital.
Barbosa is 25, had no pre-existing health problems, and his doctor said his case should be a warning.
“Young people need to take this very seriously. Every day, people die of viruses,” said Huml.
Barbosa was discharged last August, but still needs to stay at the hospital frequently, while dealing with the sequelae of the virus. He hopes to get the vaccine as soon as possible and see his family.
“When I woke up, it was the first thing I thought, to be there for them,” he said.
At its peak, DuPage Central Hospital was treating 111 patients with COVID. Now the number has dropped to 25 or more, but doctors said it is important to remember that the threat of serious illness or even death remains.
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