NOVI (WXYZ) — A Novi man who beat COVID-19 after spending three months in the hospital is speaking out about a potential second wave and how he is hoping to avoid contracting the virus again.
RELATED: Michigan reports 2,030 new COVID-19 cases, a record-high single-day increase
Lynus Parker nearly lost his life to the virus in April. He’s recovering slowly but is now worried about a potential second wave and the rise in COVID cases in Michigan.
“Let me just be blunt. If I get COVID again, I probably won’t have another interview with you,” Parker said.
We first spoke with Parker in early August, nearly four months after he was first infected with COVID-19. Parker spent three months in the hospital, one on a ventilator. His road to recovery hasn’t been easy but says he’s improving daily.
“Things have been good. I wake up everyday and I’m grateful and thankful for everything that I have,” he said.
The number of positive COVID-19 cases in Michigan has seen a spike in recent weeks. In Michigan, October is on track to become the worst month for reported cases since the spring. For the last few days the state has reported more than a thousand cases per day. Parker says he’s more careful now than ever before, even if he does occasionally go out in public.
“There’s a couple key things I always do.," he said. "Number one is I always have a mask and I always have a back up. I also carry a pen in my pocket. I’m scared, you know, so I bring my own own and I always have a bottle of Purell or some sort of sanitizer."
Action News Chief Health Editor Dr. Partha Nandi says this could be the beginning of a second wave and people shouldn’t let their guard down.
“It’s an opportunity again to let people know it’s not over. People may be just lulled to sleep or just get COVID fatigue, but it’s really a time to be more COVID vigilant,” Dr. Nandi said.
Dr Nandi says just because you tested positive before doesn’t mean you’re immune. He says we have to continue following health guidelines.
“If the virus gets up to a certain level, no matter what you do it’s difficult to control," Dr Nandi said. "Now it’s at a low level. Still we can get them back down and look at this evidence as a warning. It could get worse if we don’t change."
Recovering from the coronavirus hasn’t been easy, Parker says we all need to continue to be cautious to prevent a second wave and protect one another.
“Don’t take this virus lightly or for granted. You have to protect yourself, you have to protect your family,” Parker said.
Again, in order for us to stay safe remember it’s so important at we all wash our hands, social distance and wear a mask.
Additional Coronavirus information and resources:
Click here for a page with resources including a COVID-19 overview from the CDC, details on cases in Michigan, a timeline of Governor Gretchen Whitmer's orders since the outbreak, coronavirus' impact on Southeast Michigan, and links to more information from the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, the CDC and the WHO.
View a global coronavirus tracker with data from Johns Hopkins University.
See complete coverage on our Coronavirus Continuing Coverage page.
Visit our The Rebound Detroit, a place where we are working to help people impacted financially from the coronavirus. We have all the information on everything available to help you through this crisis and how to access it.