Florida family of 4 fighting coronavirus shares their story

JUPITER, Fla. (WVNS) — For the Gavidia family, life has been less than normal for the last two weeks. The family of four is fighting a battle against COVID-19.

Eleven days with a 101.5-degree fever is what Carlos Gavidia, from Jupiter, Florida, has had since he tested positive for COVID-19. His wife, Laura Gavidia, and two children are fighting the virus as well, each of them reacting differently.

“Fever, body aches, extreme migraine, total exhaustion, wiped out. Laura had no fever, but she was totally wiped out. She just lays in bed,” Carlos Gavidia said. “I don’t even get out of bed except to go to the bathroom, you get diarrhea the entire time and lose your sense of taste.”

All of this comes after a family trip to Aspen, Colorado, at the beginning of March. Carlos and Laura Gavidia went to a hotel restaurant, not knowing that 10 people there were being quarantined due to COVID-19. Laura Gavidia did not feel well when they got back, and it did not take long for Carlos Gavidia to fall sick, too.

“This past Saturday, the ambulance came and picked me up at the house because I was having chest pain and I’ve had a fever, this is day 11 at 101.5,” Carlos Gavidia said.

He is currently in contact with three doctors daily and taking malaria medicine, z-pack, and magnesium to help combat the virus.

He wants people to think about the older generation and how this can impact them.

“I’ve had my mom completely quarantined for the last two weeks, if my son, who didn’t have any symptoms, had gone and hugged her, it would be a death sentence for her,” Carlos Gavidia said.

He says the coronavirus should not be taken lightly.

“Please take it serious. It’s brutal. I am 53, healthy, very active and it has put me on my knees,” he said. “I can’t move.”