It's important for the world to understand the seriousness of COVID-19. It's not "just like the flu." It's not like a "bad cold." It's a serious virus that kills, especially elderly people.
Michael Bane, a 42-year-old Vice President of Client Engagement at Deighan Law, LLC, wanted the world to know just how serious the coronavirus is so he posted a brutally honest, harrowing account of his first eight days with the disease on Facebook.
Bane is a healthy man who two weeks ago did "13 pullups and ran a sub-seven mile" and has ran six miles with a torn tendon. So, he assumed that the coronavirus isn't a serious concern. " I am in shape," he says in his Facebook post. "I am a tough guy."
But over the course of eight days Bane learns that COVID-19 is a serious, life-threatening condition that everyone, regardless of their age, should take seriously.
The account published below goes through March 20. As of this article's publication, Bane is still in the hospital's ICU unit and is hopeful he will recover.
Here's his original Facebook post, below is an abridged version.
For all those who have asked the question “Does anyone even know anybody that has gotten the coronavirus?", if you know...
Posted by Michael Bane on Saturday, March 21, 2020
For all those who have asked the question "Does anyone even know anybody that has gotten the coronavirus?", if you know me, you do now. My positive test for COVID-19 has been relayed to me, and I wanted to share what my experience with this illness has been.
Thursday, March 12.
I'm at home eating spicy Chinese food (ignore any apparent irony) and my nose starts running, very mildly. I'm assuming it's from the hot and sour soup. I don't have to wipe it, blow it, or anything. It goes away within an hour and wasn't something that would have registered if not for the current COVID-19 pandemic.
Friday, March 13
Nose is slightly runny in the morning. Clears up shortly, nothing else. I have no need to wipe my nose or use a tissue.
Saturday, March 14
Slight sore throat. No sniffles at the moment, but I assume it's from post-nasal drip or possibly due to sleeping without the humidifier, which is normally on at night.
Sunday, March 15
My cough is more persistent. The sore throat is worse, but it goes away quickly again. My nose has stopped running. My Google searches tell me it could be COVID-19, but it could be any number of other things. I am slightly worried and try to trace back to where I could have been exposed.
I can't sleep. For whatever reason I just cannot get comfortable. I keep tossing and turning trying to alleviate this backpain on my left side, but nothing is working. At 1 am, it occurs to me this might not be normal backpain. I'm sleeping in the guest room at this point, because I don't want to keep my wife up. I take my temperature. It's 100.5, a slight fever.
Bane decides to schedule a virtual appointment with a doctor.
Monday, March 16
Scheduling a video appointment is difficult, as I keep getting the "we're at capacity, please try again later" message. I finally manage to secure one ($49, pre-paid), and find myself face to virtual face with a physician's assistant about two hours later. She reviews my symptoms and circumstances (worsening cough, annoying fever, bad pain), and due to potential for exposure, says I should get tested. She puts a request in with the hospital and says it will be 1-5 days. I should head to the ER if I start having trouble breathing.
My fever is 102.5. My left hand is tingling, my oxygen saturation is down. I tell myself this is because of an increased respiratory rate due to the fever, not because corona has attacked my lung function. I'm right, but the thought still worries me. My wife tells me to take Tylenol or Advil. I tell her no; I'm going to kill the virus off with heat. I tell the virus to buckle down, because it's about to burn in Hell.
My wife hears me laughing at something. I don't know what. She asks me to take my temperature. I adjust myself on the bed and an arctic blast hits my body. My skin is on fire. This doesn't feel right at all. I run various death scenarios through my mind to see if this situation fits. I feel that bad. I check the thermometer, and my wife again presses me for the temperature.
I wake up at around 1:30 am with a sudden desire to use the facilities. As I'm sitting on the commode, I smell something bad. I realize I'm also soaking wet. The smell is me. I have sweat so much my shirt is drenched like I've just done the polar bear plunge. It's disgusting. I strip out of my pajamas and find another pair.
Tuesday, March 17
I need this test. The fever is back, 100.8, and the cough is worse. I feel better than yesterday, but I am dreading what's to come. I shower and get my daughter ready for daycare. I don a mask and drop her off.
Bane arrives at the hospital.
A hospital employee steps out in a mask and motions for me to get out of the car. My own mask is on, and I do. He immediately instructs me to put my hands in my pocket and not to remove them. He unlocks a door, and I follow him inside. I am again told not to take my hands out, and it's added that I shouldn't touch anything either. This seems redundant, unless he is telling me not to touch the insides of my pockets, in which case, I am not in compliance.
The doctor at the end of the hall is dressed like she's about to enter Chernobyl.
She explains the nasal swab process and says that the probe is going to go in REAL DEEP. She repeats it for emphasis. I nod, and cough. I weigh whether knowing is worth this nasal intrusion. I lower my mask below my nose and look up. It's mildly uncomfortable, but not nearly as bad as I was expecting.
Tuesday, March 18
It's been two weeks since I was exposed. I wake up drenched in sweat again and take a 5 am shower. I go back to sleep for a bit and am rudely woken up by an alert on my phone. My test results are back already. That was fast. I go to the app to find out that I am negative for Influenza A and B.
Around 6 pm I have a horrible coughing fit. Every one of my shallow breaths is met with a corresponding respiratory spasm as the air is forced back out of my lungs. It goes on and on and on. My wife asks me if I need to go the hospital. That seems like an overreaction, but my coughing doesn't allow me to reply. I wave her off and continue hacking and wheezing. I'm fighting for air, but I believe it's going to pass
Thursday, March 19
I wake up freezing cold, and in horrible pain. My left lat seizes up, feeling like it's trying to rip itself in half. As I attempt to figure out how to relax it, my foot cramps painfully as well. I am massively dehydrated. I'm drinking a lot of water, but the lack of food is keeping me from retaining much.
When am I going to turn the corner? When is this all going to end? To everyone who said it was just a bad cold or like the flu, or that people were far more likely to be asymptomatic: fuck you.
Friday, March 20
I get into a few arguments with people on social media regarding the term "Chinese Virus" and the inherent racism behind it. My opinion as an Asian-American is quickly and skillfully invalidated with well-crafted lines of reasoning such as "Just another snowflake" and "KISS MY ASS" (caps not mine). Clearly, the only thing I have proven is that I still haven't learned what a waste of time arguing on social media is.
Later that day, Bane drove himself to the hospital.
My phone rings. The Illinois Department of Health calls to tell me I'm positive for COVID-19. I laugh and reply that I could have told them that.
I text my family, a few close friends, and my boss. Everyone is very kind. My boss lets me know they're going to have to inform the office someone tested positive, but they'll keep my anonymous. I tell him to use my name. It's a scary message to get, and if people have questions maybe I can help. People may take social distancing protocols more seriously if there's a face to associate with the illness. By the way work people, expect a message sometime soon.
I get into the ER and they take a chest X-ray. I have bilateral pneumonia. This explains the crackling sounds I've been hearing when I breath. My fever is 102. I'm admitted, stuck with an IV, and a host of medications are prescribed to me both intravenously and otherwise
So here I am, in the hospital on the 13th floor with a lovely view of the city. Take that isolation! The coughing won't stop, and I'm waiting for the drugs to arrive. My prognosis seems reasonably good, I don't need oxygen yet, and the monitors will keep an eye on my levels.
The point of all this? It's not real for some of us until it happens to us or someone we know. I appreciate the well-wishes I've gotten and am bound to get, and don't want your sympathy. Please please PLEASE take this seriously. This could kill me. Practice social distancing.
People have died. People will die. It might be people you love. Please stay inside. This is horrible, brutal, devastating and it feels l might be cashing my chips in. Protect the people you care about as best you can. I love you all.
Man in oversized pants.Image via 
Weight loss drugs and tape measure.Image via 
FDA approved. 
A woman deprived of her sleep.Image via 
A Looney Tunes classic. 
Artist's rendering of a brain overlaid a woman's head.Image via 
Ultrasound of human baby.Image via 
IVF animated process.Image via 
A couple speaks with a fertility professional.Image via 
Love, Mom.Photo from Heidi Johnson 
A teen boy having a hard time. 
Why do some folks use social media but don't engage?
Psychologist says people who never comment on social media share these 5 positive traits
For over 20 years, social media has developed into a staple in many people’s day-to-day lives. Whether it’s to keep in communication with friends and family, following the thoughts of celebrities, or watching cat videos while sipping your morning coffee, there seem to be two types of social media users: commenters and lurkers.
The term “lurker” sounds equally mysterious and insidious, with some social media users writing them off as non-participants at best or voyeurs at worst. However, mindfulness expert Lachlan Brown believes these non-commenters have some very psychologically positive and healthy traits. Let’s take a look at how each one of these traits could be beneficial and see how fruitful lurking might be even though it can drive content creators crazy.
1. Cautious about vulnerability
Consciously or not, making a post online or commenting on one puts you and your words out there. It’s a statement that everyone can see, even if it’s as simple as clicking “like.” Doing so opens yourself up to judgment, with all the good, bad, and potential misinterpretation that comes with it. Non-commenters would rather not open themselves up to that.
These silent users are connected to a concept of self-protection by simply not engaging. By just scrolling past posts or just reading/watching them without commentary, they’re preventing themselves from any downsides of sharing an opinion such as rejection, misunderstanding, or embarrassment. They also have more control on how much of themselves they’re willing to reveal to the general public, and tend to be more open face-to-face or during one-on-one/one-on-few private chats or DMs. This can be seen as a healthy boundary and prevents unnecessary exposure.
Considering many comment sections, especially involving political topics, are meant to stir negative emotional responses to increase engagement, being extra mindful about where, when, and what you comment might not be a bad idea. They might not even take the engagement bait at all. Or if they see a friend of theirs post something vulnerable, they feel more motivated to engage with them personally one-on-one rather than use social media to publicly check in on them.
2. Analytical and reflective mindset
How many times have you gone onto Reddit, YouTube, or any other site and just skimmed past comments that are just different versions of “yes, and,” “no, but,” or “yes, but”? Or the ever insightful, formerly popular comment “First!” in a thread? These silent browsers lean against adding to such noise unless they have some valid and thoughtful contribution (if they bother to comment period).
These non-posters are likely wired on reflective thinking rather than their initial intuition. Not to say that all those who comment aren’t thoughtful, but many tend to react quickly and comment based on their initial feelings rather than absorbing the information, thinking it over, researching or testing their belief, and then posting it. For "lurkers," it could by their very nature to just do all of that and not post it at all, or share their thoughts and findings privately with a friend. All in all, it’s a preference of substance over speed.
3. High sense of self-awareness
Carried over from the first two listed traits, these silent social media users incorporate their concern over their vulnerability and their reflective mindset into digital self-awareness. They know what triggers responses out of them and what causes them to engage in impulsive behavior. It could be that they have engaged with a troll in the past and felt foolish. Or that they just felt sad after a post or got into an unnecessary argument that impacted them offline. By knowing themselves and seeing what’s being discussed, they choose to weigh their words carefully or just not participate at all. It’s a form of self-preservation through restraint.
4. Prefer to observe rather than perform
Some folks treat social media as information, entertainment, or a mix of both, and commenting can feel like they’re yelling at the TV, clapping alone in a movie theater when the credits roll, or yelling “That’s not true!” to a news anchor that will never hear them. But contrary to that, social media is a place where those yells, claps, and accusations can be seen and get a response. By its design, social media is considered by experts and the media as performative, regardless of whether it is positive or negative. Taking all of the previously mentioned traits into account, one can see why they would prefer to “observe the play” rather than get up on the stage of Facebook or X.
On top of that, these non-commenters could be using social media differently than those who choose to fully engage with it. Using this type of navigation, there may be nothing for them to comment about. Some commenters are even vying for this for their mental health. There are articles about how to better curate your social media feeds and manipulate algorithms to create a better social media experience to avoid unnecessary conflict or mentally tiring debate.
If you go on a blocking spree on all of your accounts and just follow the posters that boost you, it could turn your social media into a nice part of your routine as you mainly engage with others face-to-face or privately. In terms of commenting, if your curated Instagram is just following cute dogs and all you have to offer for a comment is “cute dog,” you might just enjoy the picture and then move on with your day rather than join in the noise. These non-commenters aren’t in the show and they’re fine with it.
5. Less motivated by social validation
The last trait that Brown showcases is that social media users who browse without posting tend to be independent from external validation, at least online. Social media is built to grow through feedback loops such as awarding likes, shares, and reposts of your content along with notifications letting you know that a new person follows you or wants to connect. This can lead many people to connect their activity on social media with their sense of self worth, especially with adolescents who are still figuring out their place in the world and have still-developing brains.
Engaging in social media via likes, shares, comments, and posts rewards our brains by having them release dopamine, which makes us feel good and can easily become addictive. For whatever reason, non-commenters don’t rely on social media as a means to gauge their social capital or self worth. This doesn’t make them better than those who do. While some non-commenters could have healthier ways to boost their self worth or release dopamine into their systems, many get that validation from equally unhealthy sources offline. That said, many non-commenters’ silence could be a display of independence and self confidence.
Whether you frequently comment online or don’t, it’s good to understand why you do or don’t. Analyzing your habits can help you determine whether your online engagement is healthy, or needs to be tweaked. With that information, you can then create a healthy social media experience that works for you.