Teen hopes to play football again after COVID-19
YUMA, Ariz. (KYMA, KECY) - An Imperial Valley teen who tested positive for COVID-19 is holding on to the hope of recovery to play his first year of college football.
Jacob Gomes was a starting wide receiver for the past two years at Southwest High School in El Centro.
His next stop in his football career was to play for Fullerton College in Fullerton, California.
He was supposed to begin training this summer, however, with him contracting the virus he is unsure when he will be able to get back on the field.
Jacob suffers from asthma, and according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, people that suffer from asthma may be at higher risk of getting very sick from COVID-19.
COVID-19 can affect your respiratory tract (nose, throat, lungs), cause an asthma attack, and possibly lead to pneumonia and acute respiratory disease.
As someone who has been through many other sicknesses before, Jacob describes his symptoms of COVID-19 as something he's never felt before, saying "There's nothing that had made him feel as horrible as this did."
He suffered from an intense headache, sensitivity to light, and neck pain on the day he was taken to urgent care to get checked for meningitis. A 15-minute COVID-19 test proved that Jacob was actually suffering from the coronavirus.
Difficulty breathing was another symptom Jacob endured the next few days. This left him unable to do simple tasks like holding a conversation or showering, or even walking to the bathroom.
For Jacob's parents, trying to take care of their son and stay virus free has been a challenge, but something they have gotten the hang of. They took extreme measures as soon as Jacob was diagnosed, such as disinfecting the house daily, and making sure they take the necessary precautions to keep the virus contained.
As of now, Jacob has began the road to recovery, where now he says he only feels tired with a low grade fever.
Jacob and his family want to pass the message on that the coronavirus does not discriminate on age, shape, or race. So as a community be sure to follow the necessary protocols put in place to help defeat the virus.
