David Herrmann got some news from his doctor that people these days are fearing: He tested positive for COVID-19.
“When he told me I was positive, I was terrified for my whole family,” Herrmann said in exclusive interview with ABC News. “My son and I worked out together the day before. I was like, ‘Oh my gosh, if I have it, I have given it to all these people.’”
The San Antonio businessman and three of his family members had been on a ski trip to an area in Colorado that he found out later had been a hot spot for COVID-19. Herrmann said he has no idea how he contracted the virus.
When Herrmann and his family returned to San Antonio, he had a doctor’s appointment for some lab work. When he told the nurses at the doctor’s office about his ski trip, he was given a COVID-19 swab test while sitting in his car in the parking lot.
Two days later, Herrmann, 53, found out he tested positive for COVID-19. But despite the positive test result, Herrmann said the only symptoms he had was a loss of taste and smell for about a day and a half. He wasn’t hospitalized and he and his family quarantined themselves for 14 days. He also notified everyone he had come in contact with.
“It was scary. It really is. I’m lucky that I didn’t get sick, and at the same time I’m sad that so many people are,” he said.
After Herrmann recovered, he saw a news report about an experimental blood plasma treatment involving antibodies from former COVID-19 patients that was being tried on sick patients with success in New York and Houston. He did a Google search on where to donate blood plasma in San Antonio and found that the South Texas Blood and Tissue Center was involved in the treatment program. He reached out to STBTC and went in to donate plasma.
“I felt it was the right thing to do to help my community,” Herrmann said about the reason for donating his blood.
Jimmie Hayden is thankful that Herrmann rolled up his sleeve.
Hayden, a San Antonio resident, was hospitalized for COVID-19. He was so ill that he was having to use a ventilator to breathe.
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