'I almost died:' Guelph woman who got COVID urges others to get vaccinated

Daniela Di Loreto Díaz had no intentions of getting vaccinated when the COVID vaccines rolled out early this year, even after she became eligible. Being bed-ridden from the virus was a far-off reality, if even possible, thought the Guelph woman.

Now, after spending 20 days in hospital with COVID, including nine in ICU, the 46-year-old Guelph woman realizes how wrong she was about vaccines.

“I never thought it would happen to me,” she says in a raspy voice, an oxygen cylinder at her side now for nearly five months.

“I thought that and I got very, very sick and I almost died. It's just something that we all need to take seriously because it's not a joke. It's been a life change for me. You need to protect yourself and you need to protect others.”

She tested positive for the UK variant of the COVID-19 virus at the end of March. While her husband, two children, sister, brother-in-law, niece and nephew all tested positive and experienced severe symptoms, none of them required hospital care. 

On April 3, with ongoing fevers, breathing problems, body aches, headaches and pneumonia, Di Loreto Díaz was admitted to Guelph General Hospital. 

“By the fourth day, I was getting worse and worse so they put me in ICU for nine days. I was there for 20 days in total,” she said, adding she felt scared, alone and even doubted if she would survive.

“My lungs are at 53 per cent where they should be between 80 per cent and 90 per cent. I still suffer from COVID fog,” said Di Loreto Díaz, who is also asthmatic. 

She added the long haul of the virus prevented her from working and doing basic chores around the house and it wasn't until a few days ago that she returned to work part time after being away for five months. 

“I just can't remember completely. I don't even have my voice back 100 per cent,” said Di Loreto Díaz.

“I'm on five litres of oxygen. I go every two months to get checked.”

She describes that the brain fog also comes with hallucinations and memory loss while the fever comes with extended periods of sleep and, sometimes, sleep talking. 

Three months after testing positive for the virus, Di Loreto Díaz said she began to lose hair. 

“When I take a shower for example I lose chunks, chunks of hair. Like it's bad,” said Di Loreto Díaz adding that she lost half her hair and ended up cutting it short to make it look healthier. 

She said the doctors said it will take up to a year for her to fully recover and her entire experience has changed her view point on the virus.

“Don't take chances. Get vaccinated, even though people have different opinions, different mind sets, different ideas, just do the right thing and get vaccinated to protect themselves and other people,” said Di Loreto Díaz.

She said for the people who don’t believe COVID is real, she would like to ‘knock some sense into them’.

“I am a COVID survivor. I know what I went through and I don't wish it upon my worst enemy,” said Di Loreto Díaz who finally got fully vaccinated last week.

She also stressed the importance of the care she received in the ICU was critical to her wellbeing and is grateful that she did not have to put on a ventilator. 

“I just want people to be smart, you know, do the right thing. If it wasn't safe, they wouldn't be putting it out there. Just protect yourself and protect others from ending up in the hospital like I did.”