NOW SAYS HIS LIFE WILL NEVER BE THE SAME. KOCO’S ABIGAIL OGLE JOINS US. ABBY, YOU SPOKE TOIM H ABOUT THE IRREVERSIBLE DAMAGE TO HIS LGSUN AND HEART. ABIGAIL: DAVID MCINTOSH SENIOR, 52-YEARS-OLD, TELLS ME HE NOW HAS ATRIAL FIBRILLATION, A-FIB, AND A LESSER KNOWN POST-CODVI SYMPTOM. HE SAYS IT NOW SOUNDLIS KE THIS CRINKLING PAPER WHEN DOCTORS LISTEN TO HIS LUNGS. >> MY LUNGS ARE ALWAYS GONNA HAVE THIS SCARRING AND THINGS ON MY LUNTIG SSUE. ABIGAIL: DAVID TELLS ME IT’S CALLED COVID FIBROSIS, SCARRING ON HIS LUNGS LEFTOVER FROM HIS COVID-19 BATTLE. >> WHEN TH LEYISTEN TO MY LUNGS NOW, IT SOUNDS LIKE WHEN YOU ARE WADDING UP P AAPER B.AG ABIGAIL: HE SAYS THE LUNG SCARRING WILL LIKELY NEVER GO AWAY. >> OXYGEN FOR LIFE AND EVERYTHI, NGALL THE TESTS THEY RAN ON MY HEART AND STUFF LIKE TAT. ABIGL:AI BECAUSE OF HIS HEART, DAVID NOW HAS A-FIB. >> PATTER, PATTER. THEN SKIP FOR A SECOND, THEN PATTER, PATTER, PATTER. ABIGAIL: WE SPOKE TO LOCAL ELECTROPHYSIOLOGIST DR. JACK COLLIER AT OKLAHOMA HEART HOSPITAL ASKING IF THEY’VE SEEN AN INCREASE IN COVID SURVIVORS NOW PLAGUED WITH HEART PROEMBLS. >> THE MOST COMMON IS ATALRI THE RELATION. WE SEE THAT THWI ABOUT 10% TO 20% OF PATIENTS WITH COVID TTHA ARE HOSPITALIZED WITH ICU CARE SITUATIONS. ABIGAIL: DR. COLLIER SAYS SOME MAY NOT EVEN KNOW THEY HAVE ATRIAL FIB. >> YOU CAN JUST HAVE SHORTNESS OF BREATH AND FATIGUE FROM AN ABNORMAL HEART RHYTHM AND HAVE NO IDEA THAT YOUR HEART IS ACTUALLY RACING. ABIGAIL: AND THAT, HE SAYS, CAN LEAD TO A MULTITUDE OF OTHER PROBLE.MS BLOOD CLOTS, INCREASED RISK OF STROKE. >> THINGS LIKE MAKE BLOOD PR ESSURE REALLY HARD TO HANDLE. ABIGAIL: AS FOR DAVID, HE TELLS ME HIS POST COVID BATTLE FEELS LIKE A FULL TIME JOB. FROM HOME HEALTH, DOCTSOR APPOINTMENTS, PHYSICAL THERAPY. >> PRETTY MUCH MY DAYS ARELL A PLANNED AROUND MY COVID. I’VE PROBABLY CRIED MORE THIS WEEK THAN I HAVE IN THE LAST 40 YEARS. ABIGAIL: I ASKED HIM WHAT IS IT THAT MAKES HIM SO EMOTIONAL. HE TELLS ME THE UNCERTAIY.NT >> I WANNA BE AROUND FOR MY KIDS AND MY FIVE GRANDKS.ID ABIGAIL: I ASKED DAVID IF HE HAD BEEN COVID VACCINATED. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AND DOES NOT PLAN TO GET THE SHOT. ALSO, DR. COLLIER SAID ANYWHERE FROM 35% TO 75% OF
Oklahoma man beats COVID-19, now suffers from irreversible damage
McIntosh told KOCO 5 that he now has atrial fibrillation as well as a lesser-known post-COVID symptom: When doctors listen to his lungs, it sounds like crinkling paper.
Fifty-two-year-old David McIntosh Sr. beat COVID-19, but life will never be the same because of the irreversible damage to his lungs and heart.McIntosh told KOCO 5 that he now has atrial fibrillation as well as a lesser-known post-COVID symptom: when doctors listen to his lungs, it sounds like crinkling paper.”My lungs are always going to have this scarring and things on my lung tissue,” McIntosh said.>> Related: Oklahoma AG joins others in challenging Biden administration vaccine mandateIt’s called COVID Fibrosis, which is scarring on his lungs leftover from his COVID-19 battle.”When they listen to my lungs now, it sounds like when you are wadding up a paper bag,” McIntosh said.He told KOCO 5 that the lung scarring will likely never go away.>> Related: Mandates for vaccination or testing at larger companies to take effect Jan. 4″Oxygen for life and everything. All the tests they ran on my heart and stuff like that,” he said.Because of his heart, McIntosh now has atrial fibrillation.KOCO 5 asked local electrophysiologist Dr. Jack Collier at Oklahoma Heart Hospital if they’ve seen an increase in COVID-19 survivors who are now plagued with heart problems.>> COVID-19 in Oklahoma: New cases, deaths, breakthrough cases, vaccination rates”The most common is Atrial fibrillation. We see that with 10 to 20% of patients with COVID-19 that are hospitalized with ICU care situations,” Collier said.The doctor said that they may not even know they have A-Fib.”You can just have shortness of breath and fatigue from an abnormal heart rhythm and have no idea that your heart is actually racing,” Collier said.>> More on this: Stitt: Oklahoma ready to ‘take President Biden to court’ over COVID-19 vaccine mandatesThis can lead to a multitude of other problems, according to Collier, including blood clots and an increased risk of stroke.”Things like that make blood pressure really hard to handle,” Collier said.As for McIntosh, his post-COVID-19 battle feels like a full-time job, from home health to doctor’s appointments to physical therapy.>> More on this: What you need to know about getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose”Pretty much my days are all planned around my COVID. I’ve probably cried more this week than I have in the last 40 years,” McIntosh said.McIntosh said that the uncertainty is what makes him so emotional.”I want to be around for my kids and my five grandkids,” he said.McIntosh told KOCO 5 he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, and he does not plan to get the shot.Collier said anywhere from 35% to 75% of COVID-19 patients still have symptoms six months after they have the virus.
OKLAHOMA CITY —
Fifty-two-year-old David McIntosh Sr. beat COVID-19, but life will never be the same because of the irreversible damage to his lungs and heart.
McIntosh told KOCO 5 that he now has atrial fibrillation as well as a lesser-known post-COVID symptom: when doctors listen to his lungs, it sounds like crinkling paper.
“My lungs are always going to have this scarring and things on my lung tissue,” McIntosh said.
>> Related: Oklahoma AG joins others in challenging Biden administration vaccine mandate
It’s called COVID Fibrosis, which is scarring on his lungs leftover from his COVID-19 battle.
“When they listen to my lungs now, it sounds like when you are wadding up a paper bag,” McIntosh said.
He told KOCO 5 that the lung scarring will likely never go away.
>> Related: Mandates for vaccination or testing at larger companies to take effect Jan. 4
“Oxygen for life and everything. All the tests they ran on my heart and stuff like that,” he said.
Because of his heart, McIntosh now has atrial fibrillation.
KOCO 5 asked local electrophysiologist Dr. Jack Collier at Oklahoma Heart Hospital if they’ve seen an increase in COVID-19 survivors who are now plagued with heart problems.
>> COVID-19 in Oklahoma: New cases, deaths, breakthrough cases, vaccination rates
“The most common is Atrial fibrillation. We see that with 10 to 20% of patients with COVID-19 that are hospitalized with ICU care situations,” Collier said.
The doctor said that they may not even know they have A-Fib.
“You can just have shortness of breath and fatigue from an abnormal heart rhythm and have no idea that your heart is actually racing,” Collier said.
This can lead to a multitude of other problems, according to Collier, including blood clots and an increased risk of stroke.
“Things like that make blood pressure really hard to handle,” Collier said.
As for McIntosh, his post-COVID-19 battle feels like a full-time job, from home health to doctor’s appointments to physical therapy.
>> More on this: What you need to know about getting the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine booster dose
“Pretty much my days are all planned around my COVID. I’ve probably cried more this week than I have in the last 40 years,” McIntosh said.
McIntosh said that the uncertainty is what makes him so emotional.
“I want to be around for my kids and my five grandkids,” he said.
McIntosh told KOCO 5 he was not vaccinated against COVID-19, and he does not plan to get the shot.
Collier said anywhere from 35% to 75% of COVID-19 patients still have symptoms six months after they have the virus.
