Months after getting virus, council member says effects linger
MISSOURI CITY, Texas (KTRK) -- It's been four months since a Missouri City council member was first diagnosed with COVID-19, yet he's still recovering from the effects of the virus.
He left the hospital in April and tested negative for the virus on April 5, but he is still dealing with the aftermath. He has a blood clot in one of his lungs.
Jeffery Boney started getting sick in mid-March.
"I went to get tested on [March 25] and ended up coughing up blood two days after that, and that's how I ended up in the ICU," said Boney.
After that, he spent the next nine days in the ICU.
"They took a CT scan and found I had pneumonia in both of my lungs," Boney said. "I also had ailments on various organs. My heart function was down to 30%. I was approaching heart failure, my liver and kidneys were impacted."
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Then, when he was discharged from the hospital, he had a large blood clot in his right lung.
He took blood thinners and over time things improved.
As his recovery continues, Boney is raising awareness about the effects of COVID-19.
He's the chair of the board for the Cure Covid Consortium, a group that's focused on providing information on the virus, testing, treatment and research.
Boney recently went to the doctor and the blood clot has significantly dissipated.
"It's very important for people to realize how serious COVID-19 is and how it can impact you not only short-term but long-term," he said. "I'm still dealing with the effects of COVID-19 with this blood clot, so although I've been discharged from the hospital, there's still, in the back of my mind, this concern could you catch it again or is the clot somehow going to impact my livelihood."
