Corona Can Even Make Strong Athletes Like Ahmad Ayyad Suffer

JAKARTA - Living a healthy lifestyle does not guarantee that someone is immune from the corona virus. The proof is that Ahmad Ayyad, an athlete from the US, is suffering from COVID-19 quite badly. This disease that made him lose weight made him hardly recognize himself.

Ayyad is an athlete who weighs 97 kg. After falling into a coma for 25 days due to COVID-19, his body became limp.

"I woke up and saw my arms and legs muscles disappear," said Ayyad told CNN. "I panicked, where did my feet go?"

It has been two months since he was treated. Now he is still recovering. Ayyad had to treat damage to his lungs and heart.

Ayyad's incident carries a message to people who refuse to wear masks and undergo other health protocols: don't take the corona virus lightly. "I am worried that people will take this lightly," he said.

Ayyad is a person who has an extra busy life. He is a runner athlete. Races include a marathon and an obstacle course. Every week he also regularly takes basketball and boxing classes.

Having a fit body does not prevent Ayyad from avoiding COVID-19. In just a week, his life changed.

At first he felt that his body was very weak. Just manage the stairs he was exhausted. So are cooking, talking and driving.

After that he started sneezing and coughing. The peak is when he has a high fever, loses energy and appetite and has difficulty breathing.

Previously, Ayyad thought that the symptoms were just the common cold. But a friend told him to go to the hospital on March 15. His suspicions did not go wrong, Ayyad was positive for COVID-19.

Ayyad's condition worsens. He was put on a ventilator and transferred to Johns Hopkins Hospital where he fell into a coma. Ayyad is the third COVID-19 patient in the hospital and the first on a ventilator.

After treatment, Ayyad lost 27 kg of weight. Understandably, for almost a month he never ate solid food.

Ayyad still remembers the first time he ate apple sauce, it was the first solid food he ate. "That first bite, it was very satisfying. Before I realized I forgot how to swallow," he said.

Not only that, Ayyad also had to learn to talk and walk again. Every day Ayyad tries new things. First he started learning to move his feet from the bed. After getting out of bed, he learned to squat and walk.

Ayyad was only allowed to return home on April 22. The impact is still lingering. After recovering, there was a blood clot on his left arm. Meanwhile, his lungs and heart were damaged.

Little by little he began to practice boxing, playing basketball. He hopes to run the marathon again. But his fear of the virus still haunts him.

"People act as if (the corona virus) has left. Even though they are not. Wear your mask! Don't gather in large groups. Take care of yourself and the people around you," said Ayyad.