TEXAS — Dr. Scott Smith, orthopedic surgeon with Texas Orthopedics, recently spent more than a week in local hospitals battling COVID-19.
- His symptoms started with headache on March 20
- Released from hospital on April 5
- The disease had profound effect on his mental health
Most of those days he was on high-flow nasal oxygen, including one night in the ICU.
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Dr. Smith first noticed a headache on March 20, and in the few days that followed, he says he felt "run down." On Sunday, March 22, he was tested for coronavirus, and the test came back positive the following day. He stayed home nearly a week, and although he wasn't eating much, he began having abdominal pain, GI issues, and a high fever.
Photo of Dr. Scott Smith with family (photo credit: Dr. Scott Smith)
On Sunday, March 28, Dr. Smith realized he could not continue to recover at home, and he was admitted to a hospital in Georgetown. He spent four days at the Georgetown hospital, where he was put on oxygen and began taking Plaquenil and azithromycin.
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Four days later he was transferred to Ascension Seton Medical Center Austin where he remained until he recovered and was released on April 5.
Photo of Dr. Scott Smith’s family visiting him in the hospital parking lot (photo credit: Dr. Scott Smith)
Following a positive antibody test, Dr. Smith returned to work nine days after leaving the hospital. While he may now be immune to the virus, he is still taking necessary precautions and remaining masked to help his colleagues and patients feel at ease.
Spectrum News anchor, Dr. Nicole Cross spoke with Dr. Smith, who said he feels close to completely recovered, but still recounts the days in the hospital as some of the most difficult he's experienced in his lifetime.
Photo of Dr. Scott Smith’s family visiting him in the hospital parking lot (photo credit: Dr. Scott Smith)
"I had already accepted the fact that I wasn't going to make it out of this thing alive, and I had made peace with my Maker. The mental health aspect of this virus cannot be overstated, as you're in complete isolation while you recover. My family “visited” daily from the parking lot and waved up to my window. Yes, this is a pulmonary and gastrointestinal disease, but it also has profound effects on your mental health,” Smith said.
