Kentucky realtor talks about battling COVID-19 for nearly one month

LEXINGTON, Ky. (WKYT) - A Central Kentucky realtor has been fighting COVID-19 for 28 days.

Geoff Brewer told a group of fellow real estate agents at a convention about his illness, and now, his whole community. He says he wants people to know that their own neighbor, friend or loved one can get the virus, and how serious it is.

Brewer said it all started the day before the Fourth of July.

“I kind of had an itchy throat, just felt like allergies were kicking in, so I took a Zyrtec.”

The realtor says by 8 p.m. that night, he was too sick to write an offer.

Brewer says he rarely goes to the doctor, but felt he needed to get checked out. He went home, anxiously waiting for test results, when he became so sick, he said he couldn’t breathe at all.

“I spent 11 days at UK, 7 of those days I had a temperature of 103, and broke out in hives from head to toe, kind of felt like I had poison oak,” he said.

It’s not just him, his whole family became infected.

“I’m laying in the hospital, I can’t see my family, I know that my wife and kids are sick, I can’t do anything to help them,” Brewer said.

Brewer said they’re the perfect example of the virus affecting everyone differently. Both of his children felt under the weather for a couple of days, while his wife was very ill for more than a week.

He said he started turning the corner after 5 treatments of remdesivir.

“I was there, pretty sick for about 4 days before I reached whatever criteria I needed to reach before I could start that treatment,” he said.

The realtor said he has taken every precaution, wearing a mask, showing homes virtually and social distancing when he meets with clients. He still doesn’t know where he got COVID-19.

“I’ve had people messaging me asking if I was fake and if I was really sick,” he said.

He said he feels it’s important for other agents and other Kentuckians to understand how serious this is.

“If people will just put there political affiliations aside and have some common sense about it, it’s not that hard to wear a mask.”

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