Mike Schultz, a nurse at San Francisco’s California Pacific Medical Center, has entered the hospital after testing positive for COVID-19. Schultz attended the Winter Party with his boyfriend last month.
The Winter Party–which took place just before strict social distancing was implemented–has been linked to several cases of coronavirus and two deaths.
Now The Advocate reports that Schultz, who attended the party with his boyfriend, DJ Joshua Hebblethwaite, began exhibiting symptoms just one day after the party’s conclusion. Pink News also reports that Schultz went into the hospital several days later, and has remained on a ventilator ever since.
Related: Another Winter Party attendee has died from coronavirus
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Hebblethwaite and other friends and family of Schultz also have launched a GoFundMe page to help pay for Schlutz’s mounting medical expenses. “We are all aware of how expensive hospital stays are,” the crowdsourcing statement reads. “Additionally, Mike’s inability to work at this time and during his recovery will cause a huge financial burden that he shouldn’t have to handle on his own. Let’s all pitch in and help this amazing guy however we can — every dollar helps and will go a long way for him.”
In addition, Hebblethwaite also hosted a virtual party this past weekend to earn medical funds.
On his Facebook page, Hebblethwaite has also issued a plea for friends and fans to stay home. “A little over 3 weeks ago my bf Mike came to Boston to spend the weekend with me,” he wrote. “Over the weekend both he and I got very sick. While I slowly got better he got worse. At one point his breathing got so difficult he couldn’t catch his breath and said he felt like drowning. My family and I rushed him to the ER…He’s been in the ICU in a medically induced coma since then and due to visitor restrictions I still haven’t been able to see him. Mike, 40 years old and a nurse from SF, was in excellent health with no pre-existing conditions and this hit him HARD! This virus is NO JOKE!”
“Observe social distancing and self-quarantine,” Hebblethwaite concludes. “You think you are healthy enough if you get it you’ll be fine but please, don’t risk it! It’s not just about you but everyone else as well.”
frapachino
I hope he gets better! He looks like he is likely on roids which probably is contributing, and many guys who go to those parties are known to do drugs so there’s that.
davegun2
Maybe.
Those that do roids should think about themselves being in the high-risk group. I know I am, at 72 years old.
Slipperyslope
I see your point and while they aren’t my thing, have you ever attended one “those parties”? If so, you’d be educated on the fact that not everyone is on drugs.
Furthermore, speculating that someone got sick because “he is likely on roids” is rather presumptions and quite honestly ignorant. There are plenty of people who put a lot of work into their bodies to look the way they do, which you would be aware of if you worked out on a regular basis. Perhaps you should try it sometime, it could be life-changing.
Rather than posting an uninformed reaction, maybe try holding a good thought for this poor man and his family, as many would do for you if/when you contract COVID-19.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Slipperyslope: Absolute 100% Co-sign. I’ve been to and there are guys from all different backgrounds. Including AA and NA meetings held in conjunction with the parties to help prevent a slip.
And with proper nutrition and correct exercise regimen guys can stay in shape well past the easy to look good 20’s & 30’s. I have a client who just turned 83 and his physique is better than the vast majority of guys half his age….
Don’t recognize your screen name. unfortunately you will see this site is infested with noxious repugnant trolls!
Stay well…..
Den
Steroids aid in development of muscle mass by minimizing the inflammation caused by intense workouts, enabling more frequent and harder workouts with less recovery time. They do not grow muscle by themselves. So it is quite possible that there are no steroids involved in their bodybuilding endeavors. And as a nurse he would most likely be well aware of the effects of steroids on the immune system and testosterone levels over the long term.
jockjay
Yeah he definitely does steroids, know that for a fact, and he should have known better than to go to a circuit party given his profession. No excuse.
Beachman
I hope he recovers, but anyone that would make the statement that either of the boys above are in ‘excellent health’ is an idiot. If they are in such great health, why are they so jacked up on steroids? Do they have any idea what they do to their organs and body? Not to mention their immune system? Unfortunately, they are now finding out…how sad. Sorry, but these boys work in the medical field and should have known better.
Slipperyslope
Ignorant comment. My above response to frapachino pertains to your rant as well.
Stay safe, wash those hands, keep social distancing and most importantly of all, make sure you stay off those roids. It’ll save your life! Unlike the huge impacts that alcohol, sugar, stress & anxiety can have on the immune system, but those are all fine, right?
jockjay
Slipperyslope, you’re clueless, both those guys are huge roid guys and circuit guys. Are well known as that. No judgement just a fact. Should know better given profession and saw the warnings, he’s a nurse! An steroids stress your system when you take them at huge levels and lower your immunity.
Fitman40s
I agree with you here, Beachman, and others that posted about their blatant ignorance or disregard of social distancing. As a Healthcare professional myself I was aware of what was happening, regarding this horrible respiratory issue, now known as Covid-19, and knew that I had to protect myself any way possible to stay healthy. As a Nurse that last place I would go would be a Huge Public event and place myself at risk. This guy “possibly” using steroids is not the point here. It is more about the blatant disregard or ignorance to what was happening in the community. We as nurses have to take of ourselves to take care of others.
Going to the Winter Party he may not have been aware of Covid-19.. ok I will give him a small pass there. But to have his BF just on a plane from Boston to SF when it was already known that we didn’t know how this virus could react to any number of the population.. THAT was irresponsible as a healthcare worker. It’s truly irresponsible of anyone for that matter. NOW, here is the consequence for both of their actions- his BF is in ICU.
Assumptions about his appearance regarding steroids or HIV is not important here. The fact that he works in the medical field is.. he should have known better. I miss friends and family deeply too.. but not enough to put them or myself at risk.
Kangol2
This is sad news, and I hope Mike Schultz fully recovers ASAP. Covid-19 is hitting younger people, even ones without pre-existing conditions, as well, so one need not be on “roids” or have taken “drugs,” but Dr. Siddhartha Mukherjee, a brilliant oncologistt and award-winning scientist and author, has also pointed out that what’s as great a factor is the level of exposure to the virus, along with how people’s bodies in their complexities respond to it.
Den
If they both began showing symptoms two days after the party it seems likely they were both contagious AT the party. And even if stringent social distancing rules were not in place, it seems that a nurse would have had access to the most accurate information regarding how to behave.
It is also strange that they need a go fund me page, as nurses are well unionized in SF and at CPMC should have excellent healthcare in their benefit package. Being in a medically induces coma does not bode well, hope he recovers!
Creamsicle
The average cost for covid-19 hospitalizations ranges from $10,000 – $31,000. Insurance covers most of it, but a lot of insured patients still end up with a bill ranging from $1,000 – $3,000, depending on the length of their hospital stay.
Nobody likes their HMO or PPO. As Americans we’re always grateful to have the coverage that we get, but nobody likes going through insurance and praying and hoping that every bill will be coded correctly, and that all your medical workers will be in-network. Maybe it’s time to give up our clusterfluck (sic) of a medical billing system and finally develop a Medicare For All solution that will work for Americans.
Leaving people with hefty hospital bills right now also makes no sense from an economic standpoint. Do we really want to saddle the people lucky enough to survive the virus (and thus provide the herd immunity that we all need to get back to normal life) with medical debt? That is money that could be supporting local businesses and keeping service jobs going. Forgiving medical debt during this pandemic would do a lot to set us up for economic recovery in the long-term and relieve a lot of anxiety across the country in the meantime.
Bob LaBlah
Believe it or not it appears that the show will go on in NYC for Pride and the parade. Maybe this will help get thru to the Muscle Mary’s in SF and NYC that it IS best to cancel this years parades and events leading up to it. This is actually the 50th anniversary of the first march and its really a shame that it has to be cancelled. NYC to this day has not said it was cancelling the parade. It is still coming up on a google search as taking place and even has a website just like DC Black Pride that advertises the show is still scheduled. Blatino Oasis cancelled this years events. Now run tell that.
PLAYS WELL WITH OTHERS
Unfortunately there is absolutely no way, barring a huge breakthrough regarding the corona apocalypse that the Pride events will occur. Optimistic estimates project some sense of normal not til August. Almost 25% of NYPD is out sick….Sucks we will be denied celebrating 50th
🙁
jockjay
You’re not being denied anything, just celebrate in your own way.
Rock-N-RollHS
@ Slipperyslope No you are an idiot. If you think that guy wasn’t on roids, you are either blind and in self denial and on them yourself or you live under rock in Arkansas. No one deserves to get CV19 (well, maybe some; those people who refuse to social distance and encourage large gatherings), but your equating roids–which does take a toll on the body–with sugar is laughable. Age, roids, HIV, hepatitis can exacerbate CV19’s attack on the body. I know of two people in ICU with CV19, one with a history of hep, the other formerly HIV+ and previously on steroids.
D_Bro
Other then, what(?), 2 people in the world, please tell me how someone is “formerly” HIV+?
Vince
Where is this roid talk coming from. He’s not that big and I don’t see the other usual signs of roid use. If you work out long enough you can easily get to his size.
Creamsicle
You’re missing a major and significant risk group for Covid-19: obesity. It’s all over the medical journals, but has not been vocalized by a lot of public health scientists because they don’t want to risk encouraging unhealthy weight loss attempts (I presume). Healthy weight loss takes time, and not everyone is ready to come to terms with the likelihood that this may be our new normal, especially in the likely case of a second wave during autumn.
Most severe covid cases with young patients have been obese, or morbidly obese patients. The pandemic will hit America harder than other countries because we have the highest rate of overweight & obesity in the world.
jockjay
Vince…he’s roided to the Gods
WayDifferent
Vince, he was a skinny “kid” in Detroit back in the early 90s. This isn’t “natural” by any means. So skinny, I was afraid I was going to crush him in bed. True story.
jmforeman
More deplorable, homophobic, victim-blaming bullshit, just like what we lived through in AIDS epidemic. Shame on you, Queerty.
Nearly 20,000 fans (a full house) attended the Miami Heat game in the days after the Winter Party. No doubt, some unknowingly had COVID-19 or were infected at that event. But there’s been zero blaming, directly or indirectly of the attendees or owners of the the team. Gay guys attending a dance party on the beach – a whole other homophobic take. Of sorry, no good pictures of buff men in swimsuits.
We now know the government is to blame for not taking action weeks earlier. Put the blame where it belongs.
Matt Foreman
D_Bro
Some really good points Matt! Thank you for the perspective.
jockjay
How is any of this homophobic? His excellent SF work hospital told them all about the risk of Covid way before his trip!! He knew but had to party and create his roid induced narcissistic Insta posts not caring about the risks to himself or potentially his patients. Nothing to do with being gay but more about being a responsible person.
Gandalf The Grey
As a healthcare worker he should have known better. I feel terrible for all the innocent people he’s infected, including any patients. His karma is terrible! Why you think anyone thinks he should get a pass because he’s gay is beyond reasoning with.
Wicked Dickie
Oh please. One, you’re a nurse, so you have employer insurance. Two, as a nurse, you should have been privy to the medical information available in the medical community before the general public. Third, Why is GoFundMe the go to route for anyone with a financial problem?
WayDifferent
…so they can buy more ‘roids, coke and a new lamp. Maybe even a BMW lease for 36 months or 97,000 miles….whichever comes first.
Tyrone Johnston
I am pleased to see some of these comments. It helps me know that at least some people here have common sense. These two men most likely displayed symptoms BEFORE they traveled to Miami to party. Despite the doubters, I suspect that these two men did more than dance and go to the beach. Why travel that far not to fully experience what the party offers?
Also, he does NOT appear to be in excellent health. I not only have concerns about roids, but HIV as well. What does his skin look like underneath all that beard?
People can do GoFundMe if they want, despite having health insurance. People love and care about others. That’s cool and I support it. But, these two men DO NOT make good decisions.
WayDifferent
Bingo!
[email protected]
Maybe those steroids weakened your immune systems and then the rest of the drugs you might have been doing…..what? no health insurance and you are a nurse?? unbelievable
UltimateSin
He most likely knew better and decided to go to there. Then he gets sick and is in the hospital. The part I don’t get is why is there a GoFundme page set up for someone who knew the risks and still chose to take such a chance? He wants to have his cake and eat it too.
WayDifferent
I did him back in the 90s. He was a good looking, nice, clean-cut, “normal” guy before all this get-up, beards, tattoos and ‘roids (gay insecurity).
A good friend of 20+ years advised me of this situation and that he thought he got it from “Winter Party”…whatever that is.
My response was….”We could catch the bug anywhere but what these gay men in their 40s, 50s and 70s are still doing parading around at these “parties” is the real tragedy”.
Hope he recovers. Grow up. The Peter Pan Syndrome is real. It’s all tragic in more ways than one.