Mike Schultz, a gay San Francisco nurse who contracted COVID-19 at the Winter Party in Maimi, has opened up about his battle with the disease. In a new BuzzFeed interview, Schultz reveals he spent more than a month on a ventilator and lost more than 50 pounds.
Schultz, 44, first noticed symptoms on March 17, just after he returned home after a visit to Boston. He ended up spending six weeks in the intensive care unit at the hospital on a ventilator under sedation. When he woke up, he thought only a few days had passed. That illusion came crashing down when he caught a glimpse of himself in the mirror.
Related: Another Winter Party attendee, SF nurse, hospitalized with COVID-19
“I was so weak,” he says. “This was one of the most frustrating parts. I couldn’t hold my cellphone; it was so heavy. I couldn’t type, because my hands shook so much.”
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“I knew what I thought going in [about the coronavirus]. I didn’t think it was as serious as it was until after things started happening,” he lamented. “I thought I was young enough for it not to affect me, and I know a lot of people think that. I wanted to show it can happen to anyone. It doesn’t matter if you’re young or old, have preexisting conditions or not. It can affect you.”
“I didn't even recognize myself.”
Nurse who lost 50 pounds during coronavirus battle posted shocking before-and-after photos of the impact the virus had on his body. https://t.co/PREnxoQPri pic.twitter.com/F3sggwxycN
— New Day (@NewDay) May 21, 2020
Schultz also appeared on CNN to discuss his current prognosis. “I’m doing really well,” Schultz told John Berman. “I’m able to move around and walk and go up and down stairs, and pretty much do anything on my own. It’s just I have to take a lot of rest breaks, and I just know that my lung capacity is not totally there yet.” Schultz also reports that he believes he lost some of his sense of taste.
Schultz’s boyfriend, DJ Joshua Hebblethwaite, also contracted COVID-19 at the party. The extreme expenses of Schultz’s medical stay also prompted Hebblethwaite to start a GoFundMe campaign to help offset the costs.
At least 38 people contracted COVID-19 at the Winter Party in March. Three of those patients have died.
Wicked Dickie
Funny that he didn’t hashtag #winterparty like he did the first time.
Crystix
“I’ll get back to where I was in healthier ways this time… maybe even do cardio”
Not saying he used steroids to get “White Party Muscle Daddy” jacked, but I’m NOT NOT saying it.
Catholicslutbox
Roids… gotta love em.
dave1000
Oh, come on, he didn’t get THAT big.
Buenosdias12
Feel better fast!
Jared MacBride
Not likely “the virus” had that impact on his body. More likely it was the lack of roids.
dave1000
Without further proof, I would assume the best.
Creamsicle
Muscle requires both calories and stimulation. You can lose a shocking amount of weight if your food intake and behavior changes in extreme ways. A friend of mine did his graduate field research in the Nevada Snake Range, and spent 4 weeks at a time completely alone and hiking 8-12 hours a day. He’s ordinarily a gym rat, who lifts 3-5 times a week. During that field work, he lost 25 lbs. and was hard to recognize when he got back.
Going from a nurse, who is on his feet all day and likely lifts multiple times per week, to being in a medically induced coma on a feeding tube is a pretty extreme intake and exercise change.
Neoprene
When I saw his interview on CNN I had a total flashback to the late 80’s/90’s to roided up guys battling AIDS, not just because of his uber pumped up body but because of his face as well, which looks much older than 44 with those deep lines. I had two friends who had that look and to this day that look brings forth a lot of sad emotions associated with that time. I hope this guy makes a full recovery and stays healthy. No one has to convince me to take this virus seriously over the long haul.
Chrisk
He said he didn’t have any pre-existing conditions in the interview though.
rand503
He looks much older than 45. Either he’s had a very rough life, or he’s doing something to make it age much faster.
Chrisk
I don’t know why anyone’s saying roids. He’s not that big.
How about this. You spend a month in a hospital bed sick and sedated and let’s do a before and after pic. Lets see how much you change.
pym_sd
No it s the roid !!! Let’s not pretend otherwise … i can’t even believe CNN made a story about that … if people were dumb enough to think that going to Winter Party was a good idea this year, then let them be quiet !!! If u can’t refrain to go to another Circuit Party at 44yo your life is SAD !!!!
Troysky
@Chrisk I agree, I don’t think he was that big – not to mention, pics “add” size to people. Maybe I’m wrong and it was roids. Maybe it was him taking testosterone.
@pym_sd You have some good points, but would be more persuasive if you cut out your hysterical, judgmental elements.
Unless I missed it, the biggest disappointment is that Schultz is not saying how it was dumb to go to a party.
Catholicslutbox
Nick Sandell roids or roided and he’s about the same size, albeit a different shape.
CenterRight
I’d like to be thoughtful about the health crisis he has been through but honestly I like his leaner body now than those roid muscles (after he fully recovers from the infection). There are so many men around his age in Palm Springs that look just like his type and it looks too gay to me.
Jared MacBride
Please define “too gay.”
Kangol2
@CenterRight, it looks “too gay” to you? Girl, you do realize you’re reading and commenting on a gay/LGBTQ site titled Queerty, right? Leave the anti-gay attitudes in the 20th century!
FunInTheSack
My primary care doctor caters to the LGBT in Los Angeles.
He personally saw 45-50 positive cases from individuals that attended the Winter Party.
20-25 from community spread.
2 went to ICU.
0 deaths.
But everyone of the patients that went to the winter party tested positive. Everyone of them. Wild.
Sister Bertha Bedderthanyu
I know how cold and callous this sounds but his being a nurse causes me to find ZERO sympathy for him. He knew better but he, of all people let lust take over his common sense. At forty-four what did he expect to find at that party that he hadn’t already had or experienced? Ok, in your twenties or thirties I can understand but this guy had crossed the big 4-0 and had to have seen the way disease ravages the body while at work. What made him think he was immune to it? I hope whatever hospital he was in sends him a bill that will knock common sense back into his head.
Center_Right
I agree with you. Every time I see those guys over 45 coming to the White Party, I have to keep reminding myself that I really don’t get why these men are doing the stuff guys in their 20s and 30s do but I should just keep my mouth shut for fear of being called judgmental.
Creamsicle
When did the Winter Party happen? Was it after CDC released more information on the novel coronavirus? The U.S. government dragged its feet on lockdowns, and couldn’t actually enforce lockdowns anyway.
This man took a risk when the known risks were different than we know today. He is trying to make up for that fact by warning other people that a strong and otherwise healthy man in his mid-40s needed medical intervention to survive the virus. Your age and current good health can’t protect you. It is still unknown what causes some infected people to require intervention, while others can shrug it off.
sillyme
You would think at his age and being a nurse he would have had better judgment to start with and not attend one of the “winter parties” even with no health problems, did he not see enough people with it or hear from others in the same profession who talk to and with others that may have been near some who did? No most have stopped using common sense all together and it’s going fast away from the human race and it’s sad.
ShiningSex
This is what happens when you think it can’t happen to you and avoid the warning. There were warning already at this time and still some queens were ignorant and didn’t care enough.
Troysky
@ShiningSex ….truth!
Creamsicle
Why is everyone jumping to the conclusion that he was a steroid user? Lots of people who lift make jokes about hating cardio, because people who actually exercise as a hobby like to poke fun at the meathead stereotype. He’s not the only one who enjoys lifting, but hates cardio.
Muscle requires maintenance, both in nutrition and stimulation. I don’t care who you are, if you are put into a medically induced coma, you will lose visible muscle mass, because your muscle stimulation effectively becomes zero.
The guy is trying to raise awareness that covid can debilitate otherwise healthy individuals. Why sling baseless accusations?
balehead
Steroids maybe?….His Instagram used to have a few pics of his obvious “pizza back”….since deleted…
IWantAFullBeard
It’s interesting when people who spend their entire life judging people solely on their physical appearance, have to come to terms with their aging body.
BigThug
He looks great. That bloat was way too much.
Gary Q VV
Yes, he suffered, and that’s a misfortune. It’s good that he survived this horrid virus. But, he put his own health in mortal danger, and most likely many others, by being so careless, selfish, rather stupid by attending that ‘Winter Party’. Being a professional nurse, he must have had the sense to know the extreme risks of attending such a gathering. Either he was willing to take that risk, or he was ignorant of the risks. Schultz and his boyfriend made a mistake and they risked their lives, along with countless others with which they had close contact, for a brief moment of fun. Learn and live.
Consider This
Taking COVID seriously. VERY seriously.
Jerry
He looks healthier, overall. He was very roided. I hope he doesn’t go back to the old ways. He’s had a reset and a chance to start over.
o.codone
Guy looks like Gus Kenworthy. In fact. I think the pic on the main page might actually *be* Kenworthy. Is it me? Anyone else think so?
Kanaka4127
No.
JanDivine
I am a nurse too. I recognize that we all go through the same stages in life, just not in the same order. I hope he has learned several good lessons through all of this.