‘You should not have survived’: NC woman shares miraculous COVID-19 recovery

APEX, N.C. — A North Carolina woman is sharing her miraculous recovery from the coronavirus as well as a message for those wishing to reopen the state.

Kathy Bartholomew’s last memory was getting the COVID-19 test. She doesn’t even remember checking into the hospital.

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She is back home in Apex, North Carolina after 28 days in the hospital. The 62-year-old had a fever that reached 104 and also spent 15 days on a ventilator.

“I feel like I’m a miracle,” Bartholomew said. “When two doctors stood at my bed and said ‘You should not have survived. Every statistic was against you, you should not have survived.’ I feel like I’m a miracle.”

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She has one message for protesters who want to reopen North Carolina businesses.

“We’ve never experienced anything like this, but you have to mitigate the risk as much as possible and don’t jeopardize others,” Bartholomew said.

Bartholomew will need physical therapy, occupational therapy and maybe even speech therapy for paralyzed vocal chords, but her doctors said they expect she will make a fully recovery.

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