Coronavirus-infected North Carolina man urges kindness as pandemic continues

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A North Carolina man who claims he’s been infected with the novel coronavirus, or COVID-19, is urging people to be kind to one another as the pandemic continues.

Barry Adams, 51, of Lexington, told WBTV that he first began feeling unwell last Friday and was later tested locally for COVID-19, resulting in a presumptive positive. However, the final results are expected later this week from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), he said.

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Adams is now quarantined in his home. His wife and daughter are also there, but they cannot be in the same room as him without wearing masks and gloves, he said.

“They’ve done all the tests and put me on quarantine until further notice,” Adams told WBTV, adding his initial symptoms were similar to those of the flu.

“And that’s what I thought it was, [but] they told me it was walking pneumonia or corona[virus].”

Adams said his doctor urged him to rest and stay hydrated. Friends and family have provided his family with basic supplies as they await the final results. In the interim, the North Carolina man is urging others to show kindness to one another.

“Be kind to each other, because you never know when it’s your time. When the good Lord calls you, it’s your time,” he added.

Adams is not the first coronavirus patient to speak out. Last week, a Seattle woman who was infected with the virus but has since recovered urged the public to “not panic.”

CORONAVIRUS: WHAT YOU NEED TO KNOW

"If your symptoms aren't life-threatening, simply stay at home, medicate with over-the-counter medicines, drink lots of water, get a lot of rest and check out the shows you want to binge-watch," Elizabeth Schneider, 37, told the global news agency Agence France-Presse, adding it’s important to stay home if you are sick for the health of others.

“Obviously, it's not something to be completely nonchalant about, because there are a lot of people who are elderly or have underlying health conditions,” she said. "That means that we need to be extra vigilant about staying home, isolating ourselves from others."