SAN ANTONIO – San Antonio pediatric nurse practitioner Justin Vine has been hospitalized for over a month after testing positive for COVID-19.
“As soon as he got home, he gets rid of the clothes, takes a shower and then starts spending time with us. He was taking all the precautions,” said Esther Aguayo, Justin Vine’s wife.
Vine, 40, started feeling sick on June 23.
“Feeling very tired and started coughing, sneezing,” Aguayo said.
Aguayo said she took her husband to Northeast Baptist Hospital on June 30, where he tested positive for COVID-19. His condition worsened, and he's been on a ventilator since July 1.
“I can’t express in words how much I miss him,” Aguayo said.
On Aug. 3, it was the couple's first wedding anniversary.
“We love to dance salsa and bachata,” Aguayo said.
Vine has three children. Aguayo says her husband loves not only his family but also his job and working with children.
“Whoever gets to have a visit with him at the clinic, they just fall in love with him. They love him. Kids love him,” Aguayo said.
Aguayo said Vine has been given remdesivir and two plasma donations.
Those taking care of patients put themselves at risk every day. The CDC reports nearly 9,300 U.S. health care workers have contracted COVID-19.