This story was told by a person incarcerated at Cois M. Byrd Detention Center.
Caller: And then, one time in January I went to go get a surgery again for my second surgery, you know, because I had a retina detachment. They did a thing with my nose where it goes all the way to the back of your throat, right. And then they did it and then, like, the 15 minutes test, she’s already saying, oh, you’re positive, you can’t be here, you got to go back to the facility.
And I come into the facility and they’re like, oh no, you’re positive. They got all my stuff from biohazard and stuff and then they’re like, oh, you know what, here, just take another test.
Because Human Resources is right here upstairs where I’m at in medical and they’re like, you know what, we’re going to do another test on you because we don’t think that, you know, you’re positive. So, they did a little quick 30 minute test where it’s in the nostril, not the ones to the back of the throat. And then, like, I did it and they’re like, you came out negative, you know.
And then, I went back to the hospital and they did another test and they’re like, oh, it’s inconclusive, we didn’t say it was positive. But, they still told the deputies that I was positive.
So, I was [crosstalk], do I have it again or what now, man. It’s like, it’s already been six months since I had that, you know. So, I haven’t had it again. I have, like, you know, three test about a month ago and there’s no signs of it and everything.
But, you know, I guess, I don’t know if it’s in your blood or something like that for a while because, you know, your antibodies fought it, or if I probably caught it again and I didn’t know I caught it because, you know, I was asymptomatic or something like that.
So, all I know is they kind of, like, let me brain fog for a while, you know. And then, sometimes I still sit here and, like, kind of, like, you know, got to do my burpees and workout and everything, but it’s kind of, like, weird. It’s just weird. But, I know this killed, like, three of my cousins, my uncle, some of my homies. I lost a lot of people to this pandemic, you know.
So, I mean, it’s kind of messed up. But, I did lose an eye because of, you know, COVID. I lost my eye because they couldn’t send me to surgery on time because I got COVID.
UCI: Wow.
Caller: [Crosstalk] situation by the time I got here. Yeah, so, I’m up here and I’m waiting on my fifth surgery. You know, I just needed a little retina attachment. That’s all they had to do is one simple surgery and it led to four surgeries all because of COVID.
And I think when I did catch the COVID, too, it messed up the back of my eyes. Everything was hurting. Like, everything in my body was hurting, especially my lungs, man. It just felt like – I can’t explain it, man.
But, my mom, she said she got it but she didn’t want to tell me because she didn’t want me to freak out, but she was telling me how – like, because mine, I felt robotic. Like, it felt like there was just something in me, like, taking over my body, like, in my chest, like, right there where I couldn’t breathe. And, like, it’s so cold, you know, but I’m so hot in the shower.
And I’m like, what is this shit. Excuse my language. But, it was just a weird feeling, man. Like, that was, like, manmade created. Man, that is not from bats. All I know, man, what I felt, I never felt nothing like that in my life, but I survived it.
[Crosstalk] real, that’s real. This is real, man. But, you know, it’s just sad that, you know, people, you know, catch it and pass away and stuff, but I’m just glad I’m a survivor of it. But, I’m thinking that’s what caused my – I had to get that delayed because my eye wasn’t that bad from the fight.
Even though I got shot up by the police, like, 26 times with the pellet gun, probably got hit in the eye, you know. But, just the delay of it and then just because of what it does to your body, like, I think it just, like, destroys your immune system so it gets everything weaker, because that’s how I felt. And, you know, and I think that probably, like, you know, damaged the pressure in my eyes because my vision is not the same no more as it used to be, you know. Like I said, I’m alright, man, but a lot of people caught that.
And I haven’t really taken no vaccine. So, I didn’t take the vaccine shot either. I will never take the vaccine. Because the only thing I took was the ammonia fucking vaccine in prison, you know, because I’ve been in prison most of my life since, you know, ’99.
I’ve been only out for, like, 18 months of my adult life. So, I’ve been institutionalized in CDCR for, you know, forever. And then, since I was kid, 12 years old, in and out of juvenile hall, so I really never took no flu shots. You know, the only shots I got when I was a kid was the measles and stuff, but all these other shots I never took.
Flu shots, nothing. So, they came by and asked me, like, four times, you want to take the shot. I’m like, no, I’d rather mask up if I have to, you know, but I’m cool. Because I just – I don’t know, man, there’s something bigger than that.
It’s just weird. Like, you know, it’s like, why? You going to give me a million dollars take the vaccine? No, we’re in here, we’re incarcerated, so it really don’t matter.
