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The mayor of Hastings, Nebraska is currently recovering from COVID-19. He and his family recently ended their quarantine, and now say they want Nebraskans to take COVID-19 more seriously.
In mid-September, Hastings Mayor Corey Stutte had a sore throat, headaches, and fatigue. He thought he just had allergies, then he and his wife developed chest tightness, and were so tired they couldn’t concentrate.
"Probably took two to three times longer just to read a simple news story than it needed to," Stutte said.
Stutte said it was probably the sickest he and his wife have ever been. They’re in recovery now, but still have shortness of breath and fatigue.
"As an under 40-year-old, it's a little bit alarming when you walk up the stairs, and you kind of run out of breath," Stutte said.
Having battled COVID-19, Stutte wants Nebraskans to protect themselves. With hospitals seeing record numbers of COVID patients statewide, he said people should stay vigilant for any symptoms and wear a mask.