A Taylorville man is sharing his story after dealing with COVID-19. Bill Jones of Taylorville was out hunting. Everything seemed to be fine. He was able to walk ½ mile to his stand, shoot a deer, haul the carcass back. However, in the days that followed, Jones started getting sick. He thought he had bronchitis feeling symptoms like shortness of breath, a cough, pressure in his chest, and feeling like a cold might be developing. A visit to the doctor confirmed his fears. He had COVID-19.

Jones would eventually spend ten days in the hospital at Taylorville Memorial Hospital. Jones's wife would also test positive for the virus and was admitted at the same time. She has since fully recovered. In the five months since Jones tested positive, he has been hospitalized twice with serious lung problems.  He is currently participating in pulmonary rehab therapy sessions and has been unable to return to his job of more than 20 years with the Street and Sewer Department.

He says that right now thanks to COVID he’s basically living on one lung and can walk 20 feet before his oxygen levels get super low. Because of what he’s been through, Jones has been very vocal about his fight and wants everyone to get vaccinated against the virus. He has convinced several members of his family to get the vaccine and hopes that his story will help persuade even more to get the shot. “Covid not only affected my health, it’s affected my quality of life, my livelihood, and my pocketbook. It’s serious, and people need to realize that,” Jones says.

For more information on getting the COVID vaccine, contact your local health department.