Chinese COVID-19 Patient: ‘My Lungs Are Burning’

Chinese COVID-19 Patient: ‘My Lungs Are Burning’
People wear face masks as they walk outdoors in Los Angeles, Calif., on Dec. 1, 2021. Frederic J. Brown/AFP via Getty Images
Nicole Hao
Updated:

On Dec. 1, a Chinese COVID-19-recovered patient was diagnosed with Omicron, a new variant of the CCP virus first reported in South Africa. He said it felt like his lungs were burning.

The CCP (Chinese Communist Party) virus, commonly known as novel coronavirus, is the SARS-CoV-2 virus that caused COVID-19.

“I feel very thirsty. I feel my lungs are very dry. I drink [nearly a gallon] of water every two hours, but still feel thirsty,” the patient surnamed Hao told Chinese media Jimu News on Dec. 4. “I drank a lot of water before going to bed, but I didn’t need to use the bathroom in the morning. I don’t know where the water went.”

He also said, “I feel my lungs are burning,” and  he had a fever and dry cough.

“My body temperature is between 99.5°F and 100.4°F. … The doctor asked me to rest at home,” Hao added.

Doctors in South Africa have suggested that the symptoms of Omicron could be milder than the globally dominant Delta variant.

A Chinese man surnamed Hao said he was infected with Omicron variant in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Dec. 4, 2021. (screenshot/Hao's Tencent Weibo)
A Chinese man surnamed Hao said he was infected with Omicron variant in Johannesburg, South Africa, on Dec. 4, 2021. screenshot/Hao's Tencent Weibo

A Sleepy Husband

In April, Hao left his hometown Nantong city in eastern China’s Jiangsu Province to work in Johannesburg, South Africa, for half a year. He lives alone in a rented apartment and regularly video chats with his wife back home.

In late November during a video call, Hao’s wife noticed that he had become sleepy and lacked energy. Because Hao was diagnosed with COVID-19 in June, his wife urged him to get tested.

Prompted by his wife, Hao got tested for the CCP virus on Dec. 1 and was diagnosed with COVID-19 again. This time, he was infected with the Omicron variant.

Following the doctor’s advice, Hao is self-quarantining in his apartment and takes medicine daily. He misses home even more than before.

“I hope that I can go back home as early as possible after I recover from the Omicron variant,” Hao told Chinese media.

On Dec. 5, Hao updated his status to Jimu News saying he felt much better than the day before. “I feel the virus in my body is very weak now. My immune system is stronger and stronger,” Hao said.

Nicole Hao
Nicole Hao
Author
Nicole Hao is a Washington-based reporter focused on China-related topics. Before joining the Epoch Media Group in July 2009, she worked as a global product manager for a railway business in Paris, France.
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