‘I could have prevented this,’ Virginia man says in videos showing his COVID decline
A Virginia man’s decision to post videos documenting his COVID-19 treatment has slowly turned into a tragic confessional that he could now die due to avoiding a vaccine.
Travis Campbell of Bristol, Virginia, was diagnosed with the potentially fatal infection in late July and soon began posting video updates on Facebook.
Among the first was a video saying he did not want prayers because “I believe the path’s already set.”
In the days since, he has gone from complaining about the symptoms to gasping for breath between words.
Campbell’s most recent video, posted Tuesday, reveals he is discussing “worse-case scenarios” with his wife and weighing a doctor’s advice to be put on a ventilator. He also confesses in the video to feeling lucky he woke up that morning.
“I truly regret not getting the vaccine,” Campbell said in a post. “I’m testifying to all my bulletproof friends that’s holding out. It’s time to protect your family, it’s not worth getting long term lung damage or death please go get the vaccine.”
Campbell also blames himself for infecting his children, who he says are experiencing a rattling cough, dizziness, diarrhea and dehydration.
“I realize I could have prevented this. I’m over the stupid conspiracies. It’s time to be rational and protective. It’s not worth being stubborn like I did,” he wrote.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reports more than 35 million people have been infected with the virus in the U.S. and more than 614,000 have died as of Aug. 4. Infection rates have recently begun to worsen, as the current 7-day average of “daily new cases (66,606) increased 64.1% compared with the previous 7-day moving average (40,597),” the CDC reported last week.
Kellie Campbell, his wife, told NBC “her husband tested positive on July 22” after complaining of exhaustion, body aches and not being able to catch his breath.
“The (doctor) said he came in at the right time!” she wrote July 25 on Facebook. “He was starting to develop clots in his lungs. He was very dehydrated and his lungs were dry. His sugar was also really…really high!”
He tried to avoid being admitted to a hospital as long as possible, she said.
Travis Campbell says his lungs are now damaged and he’s in a Pulmonary Intensive Care Unit that is full of other COVID-19 patients. “So it (COVID-19) is growing and it is getting stronger,” he says of the virus.
Campbell says he’s aware his videos are being linked to government conspiracies generated by people who fear the government has overreached during the pandemic.
He hopes his ghastly appearance might dispute that idea.
“I hope that you can truly see ... that (President) Joe Biden and (VP Kamala) Harris are not paying me $30 a piece for each one of y’all that go get vaccinated. That’s a joke. Funny, a-ha,” he says in a video.
“I don’t have any benefit of you getting vaccinated. Just peace of mind.”
This story was originally published August 4, 2021 at 8:40 AM with the headline "‘I could have prevented this,’ Virginia man says in videos showing his COVID decline."