Celebrating a patient’s discharge day can be quite the joyous occasion. When that patient is also a hospital employee who spent time in the intensive care unit fighting COVID-19, there’s even more to celebrate.

Athens-Limestone Hospital staff gathered outside the hospital Monday to cheer the release of Renee McGill, a nursing house supervisor and longtime employee of ALH. The hospital had three patients fighting COVID-19 in the intensive care unit last week, and McGill had been one of them.

When she first arrived, coworkers were worried she might not survive it. Fortunately, McGill overcame the disease and was ready to enjoy her discharge day celebration Monday.

“When she came in, she was so sick, and the thought of her walking out like she did today was not in our thoughts,” said Brenda Elmore, a registered nurse at ALH. “To see her today is an absolute blessing.”

Employees lined either side of a sidewalk to applaud and cheer as McGill was wheeled from the hospital to her ride home. Some held homemade signs of support.

Donna Abernathy, who also works as an RN at the hospital, said she’s worked with McGill for the past 36 years. She said it felt wonderful to see her friend and coworker able to go home after battling the novel coronavirus.

“We’ve worked hand in hand, we’ve cried together, we’ve shared so many things together,” Abernathy said. “It’s a miracle she walked out of here today, and it was (because of) the great care she received from the staff here.”

Hospital staff and employees held a similar celebration last week after the first patient, who spent four weeks in the hospital with COVID-19, was discharged. The News Courier was unable to verify the status of the second patient.

Renee’s story

Meanwhile, McGill also believes if it weren’t for the care she received at ALH, she might not have survived to go home Monday. In a pre-discharge interview with the hospital, McGill said she had felt fine at work but got home one night and realized she had a fever.

After visiting a fever and flu clinic, McGill said she was diagnosed with COVID-19 and the flu. The diseases left her sick enough to spend more than three weeks in the hospital.

She barely remembers any of it.

“I think it’s by the grace of God I don’t remember it,” she said. “I remember bits and pieces, and sounds.”

After more than three decades in nursing, she said it wasn’t a good feeling to be on the other side of patient care, but she’s grateful for how well everyone cared for her.

“It’s hard to be on this side of it,” she said, but she believes she got better care at ALH than she would have anywhere else.

Her husband, Ted McGill, agreed.

“I’m just thankful,” he said. “I don’t think many people gave her a chance when she came in, but these doctors, nurses and staff have given me my wife back.”

Monday’s numbers

Across the globe, more and more people continue to test positive for COVID-19, the disease caused by the novel coronavirus. A tally by Johns Hopkins University puts the total number of cases worldwide at more than 3 million, with nearly 1 million in the United States alone.

In Alabama, the state health department reported 6,499 lab-confirmed cases of COVID-19 as of Monday afternoon. It is unknown how many of those patients have fully recovered. ADPH has reported 861 hospitalizations and 219 deaths related to the disease since March 13.

Limestone County, which was among the first in the state to report a patient with the disease, had 42 confirmed cases as of Monday, according to ADPH.

About the disease

Most people with COVID-19 will have mild or no symptoms, but anyone — regardless of the appearance of symptoms — can spread the virus. It can take up to two weeks after exposure to the novel coronavirus for symptoms of COVID-19 to appear.

Those symptoms can include fever, cough, difficulty breathing, chills, shaking with chills, muscle pain, headache, sore throat and new loss of taste or smell. If symptoms become severe or include persistent chest pain, chest pressure, new confusion, inability to wake up or bluish lips or face, seek medical care immediately.

Older individuals and those with chronic health problems are more likely to have a severe case of the disease, which can lead to death.

When seeking medical care, call ahead of time. Warn the facility or responder that you may have COVID-19.

To prevent exposure and reduce the spread of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourage the following: wash hands often with soap and water for at least 20 seconds, use a hand sanitizer, avoid touching your face with unwashed hands, cough and sneeze into your elbow instead of your hands, wear a cloth face covering when near others, clean and disinfect common surfaces, and practice social distancing.