28-year-old COVID-19 patient released from UAB after 24 days on ventilator
BIRMINGHAM, AL (WBMA) - It was a day full of celebration with family and friends for 28 year old Ervin "Jock" Allen. He was released from UAB Hospital after nearly a month.
Allen was hit hard by the COVID-19 virus. He spent 24 days on a ventilator. His mother Candace, a health care professional, also had the virus. Tragically she did not survive.
Several other family members also tested positive for the virus, some showing no symptoms. They remind everyone how dangerous and deadly the virus can be.
UAB staff cheered Allen as he left the hospital. A surprise parade wound through his neighborhood Wednesday afternoon.
"It's very serious, young people can get it," warned Allen. Doctors say it will take a month before Allen is back to his old self.
"His biggest initiative is this is real. Yes we can get back to work and do it smart. This virus may disappear from the news headlines, but it is absolutely real," says Steve Johnson who works with Allen. Johnson says his friend's story has touched so many in the racing community.