Tucson's First Coronavirus Patient 'Not Ready' To Die

TUCSON, AZ — After spending a month in a hospital bed, including more than two weeks on a ventilator, the person with the first illness from the new coronavirus in Pima County has been discharged from Northwest Medical Center. Glen Reed, 57, is now testing negative for the virus that very nearly killed him.

Reed had been admitted to the Northwest Medical Center on March 11, days after developing a fever and shortness of breath. Reed eventually tested positive for COVID-19, the illness caused by the virus. He was discharged April 7.

"I thought there’s so much I didn’t do," he said in an interview with the Arizona Daily Star. “I have a grandson who’s just turning 6 and I’m thinking ‘God, what’s happening here?’ I’m not done yet. I’m not ready."

Isolated in a hospital room and only able to breathe with aid of a ventilator, Reed said goodbye to his family through video chat, not knowing whether he'd wake up. His wife, Beverley, later tested positive for COVID-19, though she told NBC News 4 (KVOA) that her symptoms were less severe than her husband's.

"I did not have what he had," she said.

In a video posted to Facebook one day after Reed's release, the recovering COVID-19 survivor was shown being wheeled out of the hospital and receiving a standing ovation from the medical staff which saved him.

To date, Arizona has recorded more than 3,700 cases of COVID-19 and 122 deaths, according to the Arizona Department of Health Services. Pima County has reported 668 cases, which is the second-highest number of cases in the state. The largest number of reported of cases belongs to Maricopa County, which has reported 2,020 cases.

» Read more on the Arizona Daily Star and News 4 (KVOA)