'You have to take this serious. It's not a joke': Aurora COVID-19 survivors tell their stories

Ron Walker never believed he would get COVID-19.

Even when he developed a fever that wouldn't break, the 51-year-old Aurora man thought he would be fine. But his wife knew better and persuaded him to go to the hospital.

"Going to the hospital probably saved my life," said Walker, who ended up spending 28 days there, including 10 on a ventilator.

On Wednesday, Walker and two other Aurora residents had a virtual meeting with Mayor Richard Irvin to talk about their battles with COVID-19 in a discussion broadcast on Facebook Live.

Irvin said the goal was to convince the public that the virus must be taken seriously. He said nearly 1,100 Aurora residents have tested positive for COVID-19 and 23 of them have died.

"These aren't numbers," Irvin said. "These are people. These are our families. These are our brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers, sons and daughters."

Irvin, who recovered after suffering with a COVID-19 infection, said he wants to share the stories of people who overcame the virus to let others know why we must stay at home, social-distance, wear masks and take other precautions.

"We've had to do things that we never thought we'd do," he said. "Hearing the stories ... lets us know that this isn't for nothing. This is for a reason."

For some, COVID-19 causes only mild or moderate symptoms. For others, it can cause severe illness, especially in older adults and people with existing health problems.

The three residents who spoke with Irvin - Walker, Sindy Delgado and Daniel Ross - all were hospitalized away from their families.

Ross, 50, says he was one of three people in his office who contracted the virus. One of his co-workers died from it.

"I've been friends with him since 1985, and he's no longer with us," Ross said. "So it is real. Protect yourself. Wash your hands. Wear a mask."

When he started getting symptoms, Ross tried to "tough it out" for several days. But he went to the hospital after breathing became difficult.

"They told me I had pneumonia in both lungs," he said.

He was hospitalized for 14 days and spent nine of them in a coma on a ventilator.

"I owe my life to those wonderful health care workers that saved me," Ross said.

Delgado said she started feeling ill April 10. Her symptoms included a high fever, chills, headaches and a persistent cough. At times, the coughing was so bad she felt she was going to pass out.

The 32-year-old mother of four children said she couldn't take care of her family.

"They were the ones that were taking care of me," she said. "I'm really thankful for that. My kids and my husband were ... always looking out for me."

Still, she needed to spend five days in hospital, where she was given oxygen and received fluid through an intravenous drip.

Now the recovered COVID-19 patients are urging others to do what they can to curb the spread of the virus.

"I took every precaution except wear a mask," Walker said. "I think wearing a mask probably would have prevented me from going to the hospital. So you have to take this serious. It's not a joke."