Georgia Man Now Takes COVID Seriously after Wife Hospitalized for Months

A Georgia man has reconsidered his stance on COVID after his wife contracted the disease and spent 40 days in an induced coma.

Former preacher Jeff Martin, 52, has urged people to wear masks and maintain social distancing after initially believing that his partner Lisa, 49, was "buying into the hype" of the novel coronavirus by following official health guidelines, People reported.

"I do [take the disease seriously] now—that's for sure," the Blackshear resident told the publication, adding that he had likely brought the virus "home from work."

Lisa Martin was admitted to Memorial Satilla Health with complications from COVID on September 27, 2020, and spent a total of 59 days on a ventilator. She suffered a frontal lobe stroke and by October 20 was in a comatose state, hospital officials said.

The woman was branded a "miracle patient" by the facility on Facebook after becoming responsive just as the family were considering removing her from oxygen.

"The hospital called in her family to say goodbye. They decided to give it 11 days before making a decision about removing her from the ventilator that was breathing for her... on the eleventh day, Lisa broke through the sedatives and began tracking Jeff with her eyes and she moved her hand," Memorial Satilla Health post explained.

After coming out of a comatose state, the hospital said she had been transferred to two facilities before entering Memorial Satilla Rehabilitation on December 14. The mother-of-four was discharged on December 31 after spending three months in care.

Multiple children of the family have posted about the ordeal on Facebook in recent days, thanking healthcare workers and citing their Christian faith as aiding the recovery.

Madison Martin, 27, told People that her mother was using a wheelchair for mobility and an oxygen tube to help her breath at home, but was still able to talk and eat.

A video shared by Memorial Satilla Health showed Martin leaving the hospital's rehab center late last month while using a walking aid, to the claps of staff members.

Jeff Martin suggested in his own post on social media that the experience had changed his perspective on the contagious disease, describing it as "menacing."

"Please, if there's a singular lesson to be learned from all that we've been through, take this virus seriously! Reduce potential spread by wearing masks, washing hands and maintaining social distance. These measures could genuinely help stave the infection and reduce deaths of loved ones," Martin said on Facebook last Thursday.

That advice matches guidance of the Georgia Department of Public Health, which says people should stay at least six feet away from others and wash their hands regularly to limit spread of the disease, which is linked to more than 10,000 deaths in the state.

Across the country, cases of COVID, the disease caused by the coronavirus, have now surpassed 20 million. The outbreak has been responsible for at least 350,000 deaths in the U.S. and more than 1.8 million globally, according to Johns Hopkins University.