A former Emergency Room doctor at Windsor Regional Hospital has experienced first-hand the near death consequences of COVID-19.
Dr. Dean Favot retired last year from the hospital but was working at a clinic when he started experiencing symptoms in March of a lack of taste and extremely sensitive skin.
A week and a half later, Favot was in the intensive care unit and was put on a ventilator to save his life because he couldn't breathe.
He calls it, "The scariest time of my life," as he was in the ICU for three weeks and on a ventilator for 10 days.
Dr. Favot worked at the hospital for 35 years and was always healthy telling CTV Windsor, he never missed a day at work.
Dr. Favot was released from the hospital on Saturday and returned home to a hero's welcome with neighbours outside of his south Windsor home cheering him on.
He has a dire warning to the public about COVID-19.
"Do not take this virus lightly. It is deadly, do not be cavalier about it," he says.
He says when someone can't breath, 'it is the worst feeling in the world."
Dr. Favot was in the process of getting his hospital privileges re-instated to help out, when he came down with the virus.