IV therapy used for COVID-19 recovery treatment

For many, recovering from COVID-19 is a long, slow process. Symptoms like headaches linger for weeks, even months. But there’s a new form of treatment some are turning to: IV therapy.

David Oakes of Fort Myers was skeptical of IV therapy weeks ago. He says his coronavirus symptoms were so bad he could’ve ended up in the hospital, but thanks to the liquid solution, he slowly started getting back on his feet.

“It brought me down, I couldn’t do nothing: I couldn’t eat, couldn’t function, couldn’t sleep, couldn’t drive,” Oakes said. “I always try to be unbiased… but it works. It works for me.”

Kasey Cook owns Southwest Florida Health and Hydration. He travels from home to home offering the liquid solution to different customers.

“I’ve been working in the ER as an RN,” Cook said. “I also work as a firefighter/paramedic for 13 years. So I’ve been comfortable doing IVs in the hospital setting.”

After Oakes’ first session with Cook, he says he could eat again, and after the second session, he saw even bigger improvements.

“I started walking again… couldn’t breathe as well, but I was able to walk around the neighborhood,” Oakes said. “Probably for 30 minutes. A little shortness of breath, and each day I got a little better.”

Cook says it depends on the patient, but many feel relief within just a few hours.

“We’ve noticed that if you rehydrate people and give them vitamins they may or may not be absorbing throughout their diet, they start to feel better,” Cook said.

Oakes compared the IV to drinking a few cups of coffee: An addicting boost of energy— that has now made him a frequent customer.

“Oh, you’ve got to do it, you have to try it,” Oakes said. “I can’t think of anything negative about it.”

Cook works with a medical director who helps him vet his patients. Both of them review the medical history of their clients. Cook says that when treating COVID-19 patients, he wears an N-95 mask, gloves, eye protection and a gown.