HIGH POINT, N.C. — The coronavirus has now infected one million Americans. Tens of thousands of people have died - but even more, have survived.
A High Point pastor is one of them.
Jeff Harmon is recovering at home after spending 11 days on a ventilator - fighting for his life.
Within a matter of days, Harmon went from preaching at church one Sunday to feeling mild symptoms of the coronavirus, to ending up in the hospital - unable to breathe on his own.
Harmon said he didn't know how serious the virus could be until he had it himself.
"If you go back to March 15, it was really still kind of unknown in this whole area," he said Wednesday.
The leader of Bible Truth Baptist Church in High Point returned from a trip with a high fever. Suspecting it could be a symptom of something worse - he called his doctor right away.
"He knows I’m a pastor so I said look, I’ve been around my church people. In the event that I do have coronavirus - I think I may definitely need to be tested," Harmon said.
He'd later learn it was, in fact, coronavirus.
Despite not having results right away, he made sure to self-isolate at home. But, after a week - his symptoms worsened. He couldn't breathe. His wife, Karen, called 911.