John was treated as though his unvaccinated status and use of ivermectin mattered more than the fact that he was sick. He was a husband, a family man, a neighbor, and a good citizen. He was also my patient for 18 years, and over those years he became a friend.
John entered the hospital after eight days of outpatient treatment for COVID-19. On admission, his creatinine was 1.4 and his GFR was 53 – baseline measures showing his kidneys were still functioning. After receiving remdesivir, his creatinine rose to 3.7 and his GFR fell to 17 within 24 hours. By day three, his creatinine reached 6.0, his GFR dropped to 10, and he required emergency hemodialysis.