CHULA VISTA, Calif. (KGTV) -- Chula Vista councilman Steve Padilla is back home recovering from coronavirus, after spending 11 days on a ventilator.
Padilla spoke to 10News virtually from his home on Wednesday. The councilman, who represents District-3 for the city, says he is feeling better and getting stronger every day.
“When I first came out of the hospital I could barely walk. It’s like kind of learning to walk again because when you’re intubated or on a ventilator for a period of time, you don’t use muscle you normally use and they waste away,” said Padilla.
Padilla says he lost 27 pounds during his stay at the hospital and admits there were times when his condition was very delicate.
"Apparently there were a couple of times where I seized up and I had some seizures and I had some other things going on that were very touch and go and so, you know, there could have been some moments when, I just- I would have never left that hospital."
Padilla first announced he had tested positive for COVID-19 on March 14 in a video posted to his Facebook page. On March 19, the councilman's daughter announced her father had been admitted to the ICU unit at UCSD Thorton Hospital and was using a respirator to help with difficulty breathing. Then on March 25, Padilla's daughter announced her father was still on a ventilator in the ICU, but that his condition was stable and slowly improving.
Padilla credits his medical staff for saving his life, adding that he is very thankful for the entire team at UCSD Thornton Hospital ICU.