LITTLE ROCK, Ark. — The Arkansas Department of Health (ADH) reported 3,549 new COVID-19 cases and more than 1,400 Arkansans fighting the virus from a hospital bed.
The fight against the deadly virus got personal for 22-year-old Matthew Cooper.
During the first wave of COVID-19 last year, he was on the frontline fighting the war against the virus in the intensive care unit (ICU) at Jefferson Regional in Pine Bluff.
"They can't have family members there and that takes a toll on a patient being isolated in a room and just the thought of even having COVID," Cooper said.
One year later, the roles have reversed.
The caregiver of patients in the COVID unit in the ICU became personally impacted.
"I just felt horrible. The depression hits you and you just start feeling like is this it, you know like, what happens tomorrow," Cooper said.
He is fully vaccinated and since he is a healthcare worker, he said he knew right away what was happening.
After four COVID swabs, he got the call that his 5th test was positive for the aggressive delta variant.
"My body aches were horrible. I had horrible headaches. I just felt sick to my stomach, I was in the bed for like three days straight," Cooper said.
Because he was vaccinated, he said that is the reason why his symptoms were not severe and he was not hospitalized.
"I felt like the shot actually did what it needed to do in the short amount of period that I did have it," he said.
Cooper wishes that his mom was vaccinated.
She is a patient at the same ICU that he cared for patients in.
She is among the thousands of Arkansans that are not vaccinated.
"It is really hard for me to go through this situation as a healthcare worker, especially in the ICU and seeing everything going on," Cooper said.
From watching patients battle this awful virus, to being personally impacted: he is sending a clear message and does not want anyone else in his shoes.
"Be there for other people, take precautions, you never know what's going to happen," Cooper said.
His sister is also battling the virus.
Even as his family fights, he is doing what he can to help the hundreds in their position.
On Monday he will be starting at the state's largest hospital, UAMS, to help as cases continue to rise.