During the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Kurt Schwieters took to social media to talk about updates regarding the coronavirus and answer questions from his 2,600 followers.

Schwieters, a St. John's University (SJU) graduate, works as a family medical doctor for CentraCare and wanted to use the scope of the internet to help people understand the facts regarding the pandemic. Earlier this month, however, he started coming down with symptoms himself.

Schwieters acknowledged he knew that more than likely he had the coronavirus when he kept getting up through the night because he was profusely sweating. The next morning he was a patient in his own clinic and tested positive for the virus. Schwieters thought he'd be able to function, but admitted he had to be off work for 11 consecutive days. For him that was a lot of time off, noting that in three decades he's maybe had to take seven days off due to illness. 

Schwieters had to backtrack where he'd been in the two weeks prior to showing symptoms and started informing those people he had come into contact with.

"I had to call the lady who cuts my hair and the local yoga studio to tell them I was sick, I'd gotten tested and I might have COVID," Schwieters told SJU's Community Newsroom. "Those aren't always easy calls to make because no one wants to feel like they've done someone else harm, even unintentionally."

Someone else in his home also tested positive. His family members filled out a survey from the Minnesota Department of Health to help with contact tracing.

"If I have one message to convey, it's that it's so important to take part in that survey," he told the Newsroom. "That's a big part of how we're going to decrease the spread."

Schwieters took to social media, where he'd spent a lot of time talking about the virus since the pandemic really got underway in March, to share his diagnosis. He also expressed his gratitude for all the support he's received.