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Mosses Police Chief and Calhoun High School ACCESS facilitator DeMarcus Weems has been encouraging residents to wear their masks since the onset of COVID last year, a virus he took extremely seriously after losing family and friends.

In January, the virus struck him.

Weems believes he caught the virus on a routine police call where he entered a home with someone who was asymptomatic on Jan. 30.

“I started feeling bad on Jan. 2,” he said. “I had a high temperature, was coughing and couldn’t hardly breathe.”

Weems attempted to get tested on Jan. 2, but had to return to the testing site on Jan. 3, where he tested positive.

When he got to the testing site, his oxygen level was 82 and his blood pressure was up.

Weems was transferred to the University of Alabama at Birmingham, where he spent a week.

“I had a really rough go,” he said. “I’m getting back stronger. I have some scar tissue in my lung from COVID. I’m on a bronchitis/asthma pump and am getting my taste and strength back.”

Weems said while at UAB, doctors gave him the experimental drug Bamlanivimab, which is used for the treatment of mild to moderate COVID-19 in adults and pediatric patients over 12 years of age.

“I believe that played a vital role in me getting better,” he said. “It did make me delusional and tired the first day, but then my lungs started opening up.”

Weems said he tested negative for COVID-19 on Jan. 15 and was cleared to return to work that day as well.

“I had heard stories about COVID-19,” he said. “I have lost family to it because of pre-existing conditions. This was a tough experience. Do not underestimate it. It’s a powerful virus.”

Weems encouraged people to continue to wear their masks and social distance as well as wash hands and use hand sanitizer.

“In my line of work, we are very close to people,” he said. “I was able to isolate and stay away from others.”

Weems said he was so thankful to everyone who checked up on him and showed a lot of love.

“I want to say thank you the Town of Mosses City Council and all the citizens for their support, prayers and love,” he said. “Even my co-workers at Calhoun High School. I really saw the family atmosphere of Lowndes County.”