OTA Dispatch Issue 2 2020

23 www.ortrucking.org Issue 2 | 2020 Oregon Trucker Survives COVID-19 By Vilija Jozaitis, Marketing & Communication Manager, OTA WE OFTEN HEAR about the dangers of the road when it comes to truck driving, but it’s even more rare to hear about a driver getting severely ill on a route. One local driver was lucky enough to survive and share his story. Petras Astrauskas, a Lithuanian native, has been a truck driver for ten years, most recently with Bridgestone Tire Company. He typically runs two routes—one to Montana and another to Calgary, Canada from the Portland, OR hub. When the COVID-19 crisis hit, Petras wasn’t sure what to expect. Although he carried hand sanitizer in his truck and washed his hands as often as possible, he didn’t think to wear gloves or a mask because his interactions with other people on the road are minimal. He might have to sign the bill of lading but even unloading the tires requires a rolling hand-off. At nearly 60 years old, Petras considers himself an active and generally healthy individual. He had never been to the hospital, works out every morning for about 1.5 hours, eats primarily organic food, and his wife cans food that he often takes with him on the road. “I have a refrigerator in the cab and typically don’t eat at truck stops because the food isn’t very nutritious,” explains Petras. But in late March on his 4.5 day round-trip tire delivery to Calgary, he noticed symptoms of something, including a fever. After his final delivery at the Bridgestone tire store, he contacted his employer to notify them of his illness. “I really wasn’t sure what I had. When I got home to Eugene on Wednesday, my wife, Laima, and I maintained social distance. I slept downstairs because neither of us wanted her to get sick. My doctor prescribed me antibiotics, but I saw no progress in getting better for the next several days. By the following Tuesday morning, my symptoms were so bad my wife drove me to the emergency room at Riverbend Hospital in Eugene. I couldn’t breathe!” The hospital admitted Petras within half an hour. If he would have waited an additional hour, he probably would have died. That’s where they received the news—his test results for COVID came back positive. For the succeeding 13 days, Petas was on a ventilator and remembers very little. His wife and employer checked on him periodically, but no one was not allowed to visit because of the virus. On the 13th day, he was finally coherent and regaining strength, but the hospital kept him there for three additional days. It was an awful experience. “The virus makes you very weak. I couldn’t walk by myself or hold anything. You lose weight and can’t talk.” Petras is not certain how he caught the virus but is pretty sure he contracted it while on the road. “I wish I would have taken extra precaution with the pandemic. It’s real.” He believes personal protective gear would have helped and offers some advice to other truck drivers. “It’s a good idea for drivers to wear gloves and a mask whenever outside the vehicle. I wouldn’t take showers at the truck stops, and I would carry extra water with you to wash your hands.” It was a close call for Petras, but it’s not going to stop him from driving. As of the end of May, he has recovered about 80% and plans to return to work in July. In the meantime, he’s applied for unemployment and has been eating normally and working on his yard. “When you’re on the road, anything can happen.” This is just a remind that even as dangerous as it can be, trucking doesn’t stop, and we are all grateful for the people delivering what we need during the crisis and each and every day.