The infection began with a dry cough that U.S. Marine Corps Veteran Michael Novielli couldn't shake. Soon, he developed fatigue, aches, and a low fever. As a 71-year-old with underlying health conditions, living on Long Island near the American epicenter of the COVID-19 outbreak, Novielli wasn't taking any chances.
He went to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19. After four days, he was sent home. As a precaution, Novielli's VA providers placed him on a COVID-19 Remote Patient Monitoring Home Telehealth program to monitor his symptoms at home. He began sharing his temperature, oxygen levels and heart rate every day with his telehealth team. When his recovery took a turn for the worse, Novielli says the program saved his life.
"If I wasn't on the telehealth, I would have stayed home with the pneumonia, and who knows what would have happened."
