By Michelle Lyons, IT Columnist
A superhero is someone we read about in DC or Marvel comic books. Often, he or she is depicted as someone with extraordinary superpowers who seem invincible.
In Los Angeles, one person with pre-existing conditions survived an intense battle with COVID-19 and came out once again victorious. Whether or not he is a superhero is up to you to decide?
Kizito Ssensalo, a forty-one-year-old African American real estate owner, had a heart transplant in his thirties. An experience that had an 11% survival rate. Since then, he has been back in the hospital north of 25 times because of his heart condition. Then, last May he contracted COVID-19, and he was hospitalized once again. Then he was transferred to Covid housing so he could be monitored around the clock for a week and a half.
Covid housing is unique to Los Angeles. It is public housing provided by the county of Los Angeles for those quarantining or fighting Covid-19. It is specifically designed for those who are fighting the virus, but do not need to be hospitalized. Covid housing prevents the spread of the coronavirus by isolating the carriers from other people, especially their family.
“Covid is nothing to play with. I was really sick, and I gave it to my mom and my girlfriend. My mom was asymptomatic, but both me and my girlfriend had to fight it. Mine was so bad I was in the hospital and Covid housing,” said Ssensalo.
Ssensalo is due to be in the second round of vaccination distributions, and he will most likely receive the Moderna vaccine. “Covid is something I never want to get again, especially because I travel back and forth to Washington D.C. to manage my properties. I was out of work for a month because of Covid, and I’m self-employed so I have no sick days,” said Ssensalo.
Ssensalo hopes the second round is distributed sooner than later because he has to head to D.C. this week to manage his properties. He says, “My superpower is my positive attitude. It starts with believing you can overcome.”
