TV and Broadway star Danny Burstein reveals he was ‘coughing up blood’ during coronavirus battle – The Sun

BROADWAY star Danny Burstein has spoken out about his experiences of coronavirus, admitting he was "coughing up blood for two to three days" and feared he was close to death.

The six-time Tony nominee has revealed his symptoms got worse after Broadway went on lockdown on March 12 and he was dealing with "a fever, migraines, body aches, my hands hurt so much".

"I lost my sense of taste and smell and had been monitoring the severity of my symptoms by the hour," he wrote.

"It felt like there was an 80-pound boy standing straight up on my chest," he added, sharing that he "was surrounded by death and I knew that the longer I stayed in the unit the greater my chances were that eventually it would be me the nurses were talking about".

Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Burstein – one of several members of the Moulin Rouge company who was struck down with COVID-19 – said he was unsure whether he should go to hospital after hearing reports people were being turned away.

"I couldn't seem to get enough air into my lungs," he said.

"I felt light-headed and got down on one knee fearing I was about to faint or fall. I asked myself, 'Is this it? Is it time to go to the emergency room?'

"I stood up, willing myself to breathe deeply and muscle through. But when I stood up, I was once again light-headed and couldn't stop coughing up blood."

He walked to his local hospital with his wife and son, and was diagnosed with double pneumonia and coronavirus.

He was admitted and spent 20 hours in an isolated room before being moved to Ward 19 where he stayed with another patient, a father-of-four called Jose.

"I took the fact that my two main doctors were named Gandhi and Krishna as divine intervention," added Burstein.

"They were ridiculously overworked, kind and incredibly smart. My respect for them knows no bounds."

He later wrote: "One day I asked Dr. Krishna how she was as she was taking off her paper gown after a visit. She stopped everything, sighed and her eyes filled with tears and said, 'I'm all right. It's hard on all of us.'

"That simple honesty and resignation was beautiful and I won't soon forget her kindness during my tenure there. Strength through stillness."

Burstein's co-star Aaron Tviet has also been diagnosed with coronavirus while their fellow actors Nick Cordero is 'fighting for his life' according to wife Amanda Kloots, who took to Instagram yesterday to ask her followers to pray for him.

Taking to her Instagram, Amanda shared a photo with Nick and their 10-month-old son Elvis.

Accompanying the photo, she wrote: "My whole world has stopped. Please pray for my husband.

"Prayer warriors, prayer circles, whatever you've got. Energy, meditation, positive thinking. He is fighting for his life right now. Elvis and I need you Nick Cordero. It's time to fight daddy."

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