South Carolina man nearly lost his pregnant wife to COVID-19

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COLUMBIA (AP) — Cierra Chubb was a healthy 33-year-old, pregnant with her third child.
She wasn't sure whether she should get vaccinated against COVID-19. There was no certain data about the safety of the vaccine.
Her husband, Jamal, said her first thought was to protect their child.
Then their 7-year-old tested positive for COVID after attending a sports camp. The 2-year-old was next. Then Cierra.
She has been in the ICU at Prisma Health Richland close to death since July 24, when she was admitted for COVID pneumonia. The baby, Myles, was delivered by cesarean section two weeks early.
Jamal Chubb said in a news conference arranged by Prisma Health on Wednesday that the worst part of it all was sitting by her bedside with baby Myles in his arms watching his wife struggle to breathe.
"I don't want anybody to have to watch a loved one be ravaged by COVID," he said.
Chubb said his wife is his best friend who brings light into his world. She loves to read, believes in quality friendships and is "a mother to the core." They married when they were 20 and 21 while he was in the Navy. They are originally from Ohio and now live in Lancaster.
They had been careful to wear masks when in public, social distance and stayed at home as much as they could. But COVID finds a way. Five staff members at the sports camp their daughter attended came to work infected with the virus.
The Chubb family has spent more than three weeks not knowing what their lives will look like in the future. Jamal's 7-year-old daughter has been so fearful, he's been sharing her twin bed each night to calm her.
"I was scared to death," he said.
Dr. Helmut Albrecht, a Prisma infectious disease specialist, said in the news conference that Cierra Chubb's case was dire. At one point she died and had to be revived. Doctors could not get enough oxygen into her blood through the ventilator. They pumped oxygen directly into her blood. Her blood pressure was nonexistent.
Albrecht said studies have recently shown no harm to pregnant women from the vaccine. During the press conference he posted slides showing the benefits.
As of Wednesday, 23% of pregnant women in the U.S. have been vaccinated, he said, a number far lower than the general population. The number drops to 10% among Black women.
Albrecht said women, babies and sometimes both have died during the pandemic.
Chubb brought a forceful measure to the press conference: Don't wait if you are pregnant. Get vaccinated.
But on Wednesday morning, Jamal Chubb was smiling. His wife was awake, alert and responding to commands.
"She still has a long way to go," he said.
She could need a lung transplant or suffer from other residual complications.
Albrecht said she has been through an "incredible journey with a good outcome."
Chubb said simply, "We're in a better place than we were."