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Gwinnett teacher has been dealing with the effects of COVID-19 for more than a year

GWINNETT COUNTY, Ga. — Ryan Proffitt is a Gwinnett County teacher who has battled COVID-19 for more than a year. The educator was stricken with the disease early on at a time when few knew little about the deadly virus.

“You wake up, and you are literally in survival mode: fight or flight,” Proffitt said.

Besides being in daily survival mode, it’s been difficult dealing with the various symptoms.

“One of, if not the scariest, but the most annoying is I get a rash every day,” Proffitt said.

The rash can appear on his arms, legs or back. Besides the rashes, he deals with a series of more serious symptoms. He has respiratory and digestive issues and a sporadic dropping heart rate.

“You are a little afraid you’re not going to wake up,” Proffitt said.

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Ryan Proffitt and his twin brother, Travis Proffitt, were healthy men before getting sick with COVID-19. They were struck by the disease before it blossomed into the pandemic we know it as now.

Following several months of isolation, Ryan Proffitt returned to the classroom in November. He made dramatic changes to the classroom for the protection of himself and others.

“I built like a barrier using some of the things laying around my room,” Proffitt said. His desk was a fortress complete with signs warning students to stay back. Proffitt wanted others to know about life for what’s called a “Long Hauler.”

“I was devastated to hear what he was going through,” former student Samuel Denton said. Denton, along with other students, started an online fundraiser for Proffitt.

“Almost every donation has come from a previous student of his,” Denton said.

This has been a bright light in a journey for Proffitt that has been very dark.

“It’s giving me fight is what it’s doing,” said Proffitt.