Las Vegas Radio: KLUC Host Recovering From COVID-19

KLUC's Omari

KLUC 98.5 FM Las Vegas afternoon host Omari (Mitchell) was hospitalized on March 29th, but according to The Review Journal, in just a matter of days he had lost control of his own body because of the novel coronavirus.

"He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t breathe. He felt feverish. His chest was tight. He could barely form a full sentence without gasping for air." Omari had told his 15-year-old daughter, Aniya, he’d be back soon and drove himself to Southern Hills Hospital and Medical Center. He did not come home that night. Omari was quickly admitted into the intensive care unit when he arrived at the hospital and soon after was hooked up to a ventilator and placed in a medically induced coma. He remained in the ICU for a week.

The Jockline Daily reports that Doctors at one point put him on dialysis. Thankfully, his condition began to improve. Doctors began to reverse the coma, and the ventilator was replaced with a respirator mask.

The next day, Saturday, Omari was strong enough to call his father, Dee Richie, and his daughter Aniya. By Sunday, Omari was shifting to recovery mode and was removed from the ICU. And as of Tuesday, Omari was working closely with speech and physical therapists at the hospital. His father isn’t sure when or how he was exposed to the virus. Omari had been working from his Las Vegas home “for a while” by the time of his diagnosis.

Omari's father said KLUC “has been absolutely amazing and supportive.” When Omari can return home is unclear. “We still don’t know what’s going to happen,” Dee Mitchell said. “But, oh, am I happy he’s alive.” Ritchie has set up a GoFundMe to raise money for the man’s medical bills and for Aniya’s care.