‘Lucky to be alive’

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A cruise ship passenger who was transported to Health City Cayman Islands for emergency treatment early last week and was one of the four original people who tested negative for coronavirus, said he felt “lucky to be alive” before boarding a plane for the US on Monday.

Kevin Kulich was one of two critically ill passengers who were offloaded in George Town from the Caribbean Princess cruise ship on 9 March. He spent most of the days since in isolation at Health City. Prior to that, he had also been in isolation on board the ship. 

Kulich was treated for life-threatening internal bleeding, but as he was also suffering from pneumonia and flu, he was tested for coronavirus and placed in isolation, which lengthened his stay at the hospital. His test results came back late last week confirming he had not contracted coronavirus. 

The visitor, from St. Louis, Missouri, told the Cayman Compass, “Our five-day trip turned into three weeks.”

He fell sick on board the cruise ship, which arrived in Cayman but did not disembark any other passengers, apart from Kulich and the second ill visitor, who was transported by ambulance from the ship to Owen Roberts International Airport, and airlifted to the US.
Kulich was sitting outside the departures terminal at the airport with his wife on Monday when news broke that Cayman’s international airports would close on Sunday. He said it seemed he and his wife were getting out just in time.

He said of his stay at Health City, “They told me it was pneumonia and the flu, but not coronavirus. They checked me for everything and they pumped me with so many antibiotics that it was like, well, if I did have anything, I don’t have anything now.”

Kulich added, “I felt like I was a lab project, because everybody had a space suit on except for me, and my wife could only come in for 10 minutes a day for three days,” Kulich said. “I got stuck inside a 12-by-12 room for five days. I mean they are real nice and everything; they got all the food and all the stuff, but no TV, no radio, no phone, no outside communication with anybody. I was so bored to tears, but I was like, ‘Oh well, it’s got to get better’.”

Kulich said medical professionals consistently checked on him and even made him stay at the hospital longer when he felt better.

“They said I could go, but I couldn’t leave the island … After taking two more tests, they checked me out and we’re good. Now, we are on to another adventure,” Kulich said.

Although he was sick for more than half his cruise vacation, he acknowledged that he was fortunate.

“My boss told me, ‘If you’re going to be stuck somewhere, you’re at the right place’,” Kulich said before entering the airport to leave.

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