Central Texas teacher who spent 16 days on a ventilator with COVID-19 gets vaccinated

WACO, Texas (KWTX) – Connally High School teacher David Guel, who contracted COVID-19 in late March 2020 and was admitted on March 25 to Ascension Providence Hospital in Waco where he spent 26 days in the ICU, 16 of them on a ventilator, got vaccinated against the virus this week and is encouraging everybody to do the same as soon as they can.

Guel was released from the hospital on April 25 and was back in the classroom for the start of the fall semester.

The 1997 Baylor University graduate and his wife, Lauren, who battled a less severe case of the virus at home while her husband struggled to survive in the hospital, both received the Moderna vaccine at the Waco-McLennan County Public Health District’s vaccination clinic this week at the Waco Convention Center.

“Going through our experience a year ago of COVID and me being hospitalized and Lauren having COVID and the scariness of that whole situation, just to come to this point in less than a year for there to be a vaccine available is such an amazing thing,” Guel said.

“We were very honored and privileged to just be able to receive our vaccines.”

The Guels were two of 1,500 McLennan County residents who had vaccination appointments this week.

“The City of Waco did an amazing job putting this on,” David said.

“Everything went so smoothly. I kind of was expecting long lines and a little bit of chaos to be honest but it was easy as can be, super quick, very professional and the city has just done a great job of establishing Waco as one of the vaccination hubs.”

The availability of vaccines doesn’t mean residents should let their guard down, however, he said.

“All of the things that people are doing masks, social distancing, washing hands,” he said.

“That’s what’s going to help us get through this together.”

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