Memphis Tourism president shares his experience after battling COVID-19

MEMPHIS, Tenn. (WMC) - One of Memphis’ biggest and best-known boosters says he survived a bout with COVID-19 last summer.

Kevin Kane told WMC it’s something you want no part of.

Kane, President of Memphis Tourism, suffered with COVID-19 last July.

“Listen Joe, I was one of those people who said oh Memphis humidity and heat, there’s no way COVID can survive that -- well guess what? I learned the hard way,” said Kane. “I had COVID and pneumonia at a time when it was 100 degrees outside here in Memphis.”

One of the most upbeat, on-fire-for-Memphis people you’ll ever meet, Kane says he contracted COVID-19 and pneumonia while in the hospital for something else.

“I was one of the fortunate ones,” he said. “I got through it. It was a terrible experience.”

Kane says he witnessed heroic service by compassionate nurses, some of whom were from out of town.

“The health care workers are so positive, so caring and they’re all exhausted,” said Kane.

He says it took eleven days in a hospital and two or three weeks afterward to fully recover, regain his senses of taste and smell and get back to work.

“I just hope everybody wears your mask, does the right thing and follow the rules because, you know, we got to get over this thing and the one way to slow it down rests with the people, rests with all of us,” he said.

Kane’s Memphis Tourism team promotes Memphis attractions, events and supports the hospitality industry’s 50,000 jobs in pre-COVID-19 times.

Perhaps no Memphis booster wants to see an end to the pandemic more than this COVID-19 survivor.

Kane says he’s 100% healthy now with no lingering side effects.

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