Rock Band Tool’s Lead Singer Maynard James Keenan Reveals ‘Ugly’ Battles From Getting COVID Twice – An Important Reminder for the Cancer Community

"I don't know if I said anything online, but I had it twice," Keenan said, sharing that he contracted COVID for a second time in mid-November (his first battle with the virus was last February) and found himself in the ER the following month. "Ugly, ugly. Couldn't breathe, couldn't put two words together without going into a coughing fit." He went on to say that he wound up leaving the hospital to fight the virus at home because there were no ventilators available. "It was also kind of progressing into pneumonia. So if I stayed in the hospital, they said, 'Okay, we can keep you here, but you're fighting 12 other people for a bed and a ventilator we don't have.’"

Keenan took his chances at home in comfort so that he could rest. “I’m like, 'Well, I need to breathe and I need to sleep.' So, you’re just treating symptoms at that point. There’s nothing you can do other than treat the symptom, so for a real cough medicine, not the crap over-the-counter and then like an inhaler, and some antibiotics to fight the pneumonia and strap the f— in.”

 

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The First Round of COVID

Keenan, who also moonlights as a winemaker living in Arizona, had originally told the website AZ Central in October that he contracted the virus early last year. “I’m still dealing with the residual effects,” he had told them. “But it was ugly. I survived it, but it wasn’t pretty. So I definitely had to deal with that.”

We always say Comedy First & Always. We were incorrect. Coffee Before Anything. #greetthesun #greetthegrapes 50 tons in and goin strong. #arizonavinetage2019 #awga @azvignerons @caduceuscellars @merkinvineyards @Four8Wineworks pic.twitter.com/1Nw6Pkt9n7

Maynard J Keenan (@mjkeenan) August 11, 2019

The musician had detailed more of his symptoms. “Every other day, I have these coughing fits because my lungs are still damaged at the tips,” he had said. “And I just got over the inflammation that was going on with my wrist and hands. I had an autoimmune attack on my system in the form of, like, a rheumatoid arthritis. Basically, from what I understand, it attacks weird spots and it’s random. So that’s what I got. That was my prize. And there’s after-effects. I had to go through some major medications to undo the residual effects. Still coughing. There’s still lung damage.” The artist also shared that he sadly lost a few family members to COVID.

What this Means for the Cancer Community

If you have had COVID already, you are not invincible to getting it for a second time, like Keenan. Experts tell SurvivorNet that there are still too many unknowns with the virus. It’s important to still follow the same rules and regulations suggested by medical professionals. Even if you plan on getting the COVID-19 vaccine or have been vaccinated, this doesn’t mean you are 100% immune to getting the virus. Read on for more specifics of what doctors know about the COVID vaccine..

COVID Vaccine Questions Answered

SurvivorNet wants to help you stay informed to make a confident decision on whether or not the vaccine is right for you. In a recent interview with SurvivorNet, Dr. Vincent Rajkumar, a top doctor from the Mayo Clinic, explained why he thinks it’s important for cancer patients to get vaccinated.

1. Is the vaccine effective?
"The two approved coronavirus vaccines are 95% effective. These vaccines work. They work in preventing symptomatic COVID and they also work really well in preventing severe COVID. There is a concern that the vaccines may not be that effective, but again, 70% effective is better than 0% effective," Dr. Rajkumar says. "The flu vaccine is actually not as effective as the coronavirus vaccines that we have released. In general, flu vaccines work 60-70% of the time each year and it varies depending on the year."

2. Is it safe for a cancer patient?
"It is very safe and there is no increased risk to you just because you have cancer," Dr. Rajkumar explains. People getting treatment for cancer can speak to their physician for personalized guidance on getting the vaccine.

3. When should I get it if I am a cancer patient?
"As long as you are feeling well, just go ahead with the vaccine whenever it's offered to you. Sometimes even on the same day if you are going to the clinic to get a small dose of chemotherapy and they're giving the vaccine, just get it, there's really no major problem," Dr. Rajkumar says. "The only people for whom we are saying to delay by a month or two are patients who have had a stem cell transplant because we have wiped out everything. And so you want to wait until some of the recovery happens so when you give the vaccine, they have an immune response."

4. Will getting the vaccine give me COVID?
The COVID-19 vaccine cannot and will not give you COVID-19. "The vaccines that have been approved in the U.S. right now are both mRNA vaccines. They do not contain the virus so there's no way anyone can get COVID from the mRNA vaccines," Dr. Rajkumar says.

5. Should I be concerned about mutant strains?
"These mutations (or changes) occur because there are a lot of hosts who are getting COVID and the way to reduce the number of mutations is if we can increase the number of vaccinated people,” he says. “The solution is always vaccines, vaccines, vaccines. You want to get as many people around the world vaccinated so that there aren't enough hosts for the virus to mutate.”

 

5 COVID-19 Vaccine Questions Answered by Expert Physician

Cancer During COVID

There is understandably more heightened stress for people with cancer and those who are immunocompromised (when your immune system isn’t able to fight off infection as easily) while living with the pandemic. Dr. Elizabeth Comen, an oncologist at Memorial Sloan Cancer Center, told SurvivorNet in a previous interview how much more serious the stress and anxiety can be on top of a cancer diagnosis.

Related: Where Can I Get the COVID-19 Vaccine If I Have Cancer? A State-By-State Guide

“I think what so many mental health professionals are worried about is already the PTSD from having a diagnosis of cancer, but when you incorporate all the anxiety that goes along with a global pandemic, that is almost a volcano that is just so much for any cancer patient to bear,” she said. “If stress causes patients to be less compliant with their medications, to be fearful of leaving their home, to eat worse, or to exercise less, those are ways that stress can start to really creep into those factors that we know really do affect the outcome.”

Stress and Anxiety for Cancer Patients During COVID-19

 

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