After 33 years, this Florida sheriff is calling in sick — ‘Iron Mike’ has coronavirus
A popular Florida sheriff has been sidelined by the coronavirus.
Volusia County top cop Mike Chitwood announced on Twitter that he had contracted the highly contagious illness.
In a Zoom interview Friday from home with The Daytona Beach News Journal, the Philadelphia native sounded upbeat, but admitted he wasn’t doing great.
“It feels like a hangover with a fever,” Chitwood told the outlet. “That’s exactly what it feels like.”
Symptoms started coming on around noon Thursday during a bike ride, he reported: “I didn’t get that far and I’m like, ‘Man, I feel horrible.’ ”
At home, he saw his temperature was 102 degrees, and his condition began to deteriorate, with chills, coughing and congestion.
A doctor confirmed that the 56-year-old sheriff — who is known for his straight talk and no-nonsense press conferences — had COVID-19.
“I said, ‘You know who you are talking to, right? I’m Iron Mike, I don’t get sick.’ ”
Chitwood, who the agency says hasn’t called in sick in 33 years, will be keeping the community updated on his health via his Twitter account.
The VCSO currently has 15 employees who had tested positive for the coronavirus as of Monday, including the sheriff, spokesman Andrew Gant told the Miami Herald in an email.
While Chitwood tweeted that he had “no idea” how he contracted the virus, he attended the Florida Sheriffs Association conference, held July 26-28 in Bonita Springs, in which five attendees tested positive. Department of Corrections Secretary Mark Inch and his deputy attended the conference and tested positive. On Monday, the News Service of Florida reported that Gilchrist County Sheriff Bobby Schultz attended the sheriffs’ meeting and also has tested positive.
This story was originally published August 3, 2020 at 5:33 PM.
