Kelly Martinez fought to maintain his composure as a show of strength for his wife, Teressa, who was sobbing when she dropped him off at the Portneuf Medical Center emergency room.

The popular local radio DJ broke down, however, as soon as he stepped through the doors into PMC — sick as he’d ever been, alone and uncertain if he’d ever walk back out.

Now on the mend from a torturous battle with COVID-19, Martinez is pleading with the public to take the coronavirus seriously, and he’s urging local leaders to be proactive in implementing policies to limit the spread.

“I didn’t want that to be the last time I ever saw my wife. ... I teared up and I was like, ‘Gosh, is this the endgame?’” Martinez said.

Seeking to get a better handle on the pandemic, the Pocatello City Council will host a special meeting at 11 a.m. Tuesday to discuss the possibility of enacting a face mask ordinance. Action could be taken on an ordinance during the council’s regular Thursday night meeting.

COVID-19 cases have surged recently in the region. Southeastern Idaho Public Health reported 120 new COVID-19 cases on Monday, including 55 new cases in Bannock County. The local health district also reported three additional COVID-19 deaths: a Caribou County woman in her 80s, a Caribou County man in his 80s and a Bingham County man in his 70s. Sixty-three people within the region have now died of the coronavirus, according to Southeastern Idaho Public Health.

Martinez, 53, considers himself to be physically fit; he and Teressa have both worked out regularly at Gold’s Gym and in the basement of their home.

He, like his wife, has worn a face mask and sanitized regularly throughout the pandemic, but he considered himself to be at a low risk regarding the coronavirus before getting sick. He mostly worried Teressa — a cancer survivor — would be vulnerable to COVID-19.

But he’s learned firsthand about the unpredictability of the coronavirus, and that nobody can count on being immune, as the virus affects everyone differently.

Both Martinez and Teressa contracted COVID-19. Though Teressa felt miserable, Martinez was the one whose health took a real turn for the worse.

“It knocked me for a loop,” Martinez said. “I was scared.”

Martinez believes his family’s exposure to COVID-19 came when his wife met with work clients who weren’t wearing masks. She got sick in early October. A few days later, Martinez developed a head cold. It spread to his chest within a few days. He went to an urgent care before getting checked out for the first time at the PMC emergency room.

“I had coughs so bad they were dropping me to my knees,” Martinez said, adding that his jaws also ached. “I’m doing everything I can not to cough.”

His congestion made it difficult for him to sleep longer than an hour or two at a time. He would also sleep sitting upright in a recliner to drain his lungs and sinuses. A couple of days after his initial visit to the ER, he returned. Doctors gave him an IV and an inhaler, and fortunately Martinez was allowed to check out after about three hours.

“The herd immunity idea, hell no,” Martinez said. “You can think that way with the common cold or something like that, but this virus that’s so dangerous, you’re playing with fire.”

He still has little energy and becomes exhausted after spending just a few minutes raking leaves or playing with his dogs. He also has a lingering cough and vertigo, though he says he feels about 80 percent normal. He wonders if he’ll have longterm lung damage.

“It just zaps you,” Martinez said.

Martinez argues there’s no downside to wearing a mask, which he described as a “common decency thing to do.” He also believes people owe it to their neighbors to avoid large gatherings.

“It might even have to hit some of these people for the light to come on and that’s sad,” Martinez said. “Just take it serious and act like there’s a chance it could hit you and your family.”

Officials with Southeastern Idaho Public Health are encouraging the public to avoid traditional Thanksgiving gatherings this year. In a press release SIPH Director Maggie Mann urged families to use technology to host virtual dinners together.

“It’s really clear that family gatherings have often become super-spreader events,” Mann said in the press release. “That’s because people mistakenly assume they’re safe with trusted relatives and they don’t wear masks or practice social distancing.”