KOKE FM host Bob Cole shares warning for Austinites to wear a mask

AUSTIN, Texas - As a Texas Longhorns announcer and host at KOKE FM, Bob Cole is known for his booming voice. Wednesday, on Austin Mayor Steve Adler's online segment, “Got a Minute” he used that voice to share a warning, asking Austinites to wear a mask. 

On Father’s Day, the 60-year-old developed a fever. “I hate fevers, I can’t stand it, I’m a baby.” Cole laughed. 

He went to an emergency room, where he was diagnosed with COVID-19. Within days, his wife and son were also sick. 

"I could hardly walk to the kitchen without saying I need to check my oxygen levels," he explained, adding that he has experienced a range of symptoms, including a “constant tingling on the top of his foot and toes.” 

Cole told Adler he has mainly been cautious, wearing a mask and taking vitamins. Still, he admits he has let his guard down.

RELATED: Austin health officials mull over moving to tighter restrictions

He says “there’s no doubt” in his mind he contracted the virus during one of those occasions. At one point, Cole says he went to a party where he “bowed to peer pressure” and took his mask off. 

“You feel bad when you give it to your family, but also maybe I gave it to a certain percentage of the folks I was around when I let my guard down,” he said. 

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