MADISON, Wis. — A student attending U-W Madison is going viral - after getting the viral infection COVID-19.
Amy Shircel posted these messages on Twitter, sharing her horrible life-threatening experience, in hopes to warn others just how dangerous the coronavirus can be.
In the beginning of March, Amy was on a flight to Portugal for Spring Break with her friends when the coronavirus hit the states.
"We just flew there and then flew home because of the travel ban and we didn't get to do our trip," Amy said.
Little did Amy know, she would soon add to the growing list of patients testing positive for COVID-19.
"I figured I would never get coronavirus," Amy said. "It just never crossed my mind as something to be seriously worried about and when I did start developing symptoms, I thought it was a cold or the flu."
Just two days after returning home, Amy developed a mild cough, fatigue, and a fever. It got so bad that she decided to see a doctor.
"I got tested Monday, and then it just kept developing throughout the week," Amy said. "On Tuesday, it was a little more of a cough, I still had a fever, I had chills, I was fatigued, I was weak. Wednesday is when I started developing nausea, and I couldn't stop throwing up."
On Thursday, her test results came in. Amy tested positive for coronavirus, and throughout the week her symptoms worsened.
"I was miserable, the fever kept getting worse. I was so weak, I didn't eat for 9 days," Amy said.
Her fever lasted 12 days. At one point, Amy says she didn't think she would make it and the scariest part for her and any patient with COVID-19 is that there's nothing doctors can do for a virus this new.
"I think it definitely humbled me because I think most people my age, and how I was before, I was making jokes about coronavirus, I was liking jokes on Twitter and things like that, and it definitely humbled me," said Amy. "None of us are immune to any of this going on. Hopefully it made me stronger."
As of Friday, April 3rd, just about 3 weeks in since she first started feeling sick, Amy says she's feeling better but still very weak.
She's been self quarantined and is looking forward to graduating this spring from U-W Madison, looking for a job, and going out with her friends when this is all said and done.
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