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Here's What It Felt Like To Have The Coronavirus Disease
This transmission electron microscope image shows SARS-CoV-2 -- also known as 2019-nCoV, the virus that causes COVID-19 -- isolated from a patient in the U.S. (Courtesy of NIAID-RML)
We're collecting audience stories about what it's like to live in Los Angeles during a pandemic. You can share your story here.
Two friends shared with us their accounts of what it was like to get seriously ill during the coronavirus pandemic. One ultimately tested positive for COVID-19, and while the other was unable to get tested and may never know for sure, both accounts are sobering.
Adrian, a Koreatown resident who asked that his surname not be used, was at first turned away by doctors, who said his vitals looked relatively normal. But he had a bad case of pneumonia that kept getting worse. He was finally checked into the hospital, and that's where he finally got his test. This is how he described some of his worst days:
I woke up with an even worse cough — so painful every part of my body hurt. I coughed up phlegm with a significant amount of blood, which naturally freaked me out. My roommate graciously took me back to the ER...
...One night in the hospital turned into four nights. I couldn't have any guests. Each time a doctor or nurse entered the room, they needed to put on what was basically a hazmat suit. I felt like I was some sort of science experiment. By the third day in the hospital, my test results confirmed I had the pandemic virus.
I'll admit it, I was scared and cried a decent amount. Will it get worse? Would I get through this?
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