GUILFORD COUNTY, N.C. — A 30-year-old woman living in North Carolina is sharing what it’s like to have coronavirus in hopes she can convince others to take the health complications of the virus seriously.
Emma Millard’s been living in isolation for the last week. She started feeling bad almost immediately after returning from a trip to Los Angeles earlier this month.
“I got it, and if I can get it and I’m healthy and young, then I don’t know why that’s not enough to convince other people they very much can too,” said Millard.
Millard was already feeling anxious about a planned trip to California. She left on vacation prepared with Clorox wipes and hand sanitizer but came back to Greensboro recognizing the risk of COVID-19 had grown rapidly.
“While I was there for the week, it was kind of like every day there was more news and more outbreaks, and by the time I got home, it was Thursday the 12th, and things had just totally done a 180,” said Millard.
Millard kept her distance when she returned home, even though she had no symptoms. Two days later that all changed.
“I feel very isolated, also my coughing fits have gotten worse throughout the evening. Tonight I took a hot shower because I felt gross and had the chills,” said Millard.
Millard was fatigued, feverish and fought a cough that kept getting worse.
She got tested on March 16.
“It’s just one of the waiting games with anything medical where you are like you just want to know what it is, so the fear or whatever of not knowing is worse than just having an answer for it,” said Millard.
Those test results came back positive on March 20.
Millard knew before the results she wasn’t getting good news. It’s part of the reason she wanted to document her experience and send a warning to the community.
If we continue to deny the advice of medical professionals, we are hurting everyone.
“The more people that don’t cooperate, now the longer it is going to take for the rest of us to all be sitting at home, waiting for this thing to pass over and the longer all of us are going to suffer financially, mentally because we are not going to be able to get out and do the things we love to do,” said Millard.
Millard tells FOX8 she never had any shortness of breath, and thankfully she’s already starting to feel better.
Other people have not been as lucky and that’s why things like social distancing are so crucial during this time.