Woman Who Tested Positive for Coronavirus Shares Her Experience to Reassure Others

Confirmed cases of coronavirus have climbed to over 220,000 worldwide. And with over 9,000 deaths associated with the disease, some people are understandably concerned about catching the virus.

The good news is that for those who are younger, there's a relatively low risk of needing hospitalization. But for those who are older or have preexisting conditions, there's more concern, with fatality rates of 10% to 27% for those 85 and older. That's why nations around the world are isolating vulnerable people from the rest of society.  

Twitter user Bjonda Haliti recently took to the social media platform in an attempt to relieve some of this anxiety. She was diagnosed with COVID-19 after a few days of illness and decided to share her experience online to inform others. 

"I’ve been debating on posting," Haliti wrote. "But I want to share my experience especially with those around my age to help bring awareness, and to relieve any stress/anxiety some may have due to the pandemic." 

Haliti described her timeline, saying that it all started when she developed a dry cough.

A day later, a fever set in. According to the CDC, a fever is one of the main symptoms of coronavirus, alongside a dry cough.

Along with those symptoms came a migraine, chills, and mild nausea. At this point, Haliti visited the doctor who said she had an infection.

After a few days of fever, it finally broke. But along came another common symptom of coronavirus — short breath. At this point, Haliti attempted a self-diagnosis test, but that proved inconclusive. 

On day 5, Haliti was finally given a coronavirus test, but she'd have to wait several days before she got the results. Until then, she was told to continue to self-isolate. 

"With the continued use of antibiotics and ibuprofen, my symptoms were: sore throat, cough, shortness of breath," Haliti explained for day 6. "My energy levels began to increase." 

Over the next few days, it became pretty clear that Haliti was recovering.

On day 10, Haliti finally received her test results, and she was positive. 

"I am continuing to self-isolate and take care of myself," Haliti explains. Today I am feeling great and healthy! I will need to retest in order to be cleared. That’s if I can find a doctor who's willing to retest me. Haven’t had any luck so far."

Haliti went on to encourage people: "Don’t panic if you are feeling symptoms. Take initiative and follow CDC guidelines. We’re going to get through this!" 

After the thread went viral, people were quick to thank Haliti for sharing her experience. "I really applaud you sharing this," one user wrote. "This could lessen the panic and reinforce people to be responsible of self-quarantining! Thanks so much and please get better soon." 

While another added: "This is amazing. An amazing service to us all. Thank you! Sending my best for a full recovery." 

The best way to prevent contracting or spreading coronavirus is with thorough hand washing and social distancing. If you feel you may be experiencing symptoms of coronavirus, which include persistent cough (usually dry), fever, shortness of breath, and fatigue, please call your doctor before going to get tested. For comprehensive resources and updates, visit the CDC website. If you are experiencing anxiety about the virus, seek out mental health support from your provider or visit NAMI.org.