Irina
NEW YORK, NEW YORK: On March 10 my mom started feeling very tired and had major muscle pain and headaches, but we thought she might just have high blood pressure. She didn’t have any COVID-19 symptoms. After about three days, she was fine. But, my dad started having the same symptoms, this time with a high fever, too.
Then, I got sick. I had major muscle pain, headaches, chills, skin sensitivity, sore throat, loss of appetite, major tiredness and I completely lost my sense of smell and taste for nine days. I never had a high fever, shortness of breath or a cough, but I still thought “It might be it!”
I went to a hospital, but they refused to test me. A doctor actually yelled at me to stay home because I could spread it to them. So, I went home. But, the next day my chest started burning. I started calling around for an urgent care clinic that was willing to examine me.
When I finally found a clinic in a small town in Florida, the doctor decided that I needed to be tested. I waited in a parking lot for more than an hour in my car before a nurse came and got me for the test. I had to wait two weeks for my result. .
I stayed home the entire time I felt sick, which lasted about 18 days.
The entire time, I was afraid for my two young girls. My husband was also sick, and I began to worry about who would take care of them if we were gone. .
What was interesting was the fact that all of the men in my family who got sick had fevers, but none of the women did. I had many people message me that they had the same symptoms.
My husband and I have lost our income because of the shutdown and we have had to move to rent a cheaper house and return our car to the dealership.
I know it is going to take a very long time for everything to go back to normal, but when it is, I can’t wait to get back to work at my modeling agency and reunite with my all-girl staff. .
I know my family will be alright, and I am fortunate that I can work from anywhere to provide for my daughters.