I watch the news everyday and see nothing but COVID-19. Still, I hear people insist that it’s nothing to worry about; no worse than the flu; a fake story.

However, I can testify that it’s real. I battled COVID-19 myself in late August, just before I was scheduled to begin my senior year. In fact, my entire family contracted COVID-19, and it was a scary situation.

It started on August 21 when my mom woke up with a fever and a sore throat.  She got tested that day and went into quarantine.

Two days later I woke up with a severe fever, chills and body aches. I got tested and also went into quarantine.  I have been at home doing remote learning ever since.

Two days after that my mom’s results came back, and she had tested positive. That same day my dad and my older brother started experiencing symptoms.  They too were tested, and while we waited for their results, I was notified that I also had tested positive.  My dad and older brother later received similar reports.  Someone in my family had contracted COVID-19 and spread it to my entire household.

My fever was burning badly for a few days, but I never once had a sore throat. It was the first time in my life that I have gotten sick without a sore throat, which was pretty weird. I also lost my sense of smell and taste which was really strange. Everything just tasted like rubber and eating was not enjoyable at all.

My older brother was asymptomatic, so he was fine.  However my mom and dad had worse symptoms since they were older.

After my fever went away, I developed shortness of breath. This was honestly the scariest part for me, because walking from my bedroom to the bathroom felt like I had just sprinted for 10 seconds straight, and I needed to catch my breath. Even walking down the stairs felt like I had just run a marathon.  Over several days I slowly got better, and so did my family, but I ended up getting hives after recovery, which was pretty annoying.

After dealing with COVID-19 I want everyone to know that this is not a joke, and I ask that everyone do their part in wearing their masks and washing their hands. If you feel sick, stay home. I pray that there will soon be a vaccine and life can get back to normal.