so i got tested positive for #coronavirus #covid19. i'm a 28 f healthy student, and i wanted to share my experience with this virus and hopefully help making people, especially young people, realize this pandemic is real and has to be taken seriously.

on Monday, march 9th, i went to a party with my friends, before anything exploded here in Israel. there were some regulations but parties were allowed. there were approx 800 students there. i went back home the next day and stayed home since shit started to get real.

on Tuesday, i felt fine. the media was starting to get filled with news about the coronavirus so i chose to stay at home, in case i got it from someone at that party. on Wednesday, i started feeling a bit ill. fatigue, a little bit headache. went to bed early.

on Thursday, i felt bad. my throat was hurting for some reason, the headache got stronger, suddenly i had an unexplainable random cough. figured i got a cold from walking the streets of Tel Aviv late at night, when it was just chilly. but this one felt different.

on Friday, i could barely move. i was so tired i slept through the day and night, barely ate anything. the sore throat i had was killing me. it felt like an empty tube, and it burned. i wasn't sneezing, nor had a fever. just felt really bad. fatigue, cough, headache, sore throat.

on Saturday, i gave up and took a painkiller for the headache. i chose Optalgin. slept again through the day, drank so much water. made me some soup. on Sunday i felt better! the headache became tolerable. throat still hurt but not as bad. regained my strength a bit.

on Monday, i felt good. there were no symptoms. throat was okay, no headache, wasn't tired. the cough stopped. what the hell was that i was thinking, but oh well. maybe a cold, maybe corona. i decided to stay at home for 14 days since march 9th, just in case.

on Tuesday, the next day, i got an SMS from the health department. there was a confirmed corona patient in the party my friends and i went to. so this self isolation decision i made just became a mandatory quarantine. glad i already stayed at home since then.

by that time, yes, i felt better. there were no symptoms. but the health department asked us to report online if we came in contact with a corona patient, and that we've entered isolation. so i called them, told them my symptoms from last week, and reported my current status.

in response, they told me they'll send the information to my family doctor and if they see it's necessary, they'll schedule me a test for corona. 3 days later, on march 20th, i got another SMS. "please schedule your appointment for corona testing in the following link"

and so i did, but the instructions said to get there alone, in my private car, to a drive-in where they take a sample from your nostril, and throat. needless to say i'm a broke student and i don't own a car, so that's what i told them.

they said they'll come by my house in the next few days and take the sample then. and on march 22nd, they did. it was quick, one guy dressed up, suit, gloves, everything in place. i opened the door, he took the samples and left. done in a few minutes.

he told me results would take up to 48 hours. but i called them two days later and they've corrected him and said "it's now up to 5 days". i guess more got infected, more got tested, so we waited longer. 4 days after they took the samples, on this Wednesday, i got a phone call.

they told me i tested positive. they said if i'm feeling fine there's nothing to worry about, they asked where i've been so they can post my route to the public, and were very appreciative that i haven't left my apartment since that party. i had 3 options to choose from:

get hospitalized; i'm guesing that's in case i have symptoms and in need of medical care. get picked up to a hotel in tel aviv; where i'm guessing patients with mild symptoms currently stay. or stay in my apartment; and since i'm feeling fine and i live alone, i chose to stay.

they told me i will be given a medical kit to check myself and my symptoms daily, and next week they'll schedule another test. i have to get tested twice and have those two tests come out negative, to be officialy considered Recovered, and be able to leave my apartment.

i know this is a long thread but i wanted to show you the situation here in israel, what's it like for young people, and why it was extremely important i didn't leave my place since that party. could've infected a WHOLE lot of people by the time they told us to get in isolation.

i'll keep updating this thread. i'm currently feeling good. my cute neighbors buy me groceries and i'm having online classes. just gotta stay home and ride it out.

don't go out, don't get infected, don't infect others. please. #FlattenTheCurve

UPDATE: FINALLY, THEY'VE COME TO TEST ME AGAIN. waited a whole two weeks, chased the emergency services, department of health, my family doctor, there was alot of calls i had to make... there's shortage of tests and alotta mess. anyway, results are up to 5 days! i'll update.

JUST GOT TESTED AGAIN SHUT UPP THAT WAS SO FAST

now i'm waiting for 2 results gotta be negative + negative and then i'm FINALLY FREEEEEE WORST EXPERIENCE OF MY FUCKING LIFE

GOT THE TEST RESULTS
I BEAT #CORONAVIRUS

it says #covid19 not detected which means i'm finally healthy & free! huge thanks to all the medical heroes! and to my friends here who were so worried, i love you all.