This week I tested positive for COVID-19. It’s been a terrible week and I can’t think of a time that I’ve felt more physically, mentally, and emotionally awful.

One thing that’s made this time so frustrating has been the continued messages I’ve received from people who assumed

That I would be asymptomatic or have mild symptoms just because I’m young. It’s a message we’ve constantly been hearing and it’s wrong. In the seven days that I’ve been sick, I’ve experienced every single symptom and then some more that I didn’t even know about.

So before you go out to your brunch or your Fourth of July pool party, remember that the fact that you are young and healthy does not mean that you will not get sick, or that your symptoms will be mild. I am a healthy woman in my mid-twenties. And I have been so, very sick.

It also does not mean that you will be the only person who gets sick. I went to an Airbnb with a small group of family. We all took COVID tests before our trip as a precaution, tested negative, and quarantined. A week later 5/7 of us (all under age 30) are sick.

This isn’t a joke. Your age and current health status do not mean that you or others won’t get sick.

Be smart. Wash your hands. Wear a damn mask. Stay home. Your literal life depends on it.

On that note I’d like to thank my Mom, Dad, Sister, Partner, and close friends for doing everything they can to make me feel comfortable and cared for! So grateful for them all. https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🙏🏾" title="Folded hands (durchschnittlich dunkler Hautton)" aria-label="Emoji: Folded hands (durchschnittlich dunkler Hautton)">https://abs.twimg.com/emoji/v2/... draggable="false" alt="🥺" title="Pleading face" aria-label="Emoji: Pleading face">

Also if you think you have been exposed be proactive about testing. I am grateful I had pre-scheduled a test before I knew I was sick and was able to take it quickly, rather than waiting. That stopped me from spreading to my roommates and to my Dad who works with cancer patients.