As COVID-19 enters its second wave, people are reminded that the virus is still around, and for some people, very real. However, many are unaware what having COVID is like. 

One morning, junior Jin ho Yoo-Rodriguez woke up and noticed that his arms were covered in rashes. As he saw the rashes continue to spread throughout his entire body, he knew he needed to see the doctor immediately. 

Just thinking it was an allergic reaction, the doctor prescribed Benadryl to Yoo-Rodriguez at the hospital. For safety measures and to rule out the disease, the doctors also had him take a COVID test the following day. 

The morning after his test, he received an unexpected call from his doctor asking Yoo-Rodriguez to attend a Zoom meeting to talk about the test results. The doctor’s hesitance to tell Yoo-Rodriguez what was going on right away made him anxious. 

At the time, he hadn’t even thought about the possibility of anything else being wrong other than an allergy. He then found out that he had tested positive for COVID-19. 

“I was anxious when I first heard it,” Yoo-Rodriguez said. “What if I die?”  

The doctor ordered that he go into a strict quarantine for a week and continue to take Benadryl, Tylenol and a prescribed steroid medication. While in his quarantine, he experienced incredible discomfort. At times, he would wake up covered in sweat and burning up with a high fever. 

He even remembers the moment where he lost his sense of taste, which is a symptom that usually comes with mild or moderate cases of the virus. 

“It’s basically a fever amplified by seven.” Yoo-Rodriguez said. “It was terrible, I couldn’t breathe at night.” 

 Since he couldn’t get a good night’s sleep, his days consisted of reading, resting and spending time on his phone. Yoo would only leave his room to use the restroom and eat. Fighting the virus took away tons of energy, so he spent most of the days on bed rest.

Unaware of how serious the virus really was, his mother would try to spend time with her only son. Not wanting to put his family at risk, Yoo-Rodriguez would have to ask her to leave. He knew she didn’t mean any harm, but he cared too much knowing that there was a possibility of getting his mother sick.

“I was nervous for my family, constantly thinking ‘What if I get them sick?’ ” Yoo-Rodriguez said. 

Fortunately, because of the quick diagnosis and strict quarantine, he was the only one in his family to be diagnosed with COVID-19.  After some time, Yoo-Rodriguez found himself feeling better. His fever had started to go down and he could finally sleep.  

Two weeks after his first visit to the hospital, Yoo-Rodriguez went to see the cardiologist, as recommended by his doctor. He was then given an ultrasound on his heart. The cardiologist explained that patients who suffer from intense versions of COVID need an ultrasound, as the virus can impact your heart. Luckily, there was nothing wrong with his heart.

With high hopes, he returned to the doctor and to get his blood taken again. Yoo-Rodriguez was told he was doing just fine. 

Although he didn’t get a second COVID test, the doctor told Yoo-Rodriguez that he could return to his normal activities, as long as he continued to follow distancing guidelines and any other safety measures. 

Even though he had been able to recover, Yoo- Roudriguiz still takes the recommended precautions. He is always sure to wear a mask wherever he goes, avoids social gatherings and maintains a distance of six feet from others while out in public. 

It is crucial that everyone else does the same. Continuing to follow these simple precautions can help keep everyone safe, as well as prevent many cases just like this one from happening.