First Florida woman to be diagnosed with coronavirus tells story: ‘It wasn’t terrible’
Ready for some good news?
Kaelyn Sheedy is here to provide a light at the end of the tunnel.
The Tampa sports therapist is back to her old self after testing positive for coronavirus. She was the first female confirmed patient with the disease in Florida.
The 29-year-old traveled to Europe , including to hard-hit Italy, in late February, and began feeling cold-like symptoms on the flight back home from France to Tampa International Airport. After contacting the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Sheedy was eventually diagnosed with having COVID-19 and told to self- quarantine.
On Instagram Wednesday, Sheedy discusses her health journey, in a post entitled, “I tested positive for coronavirus and recovered in 12 days!”
Sheedy tells her followers that she did her entire isolation process from inside her home, and never saw a doctor face to face. However, she was in daily contact with a doctor and a scientist from the epidemiology team at the Florida Department of Health, she said.
“This virus is going to affect everyone differently, this is just my experience,” she wrote. “It wasn’t terrible. I hope this helps.”
Here’s how it began and ended, according to her coronavirus diary:
On both day one and two of her quarantine, she said she had 102-103 fever with a dry cough and fatigue.
On the third day, Sheedy’s fever disappeared, but she developed a wet cough with green mucus, a sign your body is fighting an infection. She also experienced another classic symptom of coronavirus, shortness of breath.
“I never felt impaired to the point of needing to be admitted to the hospital,” Sheedy wrote, “although I could see how someone with underlying conditions or elderly could have a more difficult experience.”
Sheedy’s wet cough and shortness of breath continued into day four. As the cough became more “aggressive,” Sheedy started an unspecified vitamin supplement protocol. By days eight and nine, the mucus from her cough turned yellow, tinted with blood, she wrote. The blood is a common side effect of irritating the bronchial tubes by constant coughing.
By the 10th day, Sheedy said she woke up feeling “100 percent” physically, despite still having a dry cough.
The worst was over. On Day 12, the Florida woman was “asymptomatic,” she said, and had her first negative test.
By Day 14, she was cleared from having coronavirus, and is currently back on her feet, reassuring others.
“The challenges we’re all facing because of this pandemic are unsettling, disruptive and heartbreaking,” Sheedy concluded. “Everyone’s situation is different, please have compassion for others. Please take this serious. Please listen to officials during this time. If you think you’re sick, please isolate yourself and contact a healthcare professional. Praying for the world.”
If you suspect you have coronavirus, The Florida Department of Health’s COVID-19 Call Center is open Monday through Friday from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. at 866-779-6121. You can also email covid-19@flhealth.gov.
This story was originally published March 19, 2020 at 12:40 PM.
