Coronavirus has been a focal point throughout most of 2020, but the people who haven’t caught the virus don’t know what it’s like. COVID-19 affects people differently in health and emotions. 

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, some symptoms of the coronavirus are headache, fever, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, and nausea. Some may not have symptoms and still have the virus. 

SHS alumnaGabbi Unitan says she was having lunch with a friend when she was exposed to COVID.

“She called me and she was like, ‘Hey, I got a positive test.’ So I went and got tested. It came back negative but with contact tracing, I ended up moving to a hotel. And then three days later, I got tested, and it came back positive,” Unitan says. 

Others contracted the virus through their family. One example of this situation is junior John Harman. 

“My mom got COVID from her work, and she told us that she got tested positive. Slowly, my family got sick. And then, I was the last one that got sick,” Harman says. 

COVID can be contracted in different ways and can show a variety of symptoms. 

“I had a fever and nausea and also a little bit of a stuffy nose for a while and then I lost my smell but not my taste,” Unitan says. 

“I had just a fever one day and then the next day I lost taste,” says an unnamed source from SHS. 

Unitan and Harman agree that the symptoms were not the worst part of having the virus. 

“Not being able to see anybody wasn’t super great, but the hardest part for me was knowing that I had friends in this city and had to call them to cancel plans. The worst part would be if I had known that I had affected anyone else,” Unitan says.    

 “Being at home and not being able to go out whatsoever [was hard]. I was consistently going to Primal [Fitness] and working out, and I had to stop for two weeks,” says freshman Benjamin Harman.

Unitan found some light in isolation.  

“The only way that I’ve ever hung out with [online friends] was through Zoom or FaceTime, and we were still able to have completely regular plans. So I could still have coffee in the morning with my friend,” Unitan says.

People who have had COVID have some advice for those who have not contracted the virus. 

“If I could tell someone who hasn’t had it, just take precautions and take it seriously. I mean you don’t know how bad it’ll be for you, but just assume the worst so you won’t spread it,” John Harman says. 

Unitan says, “I understand that there are people who have different symptoms than myself. So even though it was mild for me, I understand the need to be cautious because there are people who will suffer. I would also say to self-isolate so that you couldn’t hurt anybody else.”