Coronavirus survivor narrates her experience, gives advice to Kenyans

Coronavirus has claimed over 7000 lives so far but on the positive side, around 80,000 people have recovered from the virus.

One of them is Elizabeth Schneider, an American from Seattle, who believes she contracted the virus during a house party in late February.

Speaking to Citizen TV’s Waihiga Mwaura, Schneider stated that she attended a house party that had around 30 people and they made merry throughout the night.

The following week she woke up feeling lethargic but she thought that it was caused by the activities of the previous weekend and she brushed it off.

She developed body aches and at this point, she decided to work from home. By now she had a fever (39 degrees Celsius) but went and bought an over-the-counter drug that is equivalent to paracetamol and it brought down her temperature.

“It is very interesting, I bought an over the counter drug, it is very similar to Paracetamol like the one you have in your country,” she said.

The following day, her friend, who attended the same party, stated that she had similar symptoms.

Schneider tested positive for Coronavirus on March 7 after she sent her samples to a team of researchers in her state.

“I took a nasal swab from a kit offered by the researchers, at the time I had largely recovered, when the results came, they told me I had tested positive for coronavirus,” she remarked.

Schneider says she has now recovered and has been at home most of the time, resting and taking over-the-counter medication.

"If you are healthy, if you are younger, if you take good care of yourself when you're sick, you will recover, I believe. And I'm living proof of that," she added.

She told those with symptoms of the virus to stay at home for a week or longer and told Kenyans not to panic since one can recover fully.

“Stay calm, do not hoard stuff, just be vigilant and stay home if you feel unwell to avoid spreading the virus, otherwise you do not have to worry,” she said.