Elizabeth Schneider, a bioengineer and resident of Seattle, started feeling sick a few days after attending a party on Feb. 22.
The 37-year-old’s body ached and her temperature rose to 103 Fahrenheit. She had chills and a headache. She thought she didn’t have the coronavirus because she wasn’t experiencing a cough or shortness of breath, the most common symptoms of the virus, according to Yahoo! News.
It wasn’t until March 7, almost two weeks later that Schneider got the call — she had tested positive for COVID-19, KOMO reports.
Now, after making a full recovery from the infection from her home, Schneider is sharing her story to “give people a little bit of hope” and to encourage people to “be extra vigilant about staying home, isolating ourselves from others,” CTV reports.
She took to Facebook to share her story, detailing her frustration with the lack of testing available to her and her friends at the party because they weren’t high risk or they weren’t exhibiting traditional symptoms.
Schneider wasn’t tested by her doctor on her first visit, WTVC reports. Instead she was sent home and was told to rest. On March 1, she went to the University of Washington to be tested for COVID-19 through its Seattle Flu Study, according to WTVC.
Schneider told KOMO that at least 12 people who also attended the Feb. 22 party have shared with her they are experiencing similar symptoms.
The state of Washington has been hit harder by COVID-19 than any other American State, with 341 confirmed cases and 29 deaths in the state, New York Times reports.
Schneider face-timed with WTVC to share that she has been symptom free for a week and is doing well and was careful to follow Washington state’s quarantine protocol before resuming her daily tasks.