Woman survives coronavirus, says survivors should do this one thing

The coronavirus acts differently in everyone. One Atlanta woman says she washed her hands often, hadn’t traveled in months, but still tested positive for the virus, after showing few symptoms of the disease.

Thirty-one-year-old Jennifer Koncul looks healthy because she is. 

She survived the coronavirus and has been back working from home for about a week, but she says it started with mild symptoms like a slight fever, on March 11.

She went to the doctor and was tested for COVID-19, as soon as she could.

From there, she says, symptoms intensified.

“I started to develop symptoms of a cough, and a burning in my chest when I’d walk up the stairs or lift something heavy in the house,” Koncul said.

March 17, her results came back positive. 

Koncul says she’s thankful her doctor had test kits, as she was likely one of the first few people to test positive for the virus. 

“It’s [since] been really hard for friends of mine to find a place to get tested,” she said.

Now hundreds of people are being denied testing, as officials say those who need it most get tested first.

Koncul says she felt like a leper while isolated and waiting for friends to drop off food and supplies.

“You kind of feel like the grim reaper telling everyone hey you can’t leave the house from 14 days since we last saw each other,” she said.

After having fought off the virus, Koncul says she wants you to do three things if you feel sick:

  • -Have a plan in place for where you can get tested before you get sick
  • -Monitor symptoms check temper daily, even if you feel fine
  • -Donate plasma after recovery, so doctors can find a vaccine as quickly as possible.