coronavirus texas

Sugar Land 19-year-old has had coronavirus for almost 8 weeks

Tuesday, July 28, 2020

19-year-old has had COVID-19 for almost 8 weeks

Coronavirus can linger in some people for more than 2 weeks, according to the WHO. Press play to hear what a teenager in Sugar Land who has had COVID-19 for nearly eight weeks has to say.

SUGAR LAND, Texas (KTRK) -- A local teenage girl is speaking out after suffering from COVID-19 for almost eight weeks.

Jenny Nicolayevsky, 19, said she got tested for the virus on June 4 when severe headaches would not go away. Almost eight weeks later, she continued to test positive.

"I've had corona for 54 days," she said. "I don't know when it is going to end."

She said her symptoms have included headaches, nausea, dizziness, pink eye and fatigue, but she has never had a cough or fever.

Jenny said she has taken three tests, two weeks apart since the beginning of June. All of the tests came back positive and, although not as severe, she said she still has symptoms.

"How long am I going to have corona?" she asked.

The majority of people who get COVID-19 recover after two weeks, but for some, the virus lingers, according to the World Health Organization.

Jenny said she hasn't left her house since she got sick. Her mother and brother, who are also in quarantine, have both tested negative.

"I want people to know, number one, this is not a hoax," her mother, Karen Nicolayevsky, said. "Number two, children do get it. The young adults do get it. And three, it doesn't just last two weeks. Here, that is not what happened, not what happened at all."

Karen said her daughter normally never gets sick and does not have underlying health conditions. They said they know, for many families, it has been much worse.

Jenny encouraged young people to stay home. Her mother said Jenny is a reminder that COVID-19 is not consistent.

"Most people think it's a cold or flu, and you get over it, but that's not the story in (Jenny's) case," her mother said. "This thing can keep going, and going, and going."

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