RI native recovering from coronavirus stresses importance of social distancing

Posted: Mar 18, 2020 / 09:37 PM EDT / Updated: Mar 19, 2020 / 12:12 AM EDT

EAST PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WPRI) ─ When East Providence native Kayla Ferrucci-Herzberg began to develop a sore throat, stuffy nose and fever, she thought it was her allergies.

That is until her symptoms began getting worse.

“I couldn’t walk across my living room, I couldn’t walk up my stairs without gasping for air,” she said. “Standing up and cooking, I’m out of breath, which is crazy.”

Ferruci-Herzberg, who now lives in Reading, Mass., said she began experiencing symptoms soon after returning from a trip to New York with her husband.

She didn’t think she had contracted the coronavirus until a friend mentioned it to her.

“My friend told me she had tested positive and she was getting worse,” Ferruci-Herzberg recalled.

Ferruci-Herzberg said she decided to seek guidance and treatment from her doctor. She ultimately went to Mount Auburn Hospital to be tested for the virus.

“They did a lot of different tests, they did a chest X-Ray, and kind of ruled everything else out,” she said.

She said the doctors wouldn’t test her for the virus because her symptoms were “too mild.”

“Wanting to have results, wanting to know, and just not having an answer has been really frustrating,” she said.

A doctor diagnosed her positive for the virus on Monday, making her one of the 256 confirmed cases in Massachusetts.

While the diagnosis offers some clarity, Ferruci-Herzberg said it’s been tough to navigate her way through recovery. She said she will be on self-quarantine for an additional three weeks.

Ferruci-Herzberg stressed the importance of social distancing and taking the situation seriously. She also hopes those who are young and healthy take extra precautions to help keep the more vulnerable populations safe.