Georgia state senator recovers from coronavirus: 'I'm really lucky'
ATLANTA - A Georgia state senator who contracted coronavirus said she has almost fully recovered.
"I'm actually feeling well," said Sen. Kay Kirkpatrick, R-Marietta. "So much better now that I have the run of my house, which just started yesterday. [I'm] still coughing some, but no fever for four days, which is what it took to get out of isolation."
Kirkpatrick is one of five state senators who tested positive for COVID-19. Sen. Kirkpatrick said she got a fever on March 15 and immediately self-isolated, though she did not get test results confirming she had coronavirus until March 20.
On March 18, leadership in both the Senate and the House of Representatives recommended lawmakers and their staffs self-quarantine for fourteen days after Sen. Brandon Beach, R-Alpharetta, confirmed he tested positive. Beach was last at the State Capitol for the special session on March 16.
Sen. Kirkpatrick said it is impossible to know where she and the other members of the Senate picked up the virus and that is why she believes it is so critical that people continue to stay home and practice social distancing.
"You really don't know who has it and even if you don't get it, certainly you could bring it home to someone who's at higher risk," explained Kirkpatrick.
LIVE: Interactive map tracks global spread of COVID-19
Kirkpatrick is a physician and a member of Governor Brian Kemp's Coronavirus Task Force, but she said she plans to stay connected to her work from home.
"I would like to reassure people that you can recover from this virus, but it's not to be taken lightly and everyone needs to be looking out for each other," said Sen. Kirkpatrick. "I think I'm really lucky, because even though because of my age, I am in the risk group that everyone's worried about, I'm very healthy. But even so, I think it's a difficult virus to deal with and is much more serious than what most people get with the flu and so, had I not been in excellent health, I think it would've been a much bigger problem."
App users click here for live updates
Download the FOX 5 Atlanta app for breaking news and weather alerts.
RESOURCES:
- Symptoms, testing and how to prepare amid growing COVID-19 outbreak
- Who is most susceptible to coronavirus? COVID-19 not just affecting older people
- Coronavirus cleaners: These products will kill COVID-19, according to the EPA
- Coronavirus and pets: Your cat or dog probably can’t get COVID-19, WHO says
- Will sick leave protect me if I get ill from coronavirus? 5 questions answered
RELATED: CoronavirusNOW.com, FOX launches national hub for COVID-19 news and updates.