Christian Bermea is a 25-year-old Sam Houston State University alumnus who graduated in the class of 2018 and now works in human resources. He recently tested positive for COVID-19 and shared his experiences with us.

Q: When did you first think you might have COVID-19?

A: “I started showing symptoms 3/16. As soon as I started showing the first symptom, which was dry cough, I just had a gut feeling that I had it.”

Q: What was it like waiting for results and figuring out you had it?

A: “Waiting for the results I felt extreme anxiety. I think what was worse was not having my family there. I had to wave goodbye to them from inside the hospital while they were outside. Literally, every possible virus that I knew of, I thought I had. ‘Do I have HIV? Is this COVID-19? Is this the flu? Am I overreacting and do I just have a cold?’”

Q: What have been your experiences with the symptoms?

A: “The symptoms fluctuate a lot. It started with a dry cough that turned into a wet cough, fever, tightness in the chest and very low energy.”

Q: What has quarantine been like?

A: “Quarantine has also been kind of hard being isolated from literally everyone. I miss my mom and dad very much. I miss my brother, and I miss my friends. It feels like you’re going through it alone, but I’ve been receiving so much support and love that I feel comforted.”

Q: Is there any advice you would like to give to the general public?

A: “I would tell the public to please take this pandemic seriously and not just when it becomes personal, i.e., you have it or someone close to you has it.”

Q: Is there anything else you would like to add?

A: “Act as if you already have the virus.”

Author’s Note: Some readers have misunderstood the lead of this piece to mean that Christian works for SHSU. To clarify, he does not work for SHSU.