When I woke up on the morning of March 18, I felt a strange pressure in my chest and immediately knew something was wrong. I hoped I was making it up, given the constant swirl of information on COVID-19. Then I took my temperature and discovered I had a fever of 100.4.

I contacted my primary care physician, who sent me to an infectious disease doctor. They agreed that I needed to be tested for COVID-19 because I had traveled to Los Angeles from London three days prior. I had no idea how difficult it would be to get that done. My health care provider couldn’t schedule a test for me for the next five days, even though I was already experiencing the undeniable symptoms of the coronavirus: fatigue, fever, shortness of breath and a cough.

By a stroke of luck, my mom was able to find a clinic near us that had limited tests available. We had to beg, but eventually my worsening condition persuaded them to test me. I was positive.

The difficulties of my recovery can be divided into two parts. I self-isolated for 14 days, and the first eight revolved around the management of my symptoms. I battled the coughing, the fever, the severe body aches and the constant sweating locked alone in a room. On day nine I hit a turning point, and by day 12 I felt as fine as I could be after the beating my body had endured. But I was still trapped in my room for the recommended three additional symptom-free days. That time will get to you.

I will never take my health for granted again. The virus was severe, and my mom, who also contracted it, felt the effects even worse than I did. I’m just so grateful I was able to be at my parents’ house with my family to ride out my recovery and the remainder of this quarantine. I’m not sure I would have made it through without them.

Seeing the anti-lockdown protests across the United States is truly disheartening. This virus is not a joke. I wish I could explain to the protestors that the longer you fight the stay-at-home orders, the longer this will be drawn out. I understand that people want and financially need to go back to work. I want to go back to work too! But right now our health must take priority.

These days, I try to keep some consistency in my life: I wake up before eight every morning and go for a walk after my coffee, then bike or walk again in the afternoon. And I’ve been painting so much. My skills are pretty basic, so I’ve been sticking to paint-by-number, and it has become one of my favorite pastimes! You can order kits online, and I suggest you give it a try.

I beat COVID-19, but that doesn’t mean isolation is over. There’s endless advice on how to remain motivated, but sometimes I feel it can be counterproductive. It’s important to remember that you’re allowed to feel sad, angry and anxious. You’re allowed to not want to do anything. We’re only human!

As told to Haley Stamp