On Thursday, Iowa saw the largest single-day increase in confirmed cases of COVID-19, adding 125 for a total of 1,270.
In Woodbury County, a dozen people have tested positive; including one woman from Sioux City who talked to Siouxland Public Media’s Sheila Brummer about her experience with COVID-19.
Jessica Lenz says her symptoms started on the night of March 30th.
“The first day I was fine and then I went to work and it just hit me. I spiked a fever of a 100.5 and I just felt exhausted, more exhausted than you can image.”
Lenz is a nurse so official results from the state hygienic lab came back quickly.
“I got my results on April Fool’s Day of all days.”
Besides fatigue, Lenz suffered from fevers, nausea, intense body aches. She only occasionally let out a dry cough. But, the most severe time came five days into the illness; a temperature of almost 104 degrees.
“That was the point I was scared and worried that I was going to have to go in and other things were going to happen.”
Lenz describes the impact of the virus on the simple act of breathing.
“Your lungs burn. It feels like if you haven’t gone for a run in a while maybe in like really cold weather and you were really exerting yourself. But, it doesn’t go away; you feel it all day, every day and there’s really nothing you can do to help that part of it other than resting.”
After her brush with COVID-19, Lenz says others need to heed the disease to protect health care providers and family.
“They should stay home and listen to the news and only go out for the things they need, stay home and away from grandparents and whatnot even though Easter is coming up soon. Don’t have those big Easter gatherings this year.”
Lenz says hopefully she can quickly return to helping others recover from their own medical issues.
“I’m not 100%, but I am getting there.
Lenz says her 6-year-old daughter did come down with symptoms but didn’t get tested. Her husband and older son didn’t show any signs of the disease.