BUFFALO, N.Y. — Nicki Fernandes was a little confused about when she returned home.
"The days are kinda blending together, but it was Tuesday," Fernandes said from an open window in her Buffalo apartment. She had spent three-plus days in the coronavirus ward at Buffalo General Hospital.
Last Saturday, Fernandes had been feverish and was short of breath. She had days earlier tested positive for COVID-19. She was put in an isolated room, given oxygen and care, and she improved.
"Being able to be treated in the hospital gave me a comfort level where I felt safe, and I wasn’t scared. And I think just being able to rest and not have the major anxiety that I was having helped," she said.
Fernandes is isolated at home again. If she continues to improve, she could be released from quarantine next week.
She is already looking forward to walking her dog, Ernie. Fernandes also wants others who contract the coronavirus that there is hope.
“It’s not a death sentence by no means. It’s gonna feel that way," she said. "There was a couple moments that where I was really scared. It’s gonna feel that way. You’re going to be very sick.
"It’s going to be worse than pneumonia. It’s gonna be worse than the flu, but you can pull through it and you can get better.”
