People with coronavirus are highly contagious for days prior to symptoms, says scientist
April 1, 2020 / By Cristina Corbin | Fox News
Daisy Robinton’s first signs began with mild fatigue before slowly progressing over the next 10 days to a set of symptoms that left the 33-year-old scientist and fitness model working harder to breathe.
“A fever kicked in and I developed a splitting headache and body aches that made it uncomfortable just to be conscious,” Robinton said.
“I don’t know how to convey the extreme exhaustion that set in,” she added. “Then, the shortness of breath started. I noticed I wasn’t getting as much oxygen.”
The presumable culprit: COVID-19.
Robinton, who holds a PhD in molecular biology from Harvard University, said her experience underscored a disturbing reality: young, healthy adults hold no innate immunity to the insidious disease that has now infected over 200,000 people in the U.S., resulting in an estimated 4,476 deaths as of Wednesday.
What’s also imperative for everyone to know, said Robinton, is that a person is most contagious before they have symptoms and during the first week of illness.
“This is why physical distancing is so critical,” she said.
