Anna Camp has recently shared her experience with COVID-19, the infection caused by the novel coronavirus, in an attempt to encourage fans to wear a mask.
The Pitch Perfect star took to her Instagram account to reveal how she contracted the disease, sharing that she fell sick after failing to wear a mask just one time when the country was starting to open up.
Posting a photo of her with a mask on, Camp wrote, “Hi friends… I felt it was my responsibility to share that I ended up getting Covid-19. I have since tested negative, but I was extremely sick for over three weeks and still have lingering symptoms.”
“I was incredibly safe,” she continued. “I wore a mask. I used hand sanitizer. One time, when the world was starting to open up, I decided to forgo wearing my mask. One. Time. And I ended up getting it.”
The 37-year-old also shared some of the symptoms she experienced, stating that contracting the virus is “absolutely not” like being getting the flu.
The True Blood actress said, “The panic of contracting a virus that is basically untreatable and is so new that no one knows the long term irreparable damage it does to your immune system is unbelievably stressful.”
“Completely losing my sense of smell and taste without knowing when or even if they will return is extremely disorienting,” she continued, adding she is “only smelling about 30 percent of how I used to now.”
Camp said she is still dealing with “persistent symptoms” after her diagnosis, such as “dizziness, extreme fatigue, impacted sinuses, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and fever.”
“I’m lucky. Because I didn’t die. But people are,” she wrote. “Please wear ur mask. It can happen any time. And it can happen to anyone. Even that one time you feel safe. We can all make a difference. Wearing a mask is saving lives.”
At the end of the post, Camp thanked her fans and followers for reaching out to her during this scary time.
She said, “Please be safe out there. Let’s all do our part and wear a mask,” she added. “I don’t want any of you to go through what I did. Even though it’s a little thing, it can have a huge impact, and it’s so incredibly easy to do.” So far, there have been more than 4 million confirmed cases of COVID-19 in the United States, with officials reporting over 144,000 deaths from the virus.
