If you haven't already heard, one of the members of the bowling community in New Jersey, Evan Pregenzer, recently tested positive for the COVID-19 virus that has been wreaking havoc on the world. We've all been reading horror stories from the media, but many of us, especially the skeptics, don't really know what to believe. In order to help people TRULY understand what the coronavirus is and how it actually feels to have it, I had to ask someone who I trusted and who I knew would also want to help people, someone who wasn't interested in attention, but whose only agenda was to help others, how it felt to have it. Evan was very willing to help and to educate us on how it truly feels to have it. We all watch the news, but we all have a level of skepticism regarding the veracity of it. I'd like to thank Evan personally for helping provide a day-by-day breakdown of exactly how he's felt during his fight so we all know exactly what it entails from a first-person perspective.
Here is Evan, in his own words:
3/11/2020: I woke up that morning feeling very weak in my body and kept coughing and had a slight fever. I called my doctor and he had me self-quarantine in my house for 14 days without getting tested since I thought I was not exposed to it. I called out of my job and told them what was going on and of course stayed home. During the rest of that day I kept coughing and could feel my throat getting sorer. The first 2 days that’s all I really felt was a cough, fever and sore throat.
On 3/14/2020 I received a phone call from my local health department letting me know I was exposed to someone who tested positive to Covid-19 while I was at my bowling league the previous Sunday. I then informed her that I felt ill and my doctor had me staying home to be safe. She then contacted the hospital and I was told to come to the hospital to be tested. I got tested though the test itself is very uncomfortable and I wish there was another way to test for Covid-19 then have this swab go up my nose to the back of my throat. So I got tested and was sent home since I was not in risk of death nor needing medical attention. I went home and stayed in my house awaiting the results I got 4-5 days later.
The days in between of me getting tested and getting the results on 3/19/2020. The test came back negative for Covid-19 but I was told I had bronchitis. I was then given medicine to help and was told I did not have to quarantine anymore. I made the decision to stay in quarantine and not leave my house because I was exposed and still sick. So while staying home I was hoping to feel better though unfortunately I kept feeling worse and worse. I started having chest, muscle and joint pains. My throat was hurting more and more to the point where swallowing water hurt. I kept coughing and having these terrible chills and heat flashes. I had those symptoms for the next 7 days.
On 3/26/2020 I had a phone appointment with my doctor for a follow up and to ask for more medicine and tell him how I’m feeling. I explained all my symptoms and how I have been getting worse. He decided it was in my best interest to go and get tested again at the drive-thru testing location in Morristown. So I agreed and the next morning 3/27/2020 I got tested again and was told I’ll have the results again in 4-5 days. I then went home and once again stayed home in quarantine until 3/31/2020. I got my test results back and it came back that I’m positive for COVID-19.
So I’m not really sure where I got Covid-19 either the hospital or the bowling alley. I am now currently in quarantine at home and trying to get better. I still have all thoes symptoms but they have not gotten worse nor better. So I do believe I’m on the path to recovery and being healthy.
