Now healthy, Tampa's first coronavirus patient stresses importance of isolation

TAMPA, Fla. - Hillsborough County’s first coronavirus patient says she’s fully recovered and has been cleared by the Florida Department of Health.

“I’m fine. I’m 100 percent. I feel great,” Kaelyn Sheedy told FOX 13 on Wednesday.

It’s a welcome feeling for the 29-year-old sports massage therapist who spent two weeks living with the fast-spreading COVID-19 coronavirus. 

“My first two days with the fever, my eyes were like burning out of my head,” Sheedy recalled.  “I continued to have a fever and my cough turned into a wet cough immediately.  I knew immediately was I started having upper-respiratory issues breathing.” 

RELATED: Track Florida coronavirus cases by county with this interactive COVID-19 map

In the end, she compares coronavirus to a bad flu or light case of pneumonia.  She came down with it during a two-week trek through Europe in mid-February.

During that time she visited Spain, France, and Italy, now one of the hardest-hit nations. 

“My flight back from France, I started not to feel well,” she said. 

At that time, she called the CDC but said they still cleared her to fly from home JFK to Tampa.

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“Looking back, obviously yes, because I was confirmed with the virus, I wish could’ve stayed at JFK and protected the planes that I flew on,” Sheedy told FOX 13. 

Sheedy has since tested negative twice, which is what it takes to be cleared by the health department. 

“I am a healthy individual so I think I had the more mild symptoms,” she offered. 

Sheedy knows, however, that others -- especially the elderly and those with compromised immune systems -- may not bounce back as fast. 

”As healthy individuals, we need to think about everybody as a whole right now. Isolation is so important, quarantining is so important because that’s going to drastically stop the spike in cases that we are seeing.” 

If you feel sick:

The Florida Department of Health has opened a COVID-19 Call Center at 1-866-779-6121. Agents will answer questions around the clock. Questions may also be emailed to covid-19@flhealth.gov. Email responses will be sent during call center hours.

LINK: Florida's COVID-19 website

CORONAVIRUS IN FLORIDA: What you need to know

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