Message to millennials concerning COVID-19
Jocelyn Milch is 26 years old and wants to warn other millennials before it’s too late. The White House Coronavirus task force has urged the younger generation to take the threat of this virus serious.
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ATLANTA - The coronavirus pandemic has surged across the world and millennials are realizing that they are not immune.
Jocelyn Milch, a 26-year-old living in New York, said she didn’t expect she’d ever catch the virus.
Jocelyn Milch before contracting COVID-19.
Milch was out with her friends just days before she contracted COVID-19. Her health began to decline, and she was tested for the flu.
“I felt myself declining more, I called the clinic and asked the protocol. Once I tested negative for the flu, I was just like this is not the common cold,” Milch said.
Two days later, Milch received positive test results for the coronavirus. For the last week, she has been fighting what she described as “a flu on steroids.”
Now, Milch is working to warn others her age that this virus is serious.
“I go to the gym regularly, I watch what I eat, I get enough sleep, I drink enough water it doesn’t matter who you are everyone is susceptible to it this disease does not discriminate,” Milch said.
Milch has been in isolation and said the worst part was being completely alone, away from her family.
Jocelyn Milch's armband from her visit to the hospital when she realized she was sick.
“It makes me angry that yeah these are kids that are probably going to recover if they get it, yeah they’ll be miserable for a week or two, and other people will lose loved ones,” Milch said.
The White house coronavirus task force has voiced concerns that young people have become seriously ill across the country due to COVID-19.
Dr. Deborah Birx, the coordinator of the task force, said, “There are concerning reports coming out of France and Italy about some young people getting seriously ill, and very seriously ill in the ICUs.”
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According to the Centers for Disease and Control and Prevention, 29 percent of U.S coronavirus cases were in people ages 20 to 44 and 5 percent were in those 19 and younger.
"They are the core group that will stop this virus,” Birx said.
Despite calls for social distancing, crowds of millennials have flocked to packed Florida beaches and attending large gatherings.
“It’s not about me being sick right now, I’m -- knock on wood -- going to be OK, but it’s about the other people that are affected. Take it seriously, so the people that won’t recover from it don’t get sick,” Milch said.
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Milch has continued to fight the virus. Weeks later, her symptoms are beginning to subside, but she’s remained in self-isolation.
“I hope the world returns to normal because this is just like a 'Twilight Zone' episode that won’t end,” Milch said.
Fox News' Katie Byrne contributed to the report
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