Alison Szarka assumed that one day she would get COVID-19.
After all, the recent York University Nursing Graduate who started working at a hospital in the GTA since December was put onto a Respirology Unit as part of the frontline COVID-19 crisis team in that hospital.
"I don't even feel upset that I got it," said Szarka in a phone call with BayToday.
"I felt it was inevitable I was taking such a high chance by working."
Szarka already had a negative test for the virus back in April but she says on Monday, May 11, she realized something was wrong.
"I had a night shift from the previous Sunday so on Monday night I woke up that's when I started to have a dry cough and that is kind of how I knew it was COVID," she said.
"That is the number one symptom that distinguishes it from the flu or a common cold. I was hoping that I would be getting better so I waited it out until the next day and that is when I felt every single symptom."
But it did not.
The 25-year-old West Ferris Secondary School graduate says the next three days were a nightmare.
She calls COVID-19, "the flu on steroids."
"It was definitely Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday that I was definitely the worst," she recalls.
"I was sleeping. Just because I had such a bad headache and bad body aches. All I could really do was sleep and take Tylenol because it was really painful. I was moaning and groaning, it felt like I was not even conscious when I was doing that because I was in so much pain."
Szarka, who got her inspiration for nursing from her aunt who is working at a hospital in Texas, has had a lot of time to reflect during her quarantine. She believes she did all the right things at work to avoid contracting the virus. In fact, she thinks she might have actually contracted it during her daily bus commute to work.
With the worst behind her, Szarka says she is close to 90 per cent now. She recalls the panic her dad felt on Wednesday, May 13, when he was unable to reach her for close to 17 hours since she was sleeping so much during the day. In fact, Dad was so worried he almost called an ambulance.
Despite how awful she felt during those first few days, she says the support she received from friends and family from both North Bay and the GTA really helped her emotionally to deal with the sickness.
"I felt overwhelmed with the support that I was getting this time," she said.
"I guess because it is on everyone's mind and that is why they are so worried. Friends and family, like everyone, wanted to help to the point where too many people wanted to help. So many people reached out and wanted to bring something over."
Her favourite delivery came from her father, Mike Szarka. The retired OPP officer dropped off a huge supply for her at the front door of her apartment.
"He brought down a massive bin of care supply and food good for about a month," she said.
"He even brought jigsaw puzzles for me to do, he brought snacks for my cat. He kind of just went overboard. He brought so much which was really, really nice of him. It made me feel really cared for."
While COVID-19 has not had a significant impact here in her hometown, Szarka warns residents not to put their guard down from this unseen enemy.
"It is probably a caution," she says.
"Wear your mask, wear gloves. Don't go out unless you need to. I know I'm hearing a lot of people down here are getting together with friends or family. This is kind of an invisible disease sometimes because some people do not show symptoms and it can affect any age."
Szarka is looking forward to this Monday when she is allowed to come out from her 14-day quarantine. She is not sure when she is going to go back to work again but she is looking forward to her next shift at the hospital despite her COVID-19 scare.
"I feel it is in my blood to do this for people because it was just really sad the state that some of these people were in and they don't have anyone else to look after them at home, so I knew I was doing the right thing," she said.
"I never question it."
Yes, no regrets despite contracting the deadly disease during National Nursing Week in Canada.
With that determination and courage, it's likely Szarka will have many more years of nursing ahead of her.
