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‘It hurts:’ Quarantined Fishers woman shares warning about effects of not testing for COVID-19

Quarantined woman in Fishers, Indiana, issues warning

FISHERS, Ind. (WISH) — A Fishers woman is in quarantine after her doctors told her they believe she has COVID-19, but she can’t get tested.

Now she wants to warn others about her symptoms.

“When I went to bed, I just had this incredible pressure and I couldn’t catch my breath,” said Michelle Freed.

Freed says that’s when she knew something was wrong. Her symptoms started back on March 15: a headache, a dry cough, shortness of breath and chest pressure.

But no fever.

Three days later, she called her doctor and spoke to a nurse practitioner.

“Through a series of questions, and I kept saying, ‘But i don’t have a fever.’ They ruled out flu and a few other things. When I explained to them how my chest feels and shortness of breath, they said, ‘You have coronavirus.’”

Freed said the nurse practitioner told her that a lot of other people had those same symptoms.

“It’s very uncomfortable, it’s scary. It hurts. I mean, it’s not so much pain. It’s sore and just constant pressure in my chest,” Freed said.

But, like Freed, many people can’t be tested because they don’t meet the criteria.

“I just couldn’t believe it. Then I couldn’t believe that there was no way to get help, to get tested, to get any sort of confirmation,” said Freed.

Freed says all she was told to do was quarantine, take it easy, and if things got worse, to go to the emergency room.

Now, she’s standing by other people in the same position, in hopes sharing her message will get people to take the pandemic more seriously.

“I can only imagine what people who are older than me, who are struggling more, what that feels like to know you can’t get tested. The more we can do now, the better it will be in the long run, so take it seriously,” said Freed.

Freed says she does feel better and will remain in quarantine, as she’s only on Day 8.