ITZEHOE, Germany — A young woman from our area was diagnosed with coronavirus in Germany.
Schuyler Czech is a Freeburg, Illinois native who traveled to Germany last Summer to be an au pair. It’s a program that involves living with a local German family, helping take care of their children, as well as a cultural exchange.
Czech traveled to Paris for her birthday around March 8 and said that’s when the symptoms started.
“I had chills and I was sitting in the airport wearing my coat and shivering and had body aches and I was sneezing that day,” she said.
Her coronavirus test came back positive.
“I hate to admit this, but I was one of those people that didn’t take the coronavirus that seriously. Especially being a young person, I feel pretty invincible most of the time and then I got the coronavirus. I’m the first person I know personally that has it,” said Czech.
She’s now self-quarantining in a separate home – down the street from her German host family. She said on day eight of her symptoms, she started having a harder time breathing.
“It felt like after you go for a run or a jog and you’re cooling down and you’re still trying to catch your breath," she explained. "The weight and pressure on your chest, that’s what it felt like.”
The 24-year-old said she’s on day 13 and feels “almost normal” and has learned a lesson she’d like to pass on.
“Now, I’m a big advocate for the coronavirus and what we’re doing is great. I think we’re slowing it down by everyone quarantining, and I hope it works so we can all get back out there soon.”
Skyler said she feels like the German government has responded well to the crisis and she has no plans of coming home early.
She’s been blogging about her symptoms and you can check it out here through the app Wix.
More coronavirus stories:
- 'I've never had anything like this' | Pastor with COVID-19 describes toughest part about virus
- 'It can happen to anybody' | 5 members of one St. Louis County family diagnosed with COVID-19
- 'We didn't think it would be this bad': Retired St. Charles couple stuck on cruise ship
- 'What if she got gravely ill?' | Anne Allred shares personal story about coronavirus concerns in her family