Actress Anna Camp, who played Aubrey in the “Pitch Perfect” series, said that she contracted COVID-19 after not wearing a mask just “one time” and urged people to take the pro-mask initiative seriously.
In a lengthy Instagram post on Tuesday, Camp said she felt it was her “responsibility” to inform people on how she contracted the virus.
“I felt it was my responsibility to share that I ended up getting COVID-19,” she said. “I have since tested negative, but I was extremely sick for over three weeks and still have lingering symptoms.”
Throughout the pandemic, Camp said she practiced safe social distancing and sanitization … except for “one time.”
“I was incredibly safe. I wore a mask. I used hand sanitizer,” she said. “One time, when the world was starting to open up, I decided to forgo wearing my mask in public. One. Time. And I ended up getting it.”
Camp then warned people that having COVID-19 was not simply like having the flu, fearing of the “long-term irreparable damage” the virus could inflict on the immune system.
“People are saying it’s like having the flu, but I’ve had the flu, and this is absolutely not that,” she said. “The panic of contracting a virus that is basically untreatable and is so new that no one knows the long-term irreparable damage it does to your immune system is unbelievably stressful.”
“Completely losing my sense of smell and taste without knowing when or even if they will return is extremely disorienting,” she continued. “I’m only smelling about 30 percent of how I used to now. Other persistent symptoms are (a month later) dizziness, extreme fatigue, impacted sinuses, upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and fever.”
Camp then pleaded with people to wear the mask, because contracting the virus can “happen any time” and to “anyone.”
“Even that one time you feel safe. We can all make a difference,” she concluded. “Wearing a mask is saving lives. Thank you to everyone who reached out to check on me during this scary time. Please be safe out there. Let’s all do our part and wear a mask. I don’t want any of you to go through what I did. Even though it’s a little thing, it can have a huge impact, and it’s so incredibly easy to do.”
This past Sunday, actress Jennifer Aniston shared a photo of her friend, named Kevin, on a ventilator and implored people to “wear a damn mask.”
“This is our friend Kevin. Perfectly healthy, not one underlying health issue. This is Covid. This is real,” Aniston wrote. “We can’t be so naive to think we can outrun this… if we want this to end, and we do, right? The one step we can take is PLEASE #wearadamnmask.”
“Just think about those who’ve already suffered through this horrible virus. Do it for your family. And most of all yourself. COVID affects all ages,” she added. “This photo was taken in early April. Thank God he has almost recovered now. Thank you all for your prayers.”
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