20-year-old COVID-19 patient: 'I was healthy and now I'm not'

A 20-year-old COVID-19 patient who has been in the hospital for weeks is hoping her peers learn from her story.

"Take my story, look at me, Iwashealthy and now I'm not.A 20-YEAR-OLD IN OURAREA SAYS SHE'S PAYINGTHE PRICE FOR IGNORINGTHE WARNINGS FROMDOCTORS AND HEALTHEXPERTS.THE ISSUE OF YOUNGERPEOPLE BEINGHOSPITALIZED -- ANDYOUNGER PEOPLE MAKINGUP LARGER PORTIONS OFALL COVID-19 CASES -- ISONE NOT LOST ONDOCTORS AND ELECTEDLEADERS IN OUR REGION."KDHE is now reporting theaverageage of covid-19 cases is now 37"The average age of casesKansas is getting younger allthetimeTHe number of cases inteenagers,people in their 20s and 30s areincreasing rapidly.AND IT'S A TREND NOTICEDNATIONWIDE.AS YOU CAN SEE FROMTHIS DATA PROVIDED BYTHE C-D-C -- THE NUMBEROF PEOPLE UNDER THEAGE OF 50 HOSPITALIZEDHAS GROWN WEEKLYSINCE MID-JUNE.AS FOR THE MORERECENT WEEKS -- THE C-D-C NOTES SOME DATA ISDELAYED -- AND THOSECOUNTS CAN RISE AS NEWDATA COMES IN.A 20-YEAR-OLD -- STUCK INTHE HOSPITAL FORWEEKS -- HOPES HERSTORY WILL HIT HOMEWITH YOUNG PEOPLE NOTTAKING THE VIRUSSERIOUSLY.41 ACTION NEWSREPORTER EMMA JAMESHAS HER WARNING.EMMA JAMES, REPORTING"That 20 year old has been inthe hospital here at KU Medfor nearly two weeks now,after testing positive shelearned she developed asecondary infection, and isgetting ready for a life-changing surgery next week."CECILIA ERKER, 20-YEAR-OLDHOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19"I never thought I'd be in thisposition, to be two weeksaway from turning 21, and I'mbasically losing a lung."BEFORE CORONAVIRUS -CECILIA ERKER WAS LIVINGAN ACTIVE AND HEALTHYLIFE.SHE SAYS THE CLASSICSYMPTOMS CAME OUT OFTHE BLUE IN EARLY JULY.CECILIA ERKER, 20-YEAR-OLDHOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19"I woke up and man I felt like Igot hit by a bus, I was runninga 102 degree fever, I had acough."SHE ENDED UPDEVELOPINGSECONDARY INFECTION.IT DESTROYED MOST OFHER RIGHT LUNG ANDSHE'S HAVING SURGERYNEXT WEEK.SHE SAYS THEEXPERIENCE HAS BEENTERRIFYING - BUT SHEHOPES HER STORY WILLHIT HOME FOR THOSE WHODON'T TAKE THE VIRUSSERIOUSLY.CECILIA ERKER, 20-YEAR-OLDHOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19"It's very real, no one'sinvincible, no one's immune, itdoesn't matter if you're young,old, healthy."CECILIA IS ONE OF AGROWING NUMBER OFCASES IN WHICH YOUNGPEOPLE ACROSS THECOUNTRY ARE GETTINGSICK WITH THE VIRUS.IN MISSOURI AND KANSASTHOSE BETWEEN THEAGES OF 20 AND 30 ARESHOWING THE HIGHESTNUMBER OF PEOPLE WITHCORONAVIRUS.DR. DANA HAWKINSON -WITH THE UNIVERSITYKANSAS HEALTH SYSTEMSAYS GATHERINGS ARELIKELY TO BLAME.DR. DANA HAWKINSON, MEDICALDIRECTOR OF INFECTIONCONTROL AND PREVENTION,UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS HEALTHSYSTEM"If we can remember to wearour masks and gather in smallgroups, certainly less than tenis much safer in smallergroups than larger groups wecan really start to decreasethe spread of this disease."CECILIA HOPES OTHERSWILL THINK OF HER STORYWHEN THEY CONSIDERGOING AGAINST THATADVICE.CECILIA ERKER, 20-YEAR-OLDHOSPITALIZED WITH COVID-19"I went out to restaurants,hung out with friends, youknow, and now I'm paying theprice for it, and I regret it,if Icould take it back, I would."IN KANSAS CITY, EMMAJAMES, 41 ACTION NEWS.