Alyssa Milano Details Scary Bout With COVID-19: 'I Thought I Was Dying'

By Paris Close

August 6, 2020

Alyssa Milano shared her terrifying experience with COVID-19.

On Wednesday (August 5), the Charmed alum took to Instagram with an image of herself on a breathing machine at the time she’d fallen ill with the novel virus in April.

"This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks. I had never been this kind of sick," she started. "Everything hurt. Loss of smell. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t keep food in me. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks. I was confused. Low grade fever. And the headaches were horrible. I basically had every Covid symptom."

Milano recalled taking two COVID-19 tests in March, both returned negative. So when she began to feel better, she decided to get tested for coronavirus antibodies — a fingerprint test that determines if a person has the antibodies found in those who have recovered from the disease — but those results were negative too.

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This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks. I had never been this kind of sick. Everything hurt. Loss of smell. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t keep food in me. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks. I was confused. Low grade fever. And the headaches were horrible. I basically had every Covid symptom. At the very end of march I took two covid19 tests and both were negative. I also took a covid antibody test (the finger prick test) after I was feeling a bit better. NEGATIVE. After living the last 4 months with lingering symptoms like, vertigo, stomach abnormalities, irregular periods, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, zero short term memory, and general malaise, I went and got an antibody test from a blood draw (not the finger prick) from a lab. I am POSITIVE for covid antibodies. I had Covid19. I just want you to be aware that our testing system is flawed and we don’t know the real numbers. I also want you to know, this illness is not a hoax. I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying. I will be donating my plasma with hopes that I might save a life. Please take care of yourselves. Please wash your hands and wear a mask and social distance. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I felt. Be well. I love you all (well, maybe not the trolls. Just the kind people.)❤️

A post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Aug 5, 2020 at 12:42pm PDT

Even so, the symptoms lingered, from “vertigo, stomach abnormalities, irregular periods, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, zero short term memory, and general malaise.”

“I went and got an antibody test from a blood draw (not the finger prick) from a lab. I am POSITIVE for covid antibodies. I had Covid19,” she continued. “I just want you to be aware that our testing system is flawed and we don’t know the real numbers. I also want you to know, this illness is not a hoax. I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying.”

Milano concluded her post letting fans know she’ll be donating plasma for testing purposes to help medical professionals develop a cure for the ongoing coronavirus crisis.

Since the outbreak struck the United States earlier this year, myriad celebrities have battled the disease, with some losing their lives to the virus. As of Thursday (August 6), there are nearly 5 million cases of COVID-19 in the States alone.

Photo: Getty Images