'I've never been so afraid in my life': Woman from Thunder Bay, Ont. shares her experience with COVID-19

Seven months into the pandemic, contracting COVID-19 continues to be an unknown experience for many people in northwestern Ontario, as positive cases of the virus remain relatively low.

For Alexa Nichols, however, that unknown experience became a reality when she started experiencing some COVID-19 symptoms, such as a headache and the loss of smell.

"The shortness of breath was by far the scariest. There was no position where I could comfortably breathe. When I couldn't catch my breath, I would start to become anxious, which made it even worse...I've never been so afraid in my life," she said while recounting the experience in an interview on the CBC's Superior Morning.

Weeks later, the 24-year-old shared her experience in a video posted to Youtube, in hopes of putting a face and an experience to yet another positive case of the virus.

"Just like myself, people have the 'it's never going to be me or anyone I know" mentality, and then you almost start to get too comfortable, but as soon as it's someone you actually know it becomes way more real," she said.

Nichols added that a personal account of the virus from people her age might have made her even more cautious when it came to protecting herself from the virus. She said as the summer went on, she saw how people became more careless with precautions in place. She said she also became "too comfortable."

Headache, shortness of breath among symptoms experienced

Nichols said she saw this kind of relaxed behaviour at an outdoor event near Bloomington, Minn. where she currently attends university. She said this event is where she believes she contracted COVID-19.

"Masks were required and everyone's temperature was taken...but you know, it's a hot day and people are drinking and there's live music. And I did see a lot of people just slowly remove their masks entirely as the day went on," she said while talking about the event that took place in early August.

A few days later, Nichols began experiencing the first of what would be many COVID-19 symptoms. She said for at least three weeks the virus had her bedridden, and at some points she said she was "afraid" for her life.

She said her symptoms started with a headache that caused blurred vision and confusion, then escalated to loss of smell and taste, muscle aches, lethargy, and shortness of breath. 

Nichols said she never experienced a fever or a cough before or after testing positive for COVID-19.

"I have no underlying health condition. So I was told way too many times that...it'll be like a few flu symptoms and cold symptoms and you'll be fine within five days. And I also wanted to make the video because it wasn't like that for me, it was a lot scarier and way more real," she said.

"Just wear your mask and be careful, because it's just not worth it," she added.

Nichols said even since testing negative for the virus, she is still dealing with lasting effects of the virus such as loss of smell and taste.

Listen to the full interview with Alexa Nichols on Superior Morning here, or by clicking the link below.