coronavirus

NBC 6 Employees Discuss Their Experiences with COVID-19 Diagnosis

NBC 6 has been covering the impacts of COVID-19 for months, and as you would expect, the virus has impacted us as well.

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NBC 6 has been covering the impacts of COVID-19 for months, and as you would expect, the virus has impacted us as well.

Last week, NBC 6 anchor, Sheli Muñiz returned after testing positive several weeks ago. She was mostly asymptomatic, but now two other NBC 6 colleagues are talking about their own experiences with the virus.

Investigative reporter, Phil Prazan and photojournalist, Anthony James both tested positive in July. On Monday, they were cleared to return fully to work and are sharing their stories.

"So Saturday morning, a couple of weeks ago, I woke up and I just felt exhausted," Prazan said. "I had muscle aches and just, I would get up walk around and do things for about an hour and would have to take about an hour and half nap after that. I never get sick, and I am pretty healthy, and so I knew right away was wrong and different."

Phil first tested for COVID-19 with a rapid test which turned out to be negative, but a nasal swab test the following day turned up positive.

"My experience with testing was very complicated. So, the first day, that Saturday, I went and got tested and I did one of those blood antibody rapid tests - advertised that they could detect live virus - that came back actually negative," Prazan said. "I also went stood in line and did the nasal swab test those results came back 3 to 4 days later and that showed that I was positive."

NBC 6 Investigator Phil Prazan talked to anchor Sheli Muñiz about his personal experience with COVID-19.

Phil's photographer, Anthony James soon started feeling bad and one of his symptoms included a fever.

“My symptoms, on July 13th, it was a little bit of cough and I didn’t think anything of it," James said. "Then, I kind of progressively got worse, fevers, chills, aches, and by Sunday and the next 5 days after that it was just fever, constant fever, chills, stomach issues, loss of taste and smell."

Anthony and Phil have been paired up for most of the pandemic, taking the precautions as they bring you investigations and stories of COVID in our community. While their stories may sound similar, each experience is different.

When Sheli Muñiz tested positive several weeks ago, she was mostly asymptomatic with a headache and occasional sore throat. Miami Cardiologist Dr. Bernard Ashby said these experiences mirrored what is happening everywhere.

“Basically, what we’re finding is that every individual has a different experience when it comes to this virus and we do not know why," Dr. Ashby said. "We have some hints, we have some hypothesis. But we’re not sure."

“It really takes a toll on you and you just have to take it one day at a time,” said James.

“The best-case scenario you’re just going to upend your life for 3 to 4 weeks, the worst-case scenario is that you can die. People are dying over this virus. I mean so take it seriously,” Prazan said.

Both Anthony and Phil have been in quarantine and have since tested negative and are able to return fully back to work Monday.

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