Celebrity
Anna Camp Asks Fans To Wear A Mask After Contracting Coronavirus
"One time, when the world was starting to open up, I decided to forgo wearing my mask in public. One. Time."
Even though some public places are reopening and travel is resuming in the midst of an ongoing pandemic, caution is something people should continue to practice. Just ask this Pitch Perfect star. Anna Camp revealed she got coronavirus in a lengthy Instagram shared on July 21, and she thinks she might have contracted it on the one time she left the house without wearing a mask.
Noting that she had "since tested negative," Camp explained that she had been "extremely sick for over three weeks" and still has "lingering symptoms." In her post, the singer and actor pointed out that, despite people wanting to go back to "normal" — or as close to normal as possible — they can't forget that the coronavirus is still reeling its ugly head, which is exactly why mask-wearing is so important.
"I was incredibly safe. I wore a mask. I used hand sanitizer. 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," she wrote. Camp recognized that there's no way of knowing for sure if that "one time" she didn't wear a mask was when she got coronavirus, but she wants others to realize that the reopening of places doesn't mean the virus is gone.
The 37-year-old also tried to debunk theories that the coronavirus is just like the flu. "I’ve had the flu, and this is absolutely not that. 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," she added. "Completely losing my sense of smell and taste without knowing when or even if they will return is extremely disorienting. I’m only smelling about 30 percent of how I used to now." Camp also noted that she still has other symptoms like dizziness, fatigue, sinus issues, an upset stomach, nausea, vomiting, and fever.
In July, a Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) official said that wearing a mask is the key to getting the pandemic under control. CDC director Dr. Robert Redfield told the Journal of the American Medical Association, "The time is now. I think if we could get everybody to wear a mask right now I think in four, six, eight weeks we could bring this epidemic under control." Many states and business have even started requiring people to wear masks.
Camp is a true believer in the basic practice, as noted by the panda mask she wore in the photo accompanying her post. As she pleaded with her followers, "I’m lucky. Because I didn’t die. But people are. Please wear ur mask. It can happen any time. And it can happen to anyone. Even that one time you feel safe. We can all make a difference. Wearing a mask is saving lives."
If you think you’re showing symptoms of coronavirus, which include fever, shortness of breath, and coughing, call NHS 111 in the UK or visit the CDC website in the U.S. for up-to-date information and resources. You can find all Bustle’s coverage of coronavirus here, and UK-specific updates on coronavirus here.
