'Never felt that exhausted:' 19-year-old Durham student recovering from coronavirus wants others to take it seriously

DURHAM, N.C. (WTVD) -- Chloe Baker, 19, suffered from body aches, fever, sore throat and coughing after returning home to Durham from London two weeks ago.

"I've never felt that exhausted or sick before in my life," she said.

The Wake Forest University sophomore believes she contracted coronavirus while touring England with her school's choir.

She says a second student also tested positive.

'I really want people to take it seriously," she said.

Baker also wants people to take the stay-at-home order going into effect across the Triangle seriously.

But she says young people she knows are being reckless.

"There's a hashtag on social media called Corona-cations and I saw someone put that on their beach post from like four days ago," Baker said. "Think of the one person that this would be fatal to or detrimental to in your life and remember them."

Since her diagnosis, Baker gets a call from the health department each day to monitor her condition, which is improving.

Right now she's isolating with her mom at home, who is waiting to see if she has COVID-19.

Baker passes the time with homework, puzzle games and stitching London landmarks.

Her father and brother don't have the virus but are forced to move out and self-isolate from the family.

"It's been really difficult. I've had to busy myself to keep from crying or thinking about it," Baker said.

She said most of her symptoms are gone.

"I just have nasal congestion now. I can't really smell or taste that well. But other than that I just have a little bit of a cough," she said.

Baker says doctors expect she'll be better by Sunday and possibly reunited with her family next week, if none of them are sick.