Coronavirus: Santa Clara County Employee Describes Recovery

SANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA -- A Santa Clara County worker on Monday shared his own experience recovering from the deadly novel coronavirus.

"I was taking all the precautions," Ricardo Romero-Morales, a public information officer for the county, said during the county's daily morning briefing Monday on Facebook Live.

"I was making sure that I was coughing into my arm and into my sleeve. I also was making sure I didn't touch anything else that people touched -- we use a lot of disinfectant and everything."

Romero-Morales, who worked previously as a senior community health planner for the county, described contracting the disease in March as "the worst I've been sick in my entire life," but also noted that his doctor told him his case was "mild" compared to others who had died after infection.

He self-isolated in his home away from his roommates for 14 days, called his doctor about going to a local hospital - he was told to wait three more days before coming in -- and then he was admitted for treatment after driving himself there. Having recovered from his sickness, Romero-Morales shared his advice to those wondering about what to do.

"Even if you think that this is not going to happen to you, there are chances that it may happen to you, so please do take care of yourself," he said. "Please do follow the orders, please do stay home."

Late Monday morning, Santa Clara County and six other Bay Area jurisdictions said they will announce later this week an extension of their shelter-in-place orders past the previous May 3 expiration date through the end of May.

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