Nyle DiMarco recovering from suspected coronavirus but forgoes testing to help others

Nyle DiMarco has revealed he’s recovering after falling sick with a suspected case of coronavirus, but says he will forego confirmation in order to preserve the limited number of tests available for those who really need them.

The former America’s Next Top Model and Dancing with the Stars winner, 30, urged others who might have mild symptoms to be “mindful of sick patients that need to get tested more than you do”.

In a video posted to social media on Sunday (22 March) DiMarco, who is deaf and communicates using American Sign Language (ASL) explained he had been “really sick” with symptoms including a fever, sore throat a mild cough, and is currently recovering in self-isolation.

“I’ve been really sick and I am now on the mend. I do not typically do this but I wanted to share something”, the model and actor explained.

“I’ve been really sick and I am now on the mend. It is very possible I contracted coronavirus and I have access to get tested but I do not want to. The reason is because there is a shortage of COVID-19 test kits in the U.S. and the sick patients need it more than I do.

“For 48 hours starting Sunday night, I had a fever, body chills, a sore throat and a mild cough. All these are symptomatic of COVID-19. Some with COVID-19 have reported not being able to taste or smell. That was my experience too.

 

 

 

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I do not typically do this but I wanted to share something… I’ve been really sick and I am now on the mend. It is very possible I contracted coronavirus and I have access to get tested but I do not want to. The reason is because there is a shortage of covid-19 test kits in the U.S. and the sick patients need it more than I do. For 48 hours starting Sunday night, I had a fever, body chills, a sore throat and a mild cough. All these are symptomatic of COVID-19. Some with COVID-19 have reported not being able to taste or smell. That was my experience too. I knew I wasn’t a high risk so I stayed calm. I communicated with my doctor and self-quarantined. I kept an eye out for any respiratory issues because if it worsened, it could be deadly. But I recovered…. And I still am self-isolating. I’d like to stress that testing is important. Widespread testing has been a key part for some countries like South Korea’s efforts in handling Covid-19. In a perfect world, I’d take the test. Unfortunately the U.S. lacks enough test kits. If you are healthy and have no respiratory issues, I encourage you to be mindful of sick patients that need to get tested more than you do. And stay at home to avoid spreading and help flattening the curve. We’re in this together. Let look out for each other!!

A post shared by Nyle DiMarco (@nyledimarco) on Mar 21, 2020 at 12:05pm PDT

“I knew I wasn’t a high risk so I stayed calm. I communicated with my doctor and self-quarantined. I kept an eye out for any respiratory issues because if it worsened, it could be deadly.”

“But I recovered…. And I still am self-isolating.”

Former Attitude cover star DiMarco went on: “I’d like to stress that testing is important. Widespread testing has been a key part for some countries like South Korea’s efforts in handling Covid-19. In a perfect world, I’d take the test. Unfortunately the U.S. lacks enough test kits.

“If you are healthy and have no respiratory issues, I encourage you to be mindful of sick patients that need to get tested more than you do. And stay at home to avoid spreading and help flattening the curve.

He added: “We’re in this together. Let look out for each other!!”

For the latest guidance on coronavirus, visit the World Health Organisation.