32-Year-Old Woman Is Still Experiencing Coronavirus Symptoms 3 Months After Diagnosis

More than three months since she first tested positive for the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), one New Jersey woman is still dealing with symptoms.

On Tuesday, Melanie Montano, 32, of Teaneck, New Jersey, appeared on 3rd Hour of Today to discuss her battle with the respiratory virus. Montano told host Al Roker that even though it's been 93 days since her diagnosis, she still notices symptoms — difficulty breathing, fatigue and a loss of smell and taste — that come in "waves."

According to Today, Montano identified symptoms of the coronavirus in February and tested positive in March. She took another test in May, which came back negative, though her symptoms persisted.

And doctors don't yet have an explanation, she said.

"The problem is there really is not a recommendation," said Montano. "… It's so new that we don't really know how to intercept what's going on. … There's no definitive answer, simply because it's a virus that seems to be transmuting at a constant pace."

She added, "There's no answer, which is why it's so frustrating."

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, COVID-19 symptoms tend to present two to 14 days after exposure. Common symptoms include fever, chills, cough, headache, difficulty breathing, fatigue, body aches, sore throat, congestion, nausea and diarrhea.

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Montano said when she first consulted physicians about her case in March, the idea of a 32-year-old catching the virus seemed "far-fetched." She does, however, have asthma, an underlying condition that makes one more susceptible to the coronavirus.

"I am asthmatic," she said, "but in the same vein, it should not take 93 days to really recover from something that's just the flu, as people seem to consider it to be."

Now speaking out about her health battle, Montano said she has connected virtually with other people experiencing prolonged symptoms. She says there are a number of people ages 25 to 45 who don't fit the "stereotype" of who gets COVID-19, and that they provide support to one another.

"If you feel something is amiss — and this is a virus that you really cannot mistake; it is very abnormal," she said. "So if you feel these symptoms, I advocate for people to really pursue what next steps are and to not get discouraged."

She added: "Their tests may not test positive, the virus may not be in their system anymore, but it does not mean they're not rendering the same symptoms that are attributed with this."

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