People with chronic medical conditions are considered high risk when it comes to the coronavirus. Like the elderly, they have a higher chance of catching the virus and suffering complications from it, including death. But there's a hidden part of the community that falls into this high-risk group.
Heather Neal looks happy and healthy. But how she appears on the outside is much different from how she's felt inside over the last 14 years.
“I have terrible stomach aches. I also have an urgent need to use the restroom. At one point I was going 25 times a day,” said Heather Neal. Neal has had Crohn's Disease. It’s an inflammation of the digestive tract. A shot helps her with the Crohn's, but it also lowers her auto-immune system which fights viruses. And with coronavirus out there, she's now scared for her life. “If I get the virus I think I would have a very difficult time fighting it,” said Neal.
She’s concerned that the people who continue to go out and ignore CDC coronavirus recommendations, increase exposure for people like her with lowered immunity. “Those health individuals who have a robust immune system can overcome it. But everyone else people like me, I think we have to battle pretty hard and we might not win that battle,” said Neal.
So Neal went to Facebook with her message on limiting exposure. So far she's already received more than 200 messages of support. “There are people like me who on the outside look perfectly healthy, but on the inside it is an absolute wreck,” said Neal.
All she is asking for, is a bit of consideration. “When people are out and about, they should not only be cautious around the important elderly community, but they should also being cautious around everyone. Because you don't know who may be at risk,” said Neal.
