'I thought my lungs would explode': Turkish survivor warns youth to take coronavirus seriously

A 21-year old Turkish undergraduate who recovered from the coronavirus after being hospitalized for 10 days has warned his peers to heed the warnings of authorities and not be complacent.

Even though Mehmet Özçetin is physically active, non-smoker and a healthy young man, he did not assume that he was immune or invincible against the deadly coronavirus and self-isolated to protect his family in Turkey's western province of Afyon.

Özçetin's harrowing ordeal with the deadly disease began fourteen days after his arrival from Turkey’s northwestern Çanakkale province when he started to develop a cough and slight headache, both symptoms of Covid-19.

He decided to leave his room to self-isolate in the family car in an aim to protect his loved ones and two days later headed to an emergency room where he tested positive for coronavirus.

"I have never experienced such a severe, painful and persistent cough in my life. I felt like my lungs were going to explode," he said, adding that the symptoms only worsened with each passing day.

Özçetin suffered from headaches, a rare high fever, severe dry cough and sore throat, as well as having trouble swallowing.

" As a young, healthy and physically active person, I was shocked to experience those severe symptoms."

The survivor also warned young adults not to underestimate the risks and take the pandemic seriously.

Özçetin, who is a student at the Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in western Turkey, has no idea about how or when he contracted Covid-19 but is aware of the importance of self-isolation that halted the contagion.