Earlier today, I was diagnosed as having suffered a Transient Ischemic Attack (TIA), or what's commonly known as a mini-stroke. I'm 23 years old and I just had a stroke due to Covid-19 complications.

Not taking this pandemic seriously? Keep reading.

I've done a moderate (but admittedly, not perfect) job of following local health guidelines. I wore a mask in public, social distanced while I was around others, and almost always ordered groceries for delivery or curbside pickup. Despite this, I was exposed and got sick.

I'm now hospitalized because someone I knew went to a wedding and exposed me (I didn't know about the wedding until it was too late). Covid-19 is no joke. It's a life-threatening virus that affects everyone so differently that there's no way to predict how your body will respond.

Yesterday, I went to the emergency room on the advice of my PCP after experiencing sudden weakness in the left side of my body, dizziness, and spotty vision. I'd had chest pain and headaches for a few days prior, but those were written off as mild Covid-19 symptoms.

I went from feeling mild symptoms to full hospitalization in less than 48 hours. My O2 levels dropped, so I was given supplemental oxygen and steroid pills. After 24 hours of constant treatment, they've returned to normal.

Over the last two days, I've been given injections in my stomach and taken more pills than I can count, while other medication was injected into my IV. I've had MRIs of my brain, CT scans, X-rays - all to determine the level of lung and brain damage.