Orange County man loses sense of taste, smell after testing positive for coronavirus

Guilherme Castro says he became sick on a trip to Chicago

ORLANDO, Fla. – An Orange County man is sharing his story after testing positive for coronavirus.

Guilherme Castro, 27, said he was on a trip to Chicago earlier this month when he started feeling sick.

“About two weeks ago, I thought it was just a regular flu,” Castro said. “I was starting to feel the fever on Friday and also shortness of breath. That’s when I realized it’s real (and) I’ve got to go to the doctor and see what’s going on.”

Castro said he was tested at his local urgent care last week and received the results Thursday.

“I was pretty sure it was (coronavirus) already, because you don’t realize, when you’re trying to talk, you’re trying to breathe hard,” he said.

Castro said he’s been self-quarantining at home since the test. When the positive result came back, he said the health department asked him to remain isolated for at least 10 more days.

“I’m trying to keep up online with friends, doing stuff around the house, you know. Cooking, cleaning all the time,” Castro said.

As for his well-being, Castro said the fever has gone down since last week and his breathing problems have mostly subsided, but other symptoms remain.

“Right now, I’m pretty much just coughing a lot and (I’ve) lost all my sense of smelling and tasting,” he said.

While remaining in quarantine at home, Castro said he's thankful his health is improving and urges everyone to take extra precautions.

“It’s real and you may be young, you may be healthy, but you may have contact with other people you love that they may be in a high-risk group,” Castro said. “We’ve got to stop spreading this, so we need to take the steps.”

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About the Author:

Mark Lehman became a News 6 reporter in July 2014, but he's been a Central Florida journalist and part of the News 6 team for much longer. While most people are fast asleep in their bed, Mark starts his day overnight by searching for news on the streets of Central Florida.

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