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INDIANAPOLIS — Three Franciscan Health nurses have recovered after getting COVID-19 while helping to save the lives of Hoosiers.
Judy Shelp, Emily Cornpropst, Cassie Avery are all co-workers and survivors of COVID-19.
"It's really awful," Shelp said. "People say it's like the flu but it's like 1,000 times worse than the flu."
Cornpropst was the first of the three to get infected with COVID-19.
"My symptoms were fever and a dry cough, some nausea, I lost my sense of taste and smell, and my worst symptom was my bodyaches," Cornpropst said. "In my lower back and my legs to the point where I was on the floor nearly in tears for about two days."
Shelp and Avery say they had similar symptoms.
Their roommates and families also got the virus as well.
They all self-isolated for two weeks and are now back at work.
With the hope of their antibodies will be able to help others, they are donating their convalescent plasma.
To donate plasma, a machine collects blood, separates red cells from the plasma, which is a golden, yellow fluid. That is then used to help treat COVID-19 patients.
Each donation can help up to three patients.