Home Town' Star Erin Napier Reveals She May Have Had Coronavirus Unknowingly

Kelly Corbett
·5 min read
Photo credit: Instagram
Photo credit: Instagram

From House Beautiful

On Friday, HGTV star Erin Napier shared with fans that she, her two-year-old daughter Helen, and 64-year-old mother, all might have had coronavirus. In a lengthy Instagram post, the Home Town star explains how she had fallen ill with a strange sickness back in January, but has since recovered.

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I’ve been hesitant to share this because I worried it might cause alarm, but the more I’ve considered it, I think it’s something worth discussing so we can hopefully raise the alarm for the importance of serological testing for COVID-19. In January, we went to NYC for our appearance on the Today show. We returned to Laurel on January 9. On January 20, I woke up early with some GI issues. I went in to work because I felt mostly normal. By 5 pm, I noticed I kept getting chills and checked my temperature and it was 100. I took some Aleve and the fever dropped and I went on about my business. I wrote in my journal a couple days later: “I feel like I have a cold, but not really. It’s like a half-cold. No congestion, but I can’t stop coughing. Still have low fever.” On February 2, I texted my friend who is a doctor. Swipe to see that message. I tested negative for the flu that day even though I continued to run low fever off and on, about every other day, for weeks. No medicine helped control my coughing, and it wasn’t a productive cough. On February 7 I went back to the doctor because my fatigue wasn’t improving and they did bloodwork. They told me “Everything looks pretty normal. Just a viral thing, most likely.” By February 20, my symptoms resolved and I’ve been fine since. Helen and my mother (64 years old) caught it and had similar symptoms. They’re both fine now. Ben and my dad never caught it. A few days ago my doctor friend reviewed that bloodwork again and says my low lymphocytes, denoting “the viral thing,” could have been a result of COVID-19, though there is no way to know until serological testing is released widespread to see how much of the population has caught it and recovered without ever being tested during the illness. I pray this test happens soon so we know more about this disease and how it’s spreading. I wonder how many of us already encountered it and beat it unknowingly? Regardless, I wish I didn’t see so many cars in the parking lots and entire families going inside stores to buy groceries. Please, please. Keep your families at home. Let one person go in and out as quickly as possible. (continued in comments)

A post shared by Erin Napier (@erinapier) on Mar 20, 2020 at 10:55am PDT

After a trip to New York City for a guest appearance on TODAY on January 9, Napier returned home, only to wake up 11 days later, on January 20, with some general gastrointestinal issues. Napier still went into work that day, however, "by 5 pm, I noticed I kept getting chills and checked my temperature and it was 100," she writes. According to the Center for Disease Control, those infected can start showing symptoms within two to 14 days, which would match up if Napier had been exposed to the virus in NYC or since returning. After taking Aleve, Napier continued going about her regular schedule. But she still didn't feel normal. A few days later, she wrote in her journal: "I feel like I have a cold, but not really. It’s like a half-cold. No congestion, but I can’t stop coughing. Still have low fever."

Napier texted her friend, who is a doctor, about her symptoms on February 2. She had tested negative for the flu that day, despite having had an on-and-off fever for weeks. She also was feeling fatigued, and had developed a cough, which was not going away despite her having taken medicine. Napier returned to the doctor on February 7 for bloodwork, where she was told "Everything looks pretty normal. Just a viral thing, most likely." On February 20, the star's symptoms had resolved. Napier's mother and daughter had shown similar symptoms, while her husband and father had not.

A few days ago, Napier consulted her doctor friend again, who reviewed the star's bloodwork from February. The friend believed that Napier's low level of lymphocytes could have actually been a result of COVID-19. While it is not certain what the star had (although widespread serological testing may help her get an answer), Napier seems to believe that she had gotten the coronavirus. "I wonder how many of us already encountered it and beat it unknowingly?" she writes. She also offers some advice "I wish I didn’t see so many cars in the parking lots and entire families going inside stores to buy groceries. Please, please. Keep your families at home. Let one person go in and out as quickly as possible," she writes.

We’re sure glad to hear that Napier and her family are feeling better and appreciate how candid the star was about her scary experience. Napier’s post serves as a reminder that anyone can catch the virus, even if it seems unlikely (as COVID-19 wasn’t as prevalent in the states in January), and not every case is life-threatening—or shows the same symptoms. Your best defense? Practice social distancing and keep washing your hands.

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