CINCINNATI — 27-year-old Hartwell resident Danny Samet has spent the past two weeks in quarantine, recovering from COVID-19 symptoms. He said he hopes others will be vigilant in getting tested.
Samet took to the streets on Saturday, June 6, marching in the protests through Cincinnati.
“We’re in a really important part of history right now,” he said. “I think it’s important that everyone gets out there and makes themselves heard.”
The next day, he woke up feeling bad.
“I first scoffed at the symptoms,” Samet said. “I was mindful of it. I said okay, I have the chills, I have a cough. I have sinus issues, which is kind of normal, and my body feels like it got ran over by a truck.”
He said he wore a mask the whole time he was protesting.
“It was extremely rare not to see people wearing a mask, but that being said, it’s a massive group of people,” Samet said.
Since he was diagnosed with COVID-19, a lot has changed. Bars and restaurants have opened and more people are being allowed inside.
“Just because these places are opening, and just because you think the statistics might not be correct, whatever it may be, it’s still very real. There’s still a lot of people dying from this,” Samet said.
Hamilton County officials announced Wednesday that there were 782 new COVID-19 cases in the county since last week.
“Behave as though you have the virus, and that everyone around you has the virus,” Hamilton County Commission President Denise Driehaus said.
Officials urged residents not to become complacent.
“We suspect people have gotten relaxed,” Driehaus said. “We were doing such a great job with this. But, unfortunately, the suspicion is that people have let their guard down."
Despite being quarantined the past two weeks, Samet said he has no regrets.
“There are guidelines for a reason,” he said. “It’s up to the individual what you want to do. Given everything going on, I think it’s important to be loud, and be heard.”
Samet said he hopes he has another chance to be heard – this time by asking people to get tested for COVID-19.
“Just be safe. It’s not over. It’s not even close to over. Just because things are opening, it doesn’t mean that.”
