Doctor with Coronavirus Is Sharing Daily Updates on His Symptoms While Quarantined at Home

A doctor in Spain who was recently diagnosed with the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), is giving the world a day-by-day look at managing the disease.

Yale Tung Chen, a 35-year-old doctor who works at the Hospital Universitario La Paz in Madrid, has been giving daily health updates on Twitter since he was diagnosed with the disease on Sunday. The emergency physician became infected with COVID-19 while treating patients, according to NBC News.

"Day 1 after #COVID diagnosis," he wrote on Monday alongside an ultrasound of his lungs, as he gave an overview of what symptoms he was experiencing at the time.

"Sore throat, headache (strong!), Dry cough but not shortness of breath. No lung US abnormalities," he wrote.

He later noted that while the onset of his symptoms, which also included a low fever, was "quite abrupt," the day before his diagnosis he had noticed "the feeling of something not right."

The following day, Chen shared that he was fortunate enough to continue experiencing mild symptoms.

"Day 2 after #COVID diagnosis. Less sore throat, cough & headache (thank God!), still no shortness of breath or pleuritic chest pain," he wrote.

Asked how he was treating his symptoms, the doctor said he was taking Tylenol and Ibuprofen, and eating fruits and vegetables while quarantined in his "small bedroom" at home.

On the third day after his diagnosis, Chen noted that while his headache and sore throat had gone away, he was experiencing diarrhea.

By Thursday, his cough had returned, although overall his symptoms remained mild.

"Day 4 after #COVID diagnosis. More cough & tiredness (very badly), still no dyspnea/chest pain," he wrote.

While speaking with NBC News, Chen noted that he had been blown away by all of the well wishes he has received on social media.

"It meant the whole world to me to receive support from people all around the world," he said.

Although there is a low risk of dying from the novel coronavirus, the Centers for Disease Control has warned that Americans should be prepared to get the disease, which is highly contagious and spreading. The World Health Organization declared the outbreak a pandemic on Wednesday.

"It's fair to say that as the trajectory of the outbreak continues, many people in the United States, will at some point in time, either this year or next, be exposed to this virus. And there's a good chance that many will become sick," Nancy Messonnier, director of the CDC's National Center for Immunization and Respiratory Diseases, said on Monday.

Messonnier went on to emphasize that the disease will be mild for the majority of people, with symptoms such as coughing, sneezing and a fever.

To prevent the spread of the virus, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention encourages maintaining basic forms of hygiene including careful hand washing, avoiding touching the face, moving away from people who are coughing or sneezing and staying home at signs of illness.