BAKERSFIELD, Calif. — It's a birthday she will never forget.
Karen Berhow, a resident in Bakersfield, says she will remember her 65th birthday on Saturday as the day she defeated COVID-19, a virus that has shown to be most deadly to senior citizens.
Towards the end of March, Berhow noticed she had a mild cough that was persistent. She didn't make much of it at the time.
But in the midst of coronavirus pandemic, she still wanted to get tested because her 70-year-old husband has an immune deficiency and her mother is 87-years-old.
"The only thing I ever felt was 'I have got to not give this to my husband and mother because it could kill them,'" Berhow said.
Berhow waited for several days and finally her test returned on April 1, -- positive, it read.
The COVID-19 experience, was rather "mild" she said.
"I hate to use the word 'mild' because I was very uncomfortable for several days there, but I've certainly had flus in the past that were way worst than this was on my body."
Regardless, she stayed at home and kept her distance from everyone, until she was cleared by Kern County Public Health.
On Sunday, her employer allowed her to return to work at a local Circle K store in town.
Kern County Public Health updates the number of COVID-19 recoveries every Friday. At last report there were 113 residents who have recovered from COVID-19.
