'This virus spreads like wildfire': Mom-of-two whose entire family had COVID-19 admits they likely exposed dozens of other people unknowingly as she shares the lessons they learned from their 'harrowing' battle with the illness

A Los Angeles mother-of-two who has been experiencing coronavirus symptoms for nearly two months — and whose husband kids, and nanny all came down with the virus — is sharing what she wishes she'd done differently as so many Americans still refuse to take the threat seriously.

Lawyer Hilary Sledge-Sarnor, 38, her 49-year-old husband Lateef Sarnor, and their two children all first starting experiencing coronavirus symptoms in March — and she thinks they exposed countless others in the days before California's shelter-in-place order.

In an April 14 post on her blog Hungry Hungry Mama, Hilary recalls how her son went to school, she went to work and out for drinks, and they continued to have their nanny work in the early days of the pandemic — and explains the lessons she hopes to teach others from her mistakes.  

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The whole fmily: LA lawyer Hilary Sledge-Sarnor, 38, her husband Lateef Sarnor, 49, and their two children all got sick with coronavirus at the same time

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Lessons learned: Hilary said that they still had contact with others when they first had symptoms in March and didn't realize how serious it was

Hilary wrote the post in bed, during her fourth week of being sick with COVID-19. She has since updated Good Morning America, saying that she is on week seven and still experiencing some symptoms, like fatigue and shortness of breath. 

'I have been wanting to write my story in the hopes that my family’s harrowing tale over the past month would help others. But I have been too sick, weak and breathless to write,' she wrote. 

'COVID-19 is now rampant in the U.S. and my story is certainly not unique. But when I look at our experience in hindsight… there is so much I would do differently and I want to share what I learned in the hopes it may help others,' she said. 

Back in March, her two- and three-year-olds got sick first. They had colds, ear infections, eye infections, vomiting, and fever — 'the sickest they’ve ever been'.  

Though she took her kids to the doctor, this all happened before quarantine, and they assumed the kids just had other illnesses. Once her son started feeling better, he went back to pre-school. 

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'There is so much I would do differently and I want to share what I learned in the hopes it may help others,' she said

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Horrible: She had trouble breathing, so her husband (who was also sick) had to drive her to the hospital

Soon after, her husband got sick. But Hilary, assuming it was just a regular illness, still stopped to meet a friend for a drink after work.

'This was the day before I started showing symptoms,' she said. 'In hindsight, because my family was sick, I shouldn't have even gone into the office that day because I was potentially putting others at risk. Even though I wore gloves that day, in hindsight I would have stayed home. At the time, I didn’t know better.'

With everyone sick, their nanny Esmirna continued coming to work — and soon she, too, was ill, and passed it on to her three grown sons, her daughter-in-law, and her one-year-old grandson. 

'Four of them were in the hospital for over a week and her oldest son remains in the ICU as I write this. This virus spreads like wildfire,' Hilary wrote.

Hilary continued to get worse, and eventually her husband — still sick himself — rushed her to the ER with their kids — also still sick — in the backseat. 

Though she is back at home, she still required a nebulizer every four hours nearly a month after getting sick, and experienced chest pressure and fatigue.

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'If I had known more about Coronavirus, I would have done things differently,' she said

And even though she and her family survived the illness, it certainly gave them a difficult time — and if she could go back and time, she'd have behaved very differently. 

'The U.S. was a different place in early March when we became sick and, as a result, my family and I may have unknowingly exposed many people to the virus,' she said.

'We were hearing about quarantine measures being taken throughout the world and, in the U.S., large companies were going remote and conferences and travel were being restricted. 

'But the severity of this pandemic was actively being downplayed by the federal government — we weren’t yet social distancing and certainly not within our own homes — so, we had no idea what we were facing. We did not know we had COVID-19, or even considered we could have it. 

'If I had known more about Coronavirus, I would have done things differently,' she went on.

Don't dismiss it! Hilary, pictured with her kids, said: 'This disease can get bad very fast — even in healthy young adults'

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'The U.S. was a different place in early March when we became sick and, as a result, my family and I may have unknowingly exposed many people to the virus,' she said

As soon as one family member started showing symptoms, she said, the whole family would have quarantined, with the sick person in one room. 

They would have barred others — including the nanny — from their home. She would have set up a tele-appointment with the kids' doctor, kept them home from school, worked from home, and skipped drinks with her friend. 

'I may have potentially exposed many others to COVID-19 and that is something I grapple with every day. I may have put others — adults and children — in our community at risk,' she wrote. 

'It makes me cry to think about others experiencing this horrible virus. It especially hurts to think about other parents having this virus and caring for their children while very sick and without any support. This has been hard as hell (ask my husband).'

Even with stay-at-home orders across the US, she is disheartened to see so many not taking the virus seriously, thinking that it only really hurts the elderly and those with preexisting conditions. 

'This disease can get bad very fast — even in healthy young adults,' she said, noting that she is relatively young, is healthy, exercises regularly, and blogs about healthy eating. 

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'If you or someone in your family is sick (even with what you think is a mild cold), please stay home,' she said

'If you or someone in your family is sick (even with what you think is a mild cold), please stay home,' she went on. 'Use a delivery service or have a friend pick up and drop at your door. Asking for help is important. 

'If you have anyone working in your home who does not live with you, please think hard about whether the convenience is worth the risk. Many still think this virus shouldn’t cause inconveniences to their lives. That if they get it, they are strong and will probably be fine. Unfortunately, that is not necessarily the case.

'I want people to understand how horrible this disease is so they will take this seriously,' she concluded. 'Each of you staying at home and truly socially distancing from other people is comfort enough for me to know that you love me and, most importantly, your community at this critical time. Time is critical.' 

She and her family have relied on others for help. 

'We were lucky to have really great friends and neighbors who came to our rescue daily,' her husband told Good Morning America. 

'I understand people want to work, they have bills, they have commitments, we all do. But I’m not going to put my livelihood above my life or my family’s life,' he added.