Alyssa Milano opens up on battling COVID-19: 'I felt like I was dying'

By Megan Stone

Alyssa Milano is cautioning fans that COVID-19 testing isn't 100% reliable after testing negative for the virus three times despite having serious symptoms. Finally, an antibody test -- her fourth overall -- told her what she already knew.

The "Charmed" actress shared two photos to Instagram on Wednesday: her breathing with the assistance of a nebulizer and her positive COVID-19 test.

"This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks. I had never been this kind of sick," the 47-year-old explained. "I basically had every Covid symptom."

"It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t keep food in me. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks," Milano said, adding that she also suffered from fever, malaise and confusion.

Despite presenting all the textbook symptoms, the "Who's the Boss?" star claimed she tested negative for the virus on three separate occasions, including a finger prick antibody test.

Still, symptoms persisted and morphed into other complications, such as vertigo and "zero short term memory." Finally, she submitted herself for a fourth and final test, a blood draw antibody test, and finally learned that she did have COVID-19.

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This was me on April 2nd after being sick for 2 weeks. I had never been this kind of sick. Everything hurt. Loss of smell. It felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. I couldn’t breathe. I couldn’t keep food in me. I lost 9 pounds in 2 weeks. I was confused. Low grade fever. And the headaches were horrible. I basically had every Covid symptom. At the very end of march I took two covid19 tests and both were negative. I also took a covid antibody test (the finger prick test) after I was feeling a bit better. NEGATIVE. After living the last 4 months with lingering symptoms like, vertigo, stomach abnormalities, irregular periods, heart palpitations, shortness of breath, zero short term memory, and general malaise, I went and got an antibody test from a blood draw (not the finger prick) from a lab. I am POSITIVE for covid antibodies. I had Covid19. I just want you to be aware that our testing system is flawed and we don’t know the real numbers. I also want you to know, this illness is not a hoax. I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying. I will be donating my plasma with hopes that I might save a life. Please take care of yourselves. Please wash your hands and wear a mask and social distance. I don’t want anyone to feel the way I felt. Be well. I love you all (well, maybe not the trolls. Just the kind people.)❤️

A post shared by Alyssa Milano (@milano_alyssa) on Aug 5, 2020 at 12:42pm PDT

Now, she's using her platform to educate her followers that "our testing system is flawed and we don’t know the real numbers."

"This illness is not a hoax," Milano continued. "I thought I was dying. It felt like I was dying."

The mother of two revealed that she now intends to donate her plasma "with hopes that I might save a life."

Urging her 2.8 million followers to "take care of yourselves" by wearing a mask and social distancing, Milano begged, "I don’t want anyone to feel the way I felt."