One Of the First Coronavirus Survivors Created A Grassroots Movement To Take Away The Shame & Offer Support

"If we're going to have every top scientist redirect their efforts in finding an end to this virus, the answers to so many of their questions lie in the bodies of survivors," Berrent tells SurvivorNet.

Berrent's success in creating Survivor Corps came from unfortunate circumstances. A self-proclaimed news junkie, Berrent had been following the outbreak and taking extra precautions for her and her two children, and as a seasoned photographer, she has traveled to India, Africa, Mongolia, and other countries with no health issues. However, on March 13th, Berrent woke up in the middle of the night with a 102 degree fever and severe shortness of breath. Immediately, she grabbed her laptop, went into her bedroom, and voluntarily self isolated herself for 18 days.

Berrent attempted to get tested for coronavirus at multiple places, but at the time tests were only being given to those who had traveled recently to Italy and other hard hit countries as well as those who had been in contact with positive cases. Her frustration grew, and so Berrent decided to post a letter she had written to a local representative on Facebook which was shared over a thousand times the next day.

"My drive to initially get tested was in order to report it," Berrent says. "But I couldn't report unless I had a confirmation of the diagnosis."

Once the letter went viral online, it caught the attention of Berrent's congressman who contacted her, and she was able to be tested. She tested positive for Covid-19, and was the first individual in New York's Nassau County to publicly confirm the diagnosis. She was told that she had been exposed while attending a small meeting of eight people on March 9th. However, just because she had finally gotten tested didn't mean she was going to stop taking initiative.

"As soon as I got my positive diagnosis I realized that if I was going to be the first to be diagnosed I would also hopefully be one of the first survivors, and with that came a tremendous responsibility and incredible opportunity," Berrent says. "As I went through the process, it allowed me to see where the system was failing in different ways."

Once recovered, Berrent recognized that she could help those diagnosed with Covid-19 by creating a community of fellow survivors to eliminate the stigma surrounding the virus. Thus, Survivor Corps was born in an effort to give people like her a platform. However, the screening process on what exactly is posted on Survivor Corps is stringent. Berrent and eight other members are the administrators of the group, and thoroughly check all information posted to make sure it's credible and from a reliable source. This process is proving to be a difficult task, but rewarding. The Washington Post listed Survivor Corps as the #1 smart solution to mitigate the impact of COVID-19, and the group has partnered with the New York Blood Center.

"With this scrappy group of eight, and me running this out of my bedroom, we've turned this into the most powerful grassroots movements in America right now," Berrent says. "One of the most beautiful things that has come out of this that it has offered people who are sick a ray of hope."

While the initial purpose of Survivor Corps was to offer research about the virus, it's also made another impact. Many members of the Facebook group will post photos of them recovering from Covid-19, whether it's in their home or the hospital. Berrent's transparency with her case helped others understand that there's nothing wrong with being open.

"I still get requests from people who say they want to post something but they don't want to admit it online because they're afraid they'll be a pariah in their community, and those requests are coming from the areas who have not been hard hit yet," Berrent explains. "It's just that people aren't talking about it yet. I hope that my publicity and encouragement of others to do the same take away that stigma."

As a universal donor, Berrent is a regular fixture at the New York Blood Center, where she donates blood and plasma every week. She has also offered private biotech companies to test which drugs respond to Covid-19 in an effort to help find answers to this virus. However, Berrent believes she and fellow Covid-19 survivors could do more.

“We could be volunteering in hospitals without the need for protective gear; we could be holding the hands of the dying who are there alone without their families; we could be cheering on women who are going through childbirth without their partner; we could babysit children for the doctors’ who are working on the front lines because we don’t have to worry about being exposed in those homes,” Berrent says. “There’s no reason why we can’t be the greatest volunteer force in our country.”

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