18 family members get COVID-19 after holiday gathering

Eighteen members of the same family have been infected with COVID-19 after they gathered in Pennsylvania to celebrate the holidays.

Darlene Reynolds, of Milmont Park, said the virus swept through her family after she had relatives from as far as Canada come over on Dec. 27 despite feeling under the weather, news station WPVI reported.

“I had no fever because I kept checking it — no fever, no fever, no fever. I said, ‘I’ll keep a distance since I have a tiny little cough,’” Reynolds, 55, told the outlet.

But soon after the party, others started to fall sick too.

“So we were sick, but we didn’t know we had COVID,” Reynolds told the outlet. “We could’ve had the flu, but it was scary. We got tested and we tested positive.”

In total, 18 relatives — ranging from ages 1 to 62 — contracted the virus, including Reynolds’ son and husband, who ended up in the hospital.

Reynolds’ daughter, Joy Purdie, said her father has a long road to recovery ahead of him.

“He’s headed in the right direction. He’ll need oxygen when he comes home,” Purdie told the outlet.