'This virus is no joke': Sania Mirza reveals she suffered COVID-19

• Mirza says she had no major symptoms throughout
• Says most scary feeling was being away from family
• Stresses need to follow COVID-19 precautions

Tennis star Sania Mirza revealed on Monday that she had contracted COVID-19 at the beginning of 2021.

The tennis star, in a post on Instagram, said she had contracted COVID-19. However, she is now "healthy and absolutely fine".

Sharing her experience during the COVID-19 period, she said: "I was lucky to not have any major symptoms for the most part of it, but I was in isolation and the toughest part was to stay away from my 2-year-old and family."

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The tennis star said that she could not even imagine what people and their families were going through when their loved ones are sick, in hospital — all alone and by themselves.

"It was scary as you aren't very sure what to expect and hear so many different things and stories [...] you get a new symptom every day and the uncertainty of it is extremely hard to deal with not just physically but mentally and emotionally as well," she said.

Furthermore, she said that she was fortunate to be "more or less OK" throughout it all; however, being away from her family was the scariest thing for her — to not know when she could see them again.

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Stressing that the virus was no joke, she said that she had contracted it despite taking all the precautions that she could.

"We must do everything we can to protect our friends and family [...] wear your masks, wash your hands, and protect yourself and your loved ones," she said.

"We are in this fight together," Mirza added.