Actor Melissa Joan Hart urged people to "do better" after revealing she contracted Covid-19 despite being vaccinated.
In an Instagram video post Wednesday to her 1.6 million followers, the "Sabrina the Teenage Witch" star wrote that she typically does not post videos "to be political or gain pity," but she wanted to share her story.
"I got COVID. I am vaccinated, and I got COVID, and it's bad," Hart said.
Hart said that the virus felt like a weight on her chest and she had trouble breathing, noting that she suspected one of her three children also was infected with the virus.
"I just really hope my husband and the other ones don't get it because if someone has to be taken to the hospital, I can't go with them," she said.
She continued: "I'm mad, really mad. We took precautions and we cut our exposure by a lot, but we got a little lazy. And I think as a country we got lazy. I’m really mad that my kids didn’t have to wear masks at school. I’m pretty sure that’s where this came from.”
Across the country, more than a half-dozen Republican-led states have signed executive orders or enacted laws seeking to prevent local officials from imposing new mask mandates. With the school year getting underway as the delta variant of the coronavirus surges, some local officials have decided that defying the measures is the only option.
The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention revised its guidance for schools last month recommending that all students and staff members wear masks. Children have shown more symptoms with the delta variant of the coronavirus than with previous strains, and they have increasingly been hospitalized in recent weeks.
Severe breakthrough cases are rare and unvaccinated people appear to experience significantly higher rates of severe illness and death, according to an NBC News analysis.
The Food and Drug Administration has issued emergency use authorizations for Covid-19 vaccines for adults and children over age 12, leaving younger children more vulnerable to infection. The FDA said last month that it hopes to offer authorization for children under 12 by early to midwinter.
In her Instagram video, Hart said she was "scared" and "disappointed," adding that she wished she acted more responsibly.
Hart ended her video with a final plea: "I'm asking you guys to do better. Protect your families. Protect your kids."
"It's not over yet. I hoped it was but it's not, so stay vigilant and stay safe," she said.
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