(CNN) They thought they were too young to be concerned about coronavirus, and then they tested positive.

Valerie Wilson, 34, and Fiona Lowenstein, 26, are telling their fellow millennials that they too need to be aware of their health in the coronavirus pandemic as they recover from infection.

More than 42,000 coronavirus cases have been reported in the United States, with at least 541 deaths -- and the numbers are climbing. Early testing showed that people with chronic conditions and older people were the most at risk for severe illness. But younger people are also getting sick and spreading the illness.

Wilson, a travel expert, brushed off her symptoms when she first got sick, she told CNN's Erin Burnett. She was overly tired and had a low fever but didn't think much of it.

Until she lost her sense of taste and smell completely.

Read More