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A New York mother who claims she was infected with the novel coronavirus but did not experience any symptoms at first says she unknowingly spread the illness to 17 of her 18 children, some of whom are adopted.

Speaking to local news outlet WHAM, Brittany Jencik, of Penfield, said she was infected with the virus about five weeks ago but initially did not show any signs of the illness. By the time she did, her children living with her had also been exposed, and the virus eventually sickened them as well.

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"It was terrifying. I was a little ahead of them in the timing of it all. I was as afraid of my life as I had ever been, and not much scares me,” she said, noting the illness hit her and her family “like a freight train.”

Jencik said she and her children are now recovering and remain in isolation. It’s not clear how she was initially exposed to COVID-19.

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A friend who owns a professional cleaning service later sent a team of 12 to thoroughly disinfect their home, she said. The cleaners reportedly donned rubber hazmat suits as they cleaned the home over a two-hour period.

“I needed to know that I was protecting the people I love to the best extent I possibly could," said Jencik.