WATCH: St. David's South Austin Medical Center gives recovered COVID-19 patient big sendoff

Video courtesy: St. David's South Austin Medical Center

AUSTIN, Texas - A woman who has recovered after contracting the COVID-19 coronavirus got a big sendoff when she was discharged from St. David's South Austin Medical Center.

The 44-year-old woman was released on April 2 after she spent 16 days in the hospital.

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She went to the emergency room at St. David's South Austin Medical Center due to a cough and fever and later tested positive for COVID-19.

Officials say she spent 10 days on a ventilator but one day after her breathing tube was removed she was able to sit up and feed herself some ice chips and jello.

To celebrate the patient's release, staff threw her a little celebration as she left the hospital.

As of April 5, Austin-Travis County has 484 confirmed coronavirus cases and six deaths.

Symptoms for coronavirus COVID-19 include fever, coughing, and shortness of breath. These, of course, are similar to the common cold and flu.

Expect a common cold to start out with a sore or scratchy throat, cough, runny and/or stuffy nose. Flu symptoms are more intense and usually come on suddenly, and can include a high fever.

Symptoms of COVID-19 may appear more slowly. They usually include fever, a dry cough and noticeable shortness of breath, according to the World Health Organization. A minority of cases develop pneumonia, and the disease is especially worrisome for the elderly and those with other medical problems such as high blood pressure, obesity, diabetes or heart conditions.

Right now there's one big difference between flu and coronavirus: A vaccine exists to help prevent the flu and it's not too late to get it. It won't protect you from catching the coronavirus but may put you in a better position to fight it.

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To protect yourself, wash your hands well and often, keep them away from your face, and avoid crowds and standing close to people.

And if you do find yourself showing any of these flu or coronavirus symptoms - don't go straight to your doctor's office. That just risks making more people sick, officials urge. Call ahead, and ask if you need to be seen and where.

FOX 7 Austin is working to keep you up to date with coronavirus, with both local and national developments. Every weekday we're live at 12 p.m. with a special show reporting the latest news, prevention tips and treatment information.

You can watch live in your FOX 7 Austin app or on the FOX 7 Austin Facebook page.

You can also get the latest COVID-19 news from around the country at coronavirusnow.com.