Sarah Hyland has opened up about her "panic" over being at greater risk of the coronavirus because of her existing health issues.
The Modern Family actor has a condition called kidney dysplasia, which has led to her having 16 surgeries in her 29 years, including two kidney transplants — one in 2012 and a second in 2017 when the first failed.
And with the coronavirus being especially dangerous for people who are immunocompromised, Sarah has revealed that the pandemic has been a worrying time — especially as some of her symptoms are exacerbated by stress.
"I am obviously immunocompromised with my transplant history, and am on immunosuppressants," she said during a chat on the Brad Behavior podcast. "Everything in [my] house is sanitised."
Explaining the difference between her immune system and other people's, Sarah said: "Say someone gets a 24-hour bug — I get it for a week or more. For me, it's really dangerous."
"My panic level is pretty high," she went on, "but I also have a lot of health issues that are very susceptible to stress, so I'm trying to remain calm."
"My game plan right now is to stay home," she added, before saying that when she does have to leave the house to attend existing doctor's appointments, she wears gloves and a face mask.
And Sarah also expressed her frustration with "young, healthy people" raiding grocery stores for supplies without considering older people who might not have the means to do so.
"The most annoying thing to me right now are young, healthy people who are raiding grocery stores, who are raiding pharmacies," she said. "They're leaving people over the age of 60 — who may not have a child to do their shopping for them — to their own devices."
"I think it's really an important time to practice compassion, love, generosity," she went on. "We're literally dealing with people who could die, and I just think it's really a time to come together."
Her comments come just days after Sarah revealed she was spending her time in self-isolation cleaning out her closet in order to donate clothes to charity.
