Steven Marks, Podhurst Orseck Steven Marks of Podhurst Orseck/courtesy photo

The managing partner of Podhurst Orseck had a personal COVID-19 scare and thought he and his daughter had the virus for four days — until her test came back negative.

Steven Marks and his daughter, a University of Miami student, took a spring break vacation, which was interrupted when she came down with a serious lung illness.

They went to a hospital, which Marks said was fully prepared. He was kept outside, and his daughter went into isolation in the emergency room. He didn't say where.

"She met the profile, and they were convinced. 'You absolutely have coronavirus,' " Marks recalled Tuesday. " I was panicking because that means, 'Well, I have it for sure.' "

Both retreated to 14 days of isolation, which offered plenty of time to think. Marks was anxious, then decided his case of coronavirus wasn't so bad because he felt pretty good, he'd have immunity, and then they could move on.

On the fourth day after testing, the U.S. Centers for Disease Control, state and hospital called to say the test was negative. Father and daughter are sticking with their two-week retreat, working and studying remotely. The 65-member Miami law firm switched to a work-at-home format Friday.

But personal relief turned to grief when his wife learned two friends in Italy — 46 and 51 — died of the fast-moving illness.

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