Matthew Broderick's sister says she was given preferential treatment in hospital after contracting coronavirus

The sister of actor Matthew Broderick has admitted to getting preferential treatment in hospital because of her brother's high profile.

Reverend Janet Broderick told New York Magazine that when she was diagnosed with COVID-19 last month, she was given direct access to the head of emergency at the LA hospital where she was being treated. 

"I feel evil for saying that," said Janet, who is a pastor in Beverly Hills. "I think I'm absolute living proof that this system is completely corrupt. My GP didn't know I was Matthew Broderick's sister and didn't care very much. But as soon as I got hold of the guy at the hospital who knew who Matthew was, I was given the name of the head of the emergency room."

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Janet — who is also the sister-in-law of Sarah Jessica Parker, Matthew's wife — expressed her shock because during her years working as a pastor, she never once saw a patient given the name and contact details of a hospital department head. 

"If they were, it would have been disregarded. I think there is no question and it breaks my heart. My God, I hope this causes us to take some kind of look at how we are handling medicine in this country," she said.

Thankfully, Janet is now recovering from the coronavirus, but at one point she thought she was going to die — and it was her family and faith that kept her going.

"They were terrified. I think they were way more terrified than I knew. I was a little bit in La La Land," recalled Janet, who spent two days in intensive care after developing pneumonia and needing an oxygen tube to help her breathe.

"My sister Martha told me, 'Stop it. You're not dying!' I knew then, 'Oh crap, I know I'm dying,'" she recalled. "They are now beginning to admit to me how scared they were. I think it was terrifying for everybody."

It was reported that Janet likely contracted coronavirus after she attended a conference in Louisville, Kentucky, in early March. 

Coronavirus: What you need to know

What are the symptoms of someone infected with coronavirus?

Coronavirus patients may experience flu like symptoms such as a fever, cough, runny nose, or shortness of breath. In more severe cases, infection can cause pneumonia with severe acute respiratory distress.

What is the difference between COVID-19 and the flu?

The symptoms of COVID-19 and the flu are very similar, as they both can cause fever and respiratory issues.

Both infections are also transmitted the same way, via coughing or sneezing, or by contact with hands, surfaces or objects contaminated with the virus.

The speed of transmission and the severity of the infection are the key differences between COVID-19 and the flu.

The time from infection to the appearance of symptoms is typically shorter with the flu. However, there are higher proportions of severe and critical COVID-19 infections.