By Joel B. Belinan
As of Monday, October 8, 2021, I and my wife were officially covid-free after 14 days of isolation since our swab test results were relayed to us. Lucky for us, our experience was not as bad as the projection of the doomsayers—those extremely fearful things being peddled in the media, both social and the mainstream ones.
Also, it was not completely the same as the common flu as being spread by those non-believers. It was much more, especially for those whose health was not as strong like my wife’s.
In summary, our experiences varied from person to person and were dependent on one’s health condition.
I started to feel something was wrong as early as October 17, Sunday. So on Monday, Oct. 18, I did not go out already as I decided to isolate myself. The following couple of days, I started to feel weaker and had some unexplained symptoms. Some were those identified with covid. I then decided to message Dr. Evaristo Munar, my ideological brother who practices complementary medicine particularly homeopathy, Chinese medicine (acupuncture), and ayurvedic medicine. Aside from giving some advice for me and my wife, he sent us some medicines for free. He however emphasized that if symptoms persist and we observe complications, we should go through covid 19 triage processes. Unfortunately, while both of us were isolated, we were still in one house with our two kids and my sister-in-law.
Then our eldest son Miko and my sister-in-law started to show some symptoms too. My wife then messaged our nephew Wilmar Balag-ey on the matter to ask his fiancée, Dra. Ashley Mapagu, who was one of those physicians in the triage at the Baguio General Hospital and Medical Center (BGHMC), on what to do. The answer was, we should go for triage at the BGH the very next morning which was already Saturday, Oct.23.
During those days we were taking all the vitamins recommended for us including the homeopath medicines from Dr. Munar. My problem was, every time I took the medicines I started to vomit but nothing was coming out except one time after a meal.
Later on, even without taking any medicines I continued to feel like vomiting but still nothing was coming out. This was aggravated by my inability to sleep at night or at day time. My wife on the other hand was having fever and tremendous coughing.
Dra. Ashley Mapagu personally took care of my wife and me in the whole triage processes and saw to it that all the procedures we needed to undergo were done properly. The main thing at the triage was the swab test and the consultation. Based on our complaints, she prescribed some medicines which my wife immediately bought. Immediately after taking the medicines, my problems were immediately addressed even before we got the positive result of the swab test which was relayed to us on Sunday (Oct. 24) night.
I was almost asymptomatic since then. On the other hand, my wife got weaker and weaker. On Oct. 25, a contact tracer came to interview us. Before that we were prepared already with our clothes and necessities should we be required to go to isolation facilities of the government.
However, we were surprised when the contact tracer never raised the issue on admission or isolation in those facilities. When I brought up the matter, that was the only time he said that it’s up to us whether we wanted to go to isolation facilities or stay at home. Despite the problem of having other members of the family, we chose isolation in the house for practical and convenient reasons. We also requested a swab test for our son Miko and my sister-in-law.
Our youngest son Jared appeared to have had the strongest immune system as he never showed any symptom and thus was not required for a swab test. The swab test team came on Wednesday, Oct. 26, and on Oct. 28 the positive results were relayed to us. Our Miko, however, experienced only very mild effects and in fact, he was the one who had been preparing our meals.
On the other hand, even before the release of the swab test, my sister-in-law due to the several symptoms she had been experiencing, requested to be admitted at the BGH covid ward of which an ambulance came immediately to take her there. Meantime my wife continued to experience some mild symptoms especially her cough attacks. On my part, I felt much stronger on the first week and so I started doing light exercises.
Nov. 1 came and we were still on our 8th day of the needed 14 days isolation. And for us, Nov. 1 was special not just because it was All Saints Day, but it was also the birthday of my wife. The good thing was she started to show signs of recovery. Days passed and it appeared my wife was coping and getting stronger, while my son and I were just waiting for the completion of the 14 days.
On Tuesday (Nov. 7) early morning, I had my first outdoor work-out, a road run at my favorite route last year, Lower Pinget going up to the western end of the summit of Carabao Mountain (Kalkalan), then going down to Tam-awan, then to the Tam-awan-Irisan bypass road turn- around and back via the Pinsao Guisad Central road. Yes, I was not as strong before my infection as shown by my running time. What was usually an 1 hour and 30 minutes run, took almost 3 hours. On Wednesday morning, I resumed my Burnham Park workout training with my team.
To answer a question from a friend on what intervention did the city government, particularly the Health Services Office (HSO), do for us? I would say, almost none.
Not that we were expecting material things or special attention but we did not feel the much-vaunted health system of the city government that had been receiving praises in both the mainstream and social media. Ever since we started feeling the symptoms, we never experienced being reached out to by any personnel from the Health Services Office. It was Dra. Ashley Mapagu (she is with the BGHMC) who have been giving us the needed advices and, of course, at the beginning, Dr. Munar.
The only times we had contact with people from the city government was when the lone contact tracer came and when the requested ambulance arrived to take my sister-in-law. Ah yes, when a food pack whose contents I did not know and, at another time, a few kilos of rice from the barangay were delivered to us. I was only reminded of the rice when the City Social Welfare Office called on Nov. 8 asking if we did receive it.
According to my wife, she received a call on Nov. 1 from personnel of the HSO asking how my wife was coping. After that, we never heard a word from them. I expected that we would be advised from time to time on what we should be doing during our isolation and of course on the vitamins and supplements we should be taking. But, alas, there was no such thing. In the case of my son, while he was listed as positive, he never had any call or message except when he was informed that his swab test was positive.
This week we finally weathered this covid infection, with me and my wife first, followed by our son Miko and my sister-in-law later.
I have to express our gratitude to friends, relatives, and acquaintances who were always there encouraging us all through the isolation period. Lastly, we give our special thanks to Dra. Ashley Mapagu and Dr. Munar for their advices, that got us through even if we never had any from those supposed to give such. **
