COVID survivor urges public not to be complacent

By Dolly Yasa

Bacolod City – A survivor of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-10) survivor urged everyone not to be complacent because “the threat is still there.”

Negros Occidental’s COVID patient No. 3 in an exclusive interview with Daily Guardian said he is thankful for having a second shot at life after he was cleared of the disease in the confirmatory test that came out Friday.

The patient, who was asymptomatic and a seafarer for 10 years, said he was surprise when he tested positive for the virus.

He was one of the 35 seafarers who underwent quarantine in EB Magalona town.

They were repatriated through Cebu.

He said he came from Amsterdam then flew to Qatar, South Korea, and Cebu.

“I don’t know where I got the virus,” he said, adding that “I could not believe I had it. I did not feel anything at all.”

He said they underwent 14-day quarantine in Cebu before they were housed in a hotel prior to their repatriation to Negros Occidental.

He was found positive of the virus together with Negros Occidental patient No. 4 from Candoni town in southern Negros on May 1, 2020.

He earlier complained of the delay in his second swab test result while that of patient No. 4 came out on May 6, 2020.

His second swab test, which was also negative, came out five days later.

He immediately went home to his parents and siblings in Silay City after the result was released.

He said “even at home now, I still maintain social distancing.”

The 38-year-old seafarer said the first thing he did upon leaving the quarantine center was to thank God for his second life.

“I am happy to be home at last,” he added.

He said he will continue with his work and is already scheduled to go back to Amsterdam on July.

“I am praying that soon this crisis will be over, so we can return to our normal lives. One thing I learned was really to be patient and continue to have faith in the Almighty. But in the meantime, everyone should be careful because the threat of COVID-19 is still there,” he said.