Baliwag Mayor Ferdie Estrella shares his COVID-19 experience. How was he able to recover from it and how it’s really like to have COVID.
Baliwag Mayor Ferdie Estrella recovers from COVID-19
Image from Mayor Estrella’s Facebook
He recalls that it started with mild symptoms. A slight fever, cough and night chills. Although he managed to do day-to-day activities for a while, he felt ill for a week so a doctor advised him to get tested for COVID.
It was also mentioned that he particularly felt no sense of smell and taste during that time, but he did not have a sore throat. According to him, his x-ray results were also very alarming. It showed that his lungs had clouds of white which means he has pneumonia.
For him, the worst part was that he couldn’t a sleep a wink. During this time, he still hasn’t gotten his results back. But he was feeling worse and worse every day.
“I lay awake desperate for sleep. I constantly tried every comfortable position but couldn’t find the right side of the bed. I couldn’t breathe,” Estrella explained.
Because COVID-19 targets the respiratory system, pneumonia could be an indicator. 5 days after he got tested, the results came back positive. He was already in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at this point. It was also mentioned that even when he was given oxygen aid, he was still having a hard time breathing.
A few more days in the ICU and he was able to somehow recuperate. After being transferred to a hospital room, he had to get checked again to see if he still tests positive for COVID-19.
But miraculously, the results turned out negative this time. Now, the Baliwag city mayor is at home and on home quarantine.
COVID-19 survivor
Image from Freepik
From the stories of other survivors, we can infer a few things that might help us. First, early detection is important. Once you feel ill, observe your condition for a few days and initiate self-quarantine. If it doesn’t get better after taking OTC medicine like paracetamol, this is the time to consult a doctor. The doctor will be the one to tell you if you need to get tested.
It’s also very important that you take care of your immune system. It is the only thing that will help you survive coronavirus. If you have underlying respiratory conditions, make sure to bring it up as well. Consultation is the crucial part in this because it will determine how you will get treated.
Despite having the most number of COVID-19 cases in Southeast Asia, our country is now on the move with targeted mass testing. The government is hoping that the number of recoveries will increase moving forward. Last April 15 and 16, it was reported that the number of recovered patients increased and it’s the highest number since the outbreak started.
What happens after you recover from COVID-19?
Image from Freepik
Even after you recover and the doctor sends you home, self-quarantine is still advised. You will have to wait for at least 14 days to be really sure that you do not have the virus anymore. Although the coughing might last for a few more weeks, it shouldn’t be hard to breathe anymore.
Can you catch COVID again? There have been cases where a person recovered from the disease and got infected by it again. But according to studies, catching it the first time will make you immune to the infection, at least for a time.
One can say that they have fully recovered when there is no more fever and the use of fever-reducing medication is no longer needed. Two negative swab tests on consecutive days are considered as the all-clear – meaning self-isolation can end.
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