•COVID-19 Survivor Tells City People
The Coronavirus pandemic ravaging the world has infected millions of people and it has resulted in several deaths across over 200 countries and territories. It has led to the shutdown of many businesses, as governments around the world have implemented varying degrees of lockdown in a bid to slow the spread of the deadly virus and ultimately flatten the curve.
Schools were abruptly closed; high streets are deserted and even churches and other religious gatherings have been suspended in most affected countries. In other words, life, as we used to know, has been put on hold! Despite ongoing frantic efforts at finding a cure for this invisible enemy, it is difficult to miss the pervasive sense of anxiety and trepidation that has engulfed the world because of COVID-19. Aside from the obvious threat to human life, the economic toll this would inflict on the world has been a source of concern to many. Despite the obvious effects of this virus, there are many who don’t believe in it existence, stating that it is merely a means adopted by the government to syphon national resources.
Damilare Ojo, an Abuja based lawyer tested positive to Covid-19 Virus on Sunday 17th May 2020. By Monday 18th May 2020, he was taken to Gwagwalada, Isolation Centre where he spent 7 nights and was discharged by Monday 25th May 2020 having been tested again and his result came back Negative. He spoke to City People about his experience at the centre and why Nigerians have to take the new world order more seriously.
How did you come to terms with the news that you tested positive to COVID-19?
The acceptance wasn’t great. It wasn’t a good, feeling. It was emotionally traumatic, to say the least.
Were you having any symptoms?
Well, to be honest, I don’t know how I got infected. I was feeling somehow; I was having high fever and high temperature, and that as what made me to go and do the test after I had gone to go and do the malaria test and I was told I was not having malaria, that was when I called the NCDC and they did the COVID-19 test, and sadly it came out positive.
In between those times, I lost my sense of smell and lost my sense of taste, so if you talk about symptoms those were the symptoms I had.
Yes, some tested positive, my neighbours, two of my neighbours, I just got to know that they tested positive, but my friends that subjected themselves to the test did not come out positive.
Can you share your experience at the Isolation centre?
I live in Abuja. I was at the Gwagalada Isolation centre. I was there for eight days. My experience is in different parts. I had where I called the Response team, I have areas where I think government did well and there are areas where they need to work on.
My centre was fantastic, all Covid 19 patients were in private rooms. All patients of COVID were well taken care of. It wasn’t the regular general ward that I see before I got in there. Before then, I had to say I was one of the people who don’t believe there was anything like COVID-19 until I had it. I felt it was just a joke.
Getting to the Isolation centre, fantastic space, I had a room, a bed to myself. They gave us a number of drugs. I asked for a permission to record so I can tell the story, so far I was going to survive it, whether good or bad response. We were fed well I must confess. We were given quite a number of medication, which I will not like to disclose the specifics to prevent it from abuse. They gave us medication to boost our immune system. We also remained very positive. There was no issue with light.
Doctors came every morning to do their medical rounds. They check our blood pressure, temperature and oxygen level, just to affirm how well you are breathing.
Right at the centre we had people who were complaining that they don’t have COVID-19, but you hear these same people coughing and sneezing at night and during the day, they go out there saying there’s nothing like COVID-19. You have COVID-19 recovered patients going out to say there were only being treated for malaria.
It wasn’t that I was being regularly checked upon. They just give you medications and they come do morning rounds, and everything you want at their disposal, they give you.
We were being fed with bottle water not necessarily pure water.
I started with these positive areas because of the fact that we have had a dilapidated health sector over the years so these little things that should seem normal enticed me and made me feel they have done well. But not to talk about just the welfare, talking about the response; they came to pick me up at my house, when I was away they disinfected my entire apartment, my car and they followed up with the contacts I gave them to trace.
This for me showed that when our government chooses to work together they can achieve result.
So my experience at the isolation in Gwagwadalada was not a really terrible one, I must confess. But I must also say, I am aware of the fact that a couple of states are having issues. What people don’t know is that, the state is responsible for response, the NCDC are just a regulatory body. So I may not know the conditions of patients in other states but I am aware that a number of states are not being treated the way I was treated in Gwagwalada.
Do you think the government is exaggerating figures?
From my experience, the day I was discharged, I tried to make findings about other isolation centres in Abuja. At the end of that day, the figures I came up with was the same that NCDC released that day. And that was the only basis of my evaluation about the numbers, so I have no reason to doubt the numbers released by NCDC as those affected and those that have died.
COVID-19 is not your regular virus, this is something that evolves in waves, what will be symptoms in me might not be the same symptoms in you. For me, I had high temperature for about 2 days. I had fever for two days. I lost my sense of smell, and taste for 10 days. Somebody else might have to do with breathing, some might be having issues with lungs. There was an old man in my centre that had heart problems, only 40% of his lungs was functional, but he survived it. So you cannot really state that the virus is not truly existing because of my story. I have experienced it, I have seen people experience it.
Your experience after you were discharged, were you secluded? Do you think the government should conceal the identity of COVID-19 infected persons?
Well, the thing is, when I got back from the centre, a lot of people received me. My friends, my neighbour. My family live in Lagos. Nobody really stigmatised, everybody stayed positive, I actually didn’t tell a lot of people, I just told a few of my friends who I have come in contact with, because I owe it to them that duty. But I do not think I have been stigmatised but I feel there are areas that the government had fallen short and can work on.
First is the issue of briefing patients. You know when I was received at the centre we were given rules briefs of how to live at the centre, but when we were discharged, they did not tell me how to relate with the public. Everything I am doing, I am just keeping in line with proper heath precaution based on the advised we have been given while at the centre.
Secondly, the manner at which result are being communicated to patients either positive or negative I think that is really below par because those are the basis of doubt. I am not saying people need to be showing evidence that the have COVID-19, but when you send them a text message or an email, that person has a record.
When you ask me, I will tell you I got a call, they called and they told me, hello you have COVID-19, and when I was discharged, they came to my room and told me I have been discharged.
The thing is that, we have been criticising the government on all fronts, but we also need to talk about the good things that are happening in Nigeria. COVID-19 is affecting the entire world and not only Nigeria, but some Nigerians are saying the government are just using the COVID-19 scam to syphon money. I am not holding brief for the government but I will on tell you my experience.
I don’t know what is going on in Lagos, but if they gave me a good treatment at the isolation center in Abuja, then I expect the isolation center in all states to do the same to their patients.
With your experience at the centre and outside, what would you propose in the area where the government is having challenges with the society?
Well, I tried not to delve in areas that are not my experience, because I don’t think anybody has a full hang on how this virus works. But what I am proposing is that same that I have proposed, which is that everybody should stay safe. Stay safe by having social distance.
This is a desperate and unique time, and people must understand that. They must get it.
I am very passionate about this because I feel my life was saved, and I feel I can go about to talk about it as far as I can. I was one of the people who still feels I can still go and see my friends. This is not the time to celebrate your aunt’s sister’s birthday.
Celebrate it online. We are in a technology era. Take it or leave it. Technology is the new order of the day. People are going to church online, Muslims are praying to God online.
Stay safe, don’t worry about your cousin, he will be okay. Sit in your own space. Even if you go to work, make sure you keep up to the precautionary measure put in place.
We need people to keep talking about it. I have been on CNBC Africa, I have been on ChannelsTV, I have been on Silverbird, I have been on Arise TV, I have been on Wazobia, I have been on Radio Naija, I have been on Soundcity, I have been on a lot of stations and I’m still going to do more. And I will encourage those who are interested to come and let’s do more because this is ours to build. This ours to do.
What affects one surely affects all. It is sad that we are losing top people in government, it is sad that we are losing our leaders, but I’m sure the government will be encouraged to sit up and come up with policies that will benefit all our system.
