“Let us keep our bodies and minds healthy because the Covid-19 attacks easily when we are quite sickly.”
This was the advice of Dr. Elizabeth Solang, a Covid-19 survivor, during the March flag-raising rites at City Hall.
“We should never ever put aside the strict adherence to minimum health protocols like wearing of face mask and face shield, frequent washing of hands, and physical distancing,” Solang said.
She pointed out that as women and men, “we are bound by our duty to keep our families and communities, disease-free.”
From a medical frontliner to a Covid-19 positive patient, Solang said she learned of having the disease during the city’s second month of the pandemic lockdown last year after taking a swab test. She said she was shocked and speechless when she learned of the result.
Solang was then whisked via ambulance to the BGHMC where she underwent several standard medical procedures and given anti-bacterial and anti-viral medications together with other patients as part of treatment protocols.
She was then put in an isolation facility for 16 days for medication and to be checked for further signs and symptoms of the virus.
“At first, I told myself that I will fight this virus. A year past senior age and with no serious health problems, I should not fear this virus,” Solang said.
She admitted, however, that the fear of the virus was difficult to sway as she passed the time by regularly disinfecting and cleaning her room and herself.
“The days were long but the nights were longer. I longed for sleep which seemed to evade me forever. I had erratic blood pressure, crying episodes and frequent palpitations. Was this anxiety or was I sinking into depression?” she asked herself.
Knowing that she had to do something, Solang said she and the other women patients were able to bond and create an informal “support group” where they shared information, prayed and lifted each other’s spirits.
She expressed her gratitude to the hospital staff and those who have made her recovery possible.
“I am eternally grateful for their sacrifices that saved me. I have recovered and I am stronger because of the strength they shared and the helping hands they lent,” Solang said. – Gaby B. Keith
April 24, 2024
