The Community of Positives: When I Tested Positive for COVID

It has been 10 days, nine nights inside a small room, and the outside was so far away, even if all I had to do was to open the door of my room and step onto the grounds. Half of those numbers, I was consistently asking myself if I did the right thing. 

Week of April 5, I started sneezing. I thought it was just the normal Althea-ran-out-of-her-Allerta-stash-so-she'll-let-it-die-on-her-own. Make it go away by working, sleeping, and you know, the normal. It wasn't giving me pain anyway. It was "mild", mild enough to look forward to the upcoming holiday on Friday. No work, yes. I can sleep longer, yes, I can enjoy chilling, double yes. But I was wrong.

Friday noon, I was too excited to devour (yes, devour) my McDonald's and sip one of my favorite iced tea blends. Upon sipping, I suddenly got so worried. I couldn't taste anything. I was like drinking air but it's cold. I tried mixing the liquid with the straw and nothing happened. I told myself to chill and try the spaghetti. It was... bland. I can taste a bit but I couldn't taste the "usual". This is where I started to panic. Without Nanay knowing. I didn't ask her if her pasta experience was the same. I immediately opened the barbeque sauce that came along with the chicken nuggets. I dipped my fries and finally, I tasted something. OK. I'm fine. Thea, you are fine. I was fine till the evening. I still tasted my Melatonin gummies. Yes, I started taking Melatonin (again), so I can sleep earlier and I wanted to take care of myself, and put a halt to myself being a workaholic. I wake up before 6 AM and sleeping after 12 AM brings me no good. I also started drinking vitamins before I had my colds. The holiday was doing fine. I'm fine. Yeah, until I wasn't.

Saturday said Hello. I slept a lot longer than usual. I had my lunch and I could still taste the munggo (anong English ng munggo? Monggo?). It was bitter and the usual sensation in your tongue. Something rough but it still tasted like munggo beans. It was in the afternoon when everything crumbled.

Nanay and I had our snacks. I ordered shawarmas ang milk teas. I sipped the tea and déjà vu, just like the iced tea the day before, I couldn't taste anything. I also couldn't taste the shawarma. I stopped thinking. I tried, while watching New Amsterdam, but hell, it was crazy. I can't take my mind away from my symptoms. I didn't have fever, never had. But during the time I had my colds or perhaps, allergies, there was one whole day my shoulders and head were aching that a magical 10-minute accidental nap solved it. So I thought everything was OK.

Dinner came and I still couldn't taste anything. I also couldn't smell anything—except for some essential oils. It made it weirder! My nose was not clogged. It never was even during the times I was sniffing from colds. That made it crazier.  More so, I even tried to taste salt, it had a taste but it wasn't salty. It was bitter! I took a pinch of coffee powder, and it didn't feel anything on my tongue, it also didn't have any taste. Honestly, I even tried to taste ethyl alcohol! It tasted bitter. Don't worry, it was just a very tiny drop.

I started to ask some friends and got an advice I should drink ginger ale with calamansi. So I did. I know ginger ('yung pinakuluan talaga) is good in boosting the immune system. It gives me its wonders every time I lose my voice. Like overnight, it will all come back and make me sing Meat Loaf's song, It's All Coming Back to Me Now. Usually, when you drink your ginger juice, you will feel a "hagod" through your throat. I didn't feel anything. I also couldn't smell it while boiling and drinking it. I could taste the sourness of the calamansi but it was too weak. That was when I decided to call a doctor. 

I asked through VP Leni's EKonsulta and through our HMO Partner. Both of them said I should get tested to rule it out, and to be sure. Or, I can be just under observation for a few days. But since I'm one of the lucky ones, our company will pay for any employee recommended by a doctor to get tested, and I have my RT PCR order, I had myself tested the next day. It was April 13 when I felt my nose was like being cleaned the way you clean your ears. For some reason I didn't feel anything when they placed the swab in my throat. The waiting game came next. But I think it was the night of April 13 when I started to have a taste of our dinner. I finally tasted the potato and ketchup. It was there, but weak, yet stronger than the last few days. I continued working till April 14, while waiting for the results. Morning, during our team's call, I was eating a banana and finally, I WAS ABLE TO TASTE IT. FULLY. I can also smell it.

At past 4 PM, I received a text saying my result was already sent to my email. I wasn't nervous yet. I was confident that I didn't have it since my senses already came back.

Boom. Virus detected, the PDF file said.

I was in my "office" when everything unfolded. Being me, I had to process my emotions. Will I cry first? Will I let others know first? Took me a few minutes, after telling those I need to reach out to that the result came back positive, to finally breakdown. What will happen? Our house is not conducive for isolation. My brother goes to work. Where did I get this? I didn't go out since the ECQ was announced again. I swear!

I told my brother my result because he was waiting for it. Immediately, he filed a leave. No questions asked. (Thank you, bro-bro! And for bringing my dinner to bed!) The whole night of the 14, I was trying to reach Marikina's Health Office. I got a response via text that I will be endorsed to the case manager, but they can't give an exact date as to when I will be reached out to since the number of cases, I assumed. The next day, April 15, I tried to call our barangay and they gave the point person. Long story short, I was asked if I am willing to be isolated, I said, Yes, if that's the right thing to do. Will my brother and mother be tested, too? 

Yes, they will be. The city will also cover it, the other line answered.

Great, I said to myself. I started to prepare my stuff. Clothes for 14 days, alcohol, toiletries, pillow, bedsheets, thermometer, vitamins, medicines, pail, and dipper. In less than an hour after telling them I can be fetched, the barangay vehicle came, in broad day light, and brought me to the Bagong Sibol Quarantine Facility, in Nangka.

Nag breakfast ka na, Ma'am? was the first thing I was asked upon entering the gates. With a smile. The reception was warm. Honestly, I only ate one folded peanut butter bread but I said, Yes, a bit. 

It was like a little community. With trailers. If you've watched Sex Education, imagine the rooms as trailers, the one where Maeve lives. But make the trailers smaller.

The Bagong Sibol Quaratine Facility: The Community of Positives

My room, situated at the last alley, R4, has its own bed (a hospital looking bed), an air-conditioning unit, and its own bathroom. It has four sockets for power source. I also got a table. I said, Not bad. Feels like a lodge or a studio condo unit. Our taxes pay off. 

R4: My cabin

We even have our own showers. Everything was working in the toilet, except for my flush during this time but all good! We also have working bidets!

My first day seemed normal. I went out during the afternoon to get some air, with my mask on. Always. I saw a group of men talking to each other, asking what were their symptoms, how did they get to where we are. One funny story, one of them said he just coughed and their neighbor reported him to their barangay. I couldn't help but laugh and said, Napaka proactive naman po ng kapitbahay niyo.

Hanging out with strict physical distancing

Every day, we were given three meals—breakfast, lunch (with dessert!), and dinner. Deliveries are allowed but they will only be left in the reception area and the admins will bring them during specific time—breakfast, lunch, before dinner, and after dinner. They will knock on your door to hand the deliveries.

My everyday view by the window

During my first few days, that was when everything sunk down. My anxiety was crippling me. I was feeling healthy but my brain was not. What if I never tested negative? Context, in the facility, you will have three swab tests, every after seven days. Once you are negative, before you reach 14 days, you can continue isolation at home. If positive after seven days, you stay. After 14 days and you're still positive, you will still stay for another seven days. If you are still positive after 21 days, by the guidelines, you will be allowed to go out and tag you as Time Based Recovered Patient PR Positive. Most of those in the facility are asymptomatic to having mild symptoms. Because moderate to severe cases should be in the hospital. To be fair, I think Marikina LGU is doing the right thing. Even if it shook my bones because of my anxiousness. Within the DOH guidelines, there is no need to get tested after 14 days of isolation as long as you no longer have the symptoms. But with us, you will be tested. 

Did I do the right thing to get tested? Did I do the right thing in reporting to BHERT about my situation? Did I do the right thing in saying Yes to be isolated? These thoughts wrecked me. For so many days and nights, I kept asking this to myself. Always saying, Doing the right things always has a price to pay. Will they be worth it? I could just be worrying about my tickets at work, thinking if we can finish everything before our shifts end, thinking if I can push back some tickets when they were asked to be rushed. Heck, even just ride my bike around the city (but I know I can't and won't do that, biking around. What if I had the virus, really, and communicated the disease to everyone else?)

What if Nanay and Noel also test positive? What will happen to Noel's work? Again, another round of no work-no pay. Because let me reiterate, not everyone is lucky. Nanay has a lot of comorbidities. People know me think I am atheist, but I pray. I believe in God, we just have different approaches. And being in the facility, no one has ever seen me prayed like that—asking the Almighty every time, before I hit the sack, upon waking up, for Noel and Nanay to test negative. Contact tracers reached out then within two to three days, Noel and Nanay were scheduled for their swab tests. They tested negative. Praise Fafa God!, I blurted. One problem down. I was really thinking I got the virus from one of them, like Noel had his colds before I got mine, and Nanay was also going out, to the market and all. But when they tested negative, I was just glad they were. It's still a wonder where I got it. 

It turns out, doing the right things has a price to pay, yes, but it will be worth it. If I was living alone, I won't get tested. The only reason I wanted to get tested was because I worry about my Nanay and my brother.

Every morning, you will hear voices from the phones the other people were holding. They were talking to their loved ones outside their rooms, while enjoying the heat of the morning sun, because the signal was quite bad inside. I for one needed to put my phone by the window to have a good data signal. My phone fell for many times I could no longer count every time I was having a video call at night. Some jog around, doing their daily exercises.

Seeking the heat of the sun

Afternoons were quite the same. Their siestas were held outside, in front of their rooms, under the shade, talking to each other 6-feet apart, or talking to their loved ones via their phones. At night, we chuckle over our group chat, joking perhaps a pair would find love in the facility, celebrating every time a group will be sent home because they are already negative, and sometimes, get also sad because you see people who are still positive despite almost completing the 14 days but they'll find a way to kid around it, and just to encourage each other that soon, they'll be home to their families.

The group chat was also our monitoring channel. Every day, three times, we use our thermometers to check our temperatures. We send it together with the log of our symptoms, the activities we are doing at the moment. During my first day, I asked over the GC, Pwede po bang mag ingay sa GC o masasama ako sa noisy list?

In a few minutes, I was kicked out of the GC! (HAHAHAH!) OK, hold your horses. It was an accident. The admin immediately reach out to me and apologized. Of course, being me, I said, Kaya po ba ako napa alis kasi kasama na ako sa noisy list? When I was back to the GC, I announced, OK, I'm back. Pansamantala akong napunta sa noisy list. Chos. Salamat, Admin!

Sometimes, you just need to laugh it all out. 

I also got calls from OVP's team, checking on me twice a day, and they sent a COVID care kit.

I was scheduled for my swab on Thursday but due to schedule of the swabbers, with new cases identified, they had a lot to swab, it was moved to Friday, April 23. Despite the small number of health care personnel, the LGU still found a way to make sure the COVID response is intact. There were mishaps but they were covered right away.

I woke up early. For the first time, I set my phone's alarm clock. Because usually, swabbing happens in the morning. However, it happened in the afternoon for us. This is it, I said. May I be tested negative so I can go back to my "normal" life. Every day, I asked that to the Lord. Every hour, every time I can. Come what may, I said. But I'm hoping it turns a negative result or virus not detected.

My swab kit, given the morning of the swab schedule.

Swabbing time

I tried to sleep because I couldn't sleep well the night before the test. Of course, I also couldn't sleep right away as the list of those who had negative result awaits as the sun rises the next day.

There was no need for an alarm. I woke up suddenly a little past 6 AM of April 24. No results yet, as I checked the GC. I slept again. Past 7 AM I woke up. The results were there. 

My name was there, under the Negative Results Banner. Finally, I can go home, comb my hair, and continue the rest of isolation days. 

So continue to do the right thing. Even if it's gonna be painful. 

One of my first photos during the isolation, April 19. For some reason, this gave me hope.

***

Get your vaxx when you're already eligible. That's the way we can fight this virus (because you know, ugh)! Stay healthy!

Thank you to everyone who checked on me, asked me how I have been, those who sent their care packages, of different forms, while I was in isolation. Thank you!!! Also, applause to the staff of the Bagong Sibol Quarantine Facility for the assistance and taking care of us, their tenants (without paying anything, hehe).

Note: I don't own the title of this entry (The Community of Positives). Babayaran ko pa 'yung nagbigay ng idea. Haha! Maski parang iba naging direksyon nitong entry.

P.S. The facility was a little hard to find and pin on the maps of any courier apps so I tried to place it on Google Maps and Grab. Finally, you can see it on the search bar but for some reason, the couriers are still having a hard time seeing it. They are pointed to the adjacent street even if on the map, their route, they still need to turn a little or just cross the road to reach the gates. But gladly, all the couriers I encountered were polite enough to call me and patient enough to find the place.