Actor Alden Richards couldn't help but feel intense fear and anxiety the last few days after his longtime personal assistant Tenten "Mama Ten" Mendoza tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019.
It didn't help that the latter supposedly tested positive twice.
In an article published on Pep.PH, Alden recalled how worried he was about it citing he and Mama Ten are living under one roof.
He thanked God eventually as the results turned out "false positive."
“Kasi parang may mga sinasabi pero hindi naman po official na kapag may high blood ka daw, automatic when you do RT-PCR, you will become positive (of the virus),” he related.
According to the official website of the International Atomic Energy Agency, the real time RT–PCR is a nuclear-derived method for detecting the presence of specific genetic material in any pathogen, including a virus; and in fact one of the most widely used laboratory methods for detecting the COVID-19 virus.
Thankfully, when Alden took the RT-PCR, he was negative.
He shared Mama Ten never showed any symptoms.
But what was his initial reaction when he found out about the positive result?
"Of course, nu'ng first time na nag-positive siya, du'n ako halos I’m quiet… siguro para ma-experience ko 'yung ganu'ng klaseng episode ng buhay. Parang ano po eh more over the positive, more over the symptoms, 'yung mental health 'yung at risk when you’re exposed, when you become positive," he said.
"Kasi nakakapraning, honestly po nakakapraning siya. Number one, kahit sabihin man natin na huwag i-discriminate, minsan kasi may mga tao talagang nagdi-discriminate sa mga taong nag-positive for COVID, and that’s quite unfair to those people. Tapos ang daming work na na-cancel, ang daming work na hindi nagawa. Missed opportunities when you needed the most. Kasi ngayon, parang ano po eh, you have to grab everything. Kasi ang hirap mag-say no kasi ang dami ngang nawalan ng trabaho, ang iniisip ko din at the same time,” he added.
Alden's one wish for 2021? The availability of an anti- COVID-19 vaccine.