If fighting COVID-19 is a sport like basketball or football, our best offense is our defense. Thus, we are asked to get vaccinated, to properly observe standard health protocols when outside, to stay at home as much as possible, and to stay fit and healthy. However, there are some stories that people still get infected no matter how careful and protective they are. So if our defensive strategy isn’t enough, what else can we do?
We have to fully understand that our enemy is invisible, so there is still a probability that we can catch the virus no matter how strictly we follow all measures. Therefore, according to health experts, being prepared before possibly getting the dreaded disease is also one of the best ways to combat Sars-CoV-2. And many of those who got coronavirus could attest to that, including Lydia Lorelaine S. San Pedro who shared her Covid story through a webinar entitled “COVID-19: Understanding the Essentials,” which was hosted by the Parent Council of St. Theresa's College (STC) in Quezon City.
One of Lydia’s learnings when five out of six members of her family got the virus, is that she should have got important things (such as thermometer, oximeter, nebulizer, blood pressure apparatus, medicines for the symptoms, emergency contact numbers, and food supplies) ready before and not during one of them exhibited COVID-19 symptoms.
The vice president of STC’s Family council also said that never hesitate to communicate with relatives and friends. “Do not keep it to yourself. It's okay to ask for help because it will lessen our burden and will help our mental wellbeing,” Lydia says.
Also, she mentioned that it’s important to not be in denial when you experience some symptoms so that you can isolate yourself at once. And rather than thinking about how we got the virus and worrying about what will happen next, we should accept it and just apply the right actions when trapped in such a fearful situation.
“Prepare yourself not only physically but also mentally,” she added. “We have to face the feelings head-on and we have to be strong for our family.”
The webinar’s guest speaker Dr. Anna Lisa Ong-Lim, division chief at the Department of Pediatrics of Philippine General Hospital (PGH), couldn't agree more with Lydia’s realizations. According to Dr. Anna, “planning is something we can do as early as now so that in case somebody gets sick we are ready and we know what to do.”
But apart from preparing the necessary medical supplies and emergency hotlines, we should coordinate with our Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT) if our home set-up conforms with the standards for isolation and quarantine. If home care won’t be enough we should know from them how we can bring the patient to the hospitals or healthcare facilities.
In case we contracted the killer virus, Dr. Anna laid down four necessary steps to follow.
- We must immediately isolate the person who is showing Covid-19 symptoms from the rest of the family members to decrease or stop the opportunities for the virus to spread even though we still don’t know if it's Covid-19 or not.
- The next step is that we must arrange swab testing from reliable laboratories, preferably RT PCR for accurate results. We may also contact our BHERT about this procedure.
- Then, we have to make sure to put other members of the family in quarantine even though we don't have the result yet. If it's negative, we should still know what the sickness is to give the right cure. If positive, at least, we lessen the transmission of the virus to others.
- Lastly, contact our telemedicine provider. Medical advice and decisions should come from our health workers and not from family members who should only serve as the doctor’s eyes and ears. We should remember that COVID-19 is a tricky disease, so let’s leave the treatment to our health partners.
For other essential things to understand about Covid-19. You may watch the webinar below.