After three close calls with COVID-19 positive individuals, what is Vice President Leni Robredo’s secret to repeatedly dodging a positive result? She said she always has her guard up by treating everyone as positive.
Robredo was a close contact of a close-in security who tested positive in December 2021. She had close calls, too, with another security personnel and a staff at the Office of the Vice President (OVP) who both tested positive on the same year.
In these three instances, Robredo went into self-quarantine until her test results came out negative.
READ: Robredo bares she's under quarantine after exposure to COVID-positive close-in security
She had a close call, however, over New Year when she had tonsillitis that led to her needing a dextrose all throughout New Year’s Eve. This was after the stress brought about by her daughter, Tricia, testing positive to COVID on Christmas Day and her two other daughters—Aika and Jillian—being in quarantine.
“Ang biro sa akin sa opisina kasi ang dami ko nang close calls, ang biro sa akin sa opisina may anting-anting (The joke in the office is because I had so many close calls, the joke in the office is that I have an amulet),” she said during an earlier episode of her weekly radio show.
The Vice President shared that she’s very strict in following health protocols and that she treats everyone as positive.
“Pag seryoso ka sa (If you are serious with the) protocols, 'yung pag hindi mo pinu-put 'yung (if you are not putting your) guard down, minsan kasi kampante na. Halimbawa, lagi mo nang kasama so ano ka na (because you become complacent. For example, you’re always together so you are), relaxed na. Pero ako, ginagamit ko 'yung– ang (But for me, my) treatment ko sa lahat ng kausap ko (to everyone I talk is they are) positive sila,” Robredo explained.
READ: Robredo dodges COVID-19 for third time; reunites with daughters
She also never removes her face mask when there are other people and if she knew there will be a lot of people in the destination, she doubles her face mask.
Robredo usually uses KN95 or N95 face masks. She also strictly adheres to taking her Vitamins C and B3.
The presidential aspirant also shared that they have a policy in the office not to eat together. Even in a buffet setting, they’ll usually get food from the table and eat away from each other.
“Ano talaga, 'yung mga mask nagwo-work, 'yung vitamins nagwo-work, 'yung pagsunod sa mga protocols (It’s really, the masks work, the vitamins work, and following the protocols is) number one,” Robredo said.
The country is currently in the midst of an outbreak due to the Omicron variant. On Saturday, Jan. 15, the Philippines logged 39,004 new cases with a positivity rate of 47.1 percent.
The daily tally is the new record high for the third straight day.