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Manila Bulletin devider Entertainment devider Celebrities devider GOSSIP GIRL: Covid-19 survivor Dennis Padilla advises Filipinos

GOSSIP GIRL: Covid-19 survivor Dennis Padilla advises Filipinos

Published Apr 4, 2021 07:18 pm
Dennis Padilla (center) with Janno Gibbs (left) and Andrew E.

Actor Dennis Padilla is thankful to God and a select group of friends for his second lease in life. The comedian recently contracted the virus after attending a small dinner with six friends.

“We were wearing masks but eventually had to take them out  during dinner.” The next day, I was having headaches, body pains and fever. I just took paracetamol and thought it was nothing. After another two days, I had a swab test for a TV show I was supposed to do. I tested positive for COVID-19 and was brought to Capitol Medical Center for additional testing. When I did my contact tracing, I found out some of my friends who were in the same dinner contacted the COVID-19 virus as well. After another two days, I was diagnosed already with pneumonia. I already had an extreme difficulty in breathing and I was asking God to give me a second lease life for the sake of my wife and my children.”

Padilla recently married Linda Martin Gorton and has two children with her, Gavin eight years old and Maddie, four years old. These children of Dennis are aside from the three actors he has with ex-wife Marjorie Barreto -- Julia, Claudia and Leon Barretto and two more from his first wife Monina – Diane and Luis. 

Dennis thanked his doctor Don Dalupang and all the nurses and frontliners that risked their lives to take care of him at the Capitol Medical Center. He is also grateful to President Rodrigo Duterte, Senator Bong Go, his co-actors Andrew E, Janno Gibbs, Ogie Alcacid and his friends Sam Versoza and Bren Chong for helping him foot the P1.1 million bill in the hospital. 

His advice to all Filipinos: “Stay at home and if you really have to go out, always wear your mask and face shield and practice social distancing. If someone is in charge of going out in your household, you should always wear a mask around that person. Stay away from house gatherings or eating with persons who do not belong in your household even if these are your good friends. COVID-19 is real and it will take your life. I was just lucky that God gave me a second chance to live.”

Dr. Beverly Ho of the Department of Health says that wearing a mask reduces the transmission of any virus to 67 percent, faceshield - 66 percent and facemask+faceshield+social distancing reduces its transmission up to 99 percent. But staying at home is your best prevention. 

Padilla is now COVID-free and this coming Friday, April 9, Padilla will star with Rosanna Roces, Loren Mariñas, Bob Jbeili, Dexter Doria, and Carlyn Ocampo in Darryl Yap’s First Vivamax Original Series, “Kung Pwede Lang." "Kung Pwede Lang" is based on the viral online rant series on Direk Darryl's Facebook page, Vincentiments which has 320 million views as of to date. 

Vivamax is an online streaming app you can download on your iPhone or Android phone. For only P149 pesos a month, you can watch  Vivamax Originals and top Pinoy, Korean, Asian and Hollywood hits. 

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