Recovered of COVID-19, the pandemic´s other face.
DURANGO, DGO.- As the Coronavirus pandemic continues, the positive cases have been occurring closer to us, and the people that have become infected are not only strangers to us who became a statistic.
While the infected number increases, it is important to stand out the number of recoveries of fortunate people.
Laura N. is among the people who managed to get past this situation, she of 31 years old, an office worker, who despite of following the social distance and hygiene protocols, was infected by her coworker; “we were working close doors since the pandemic was declared”.
Laura narrated that, “A Monday night, my coworker Karyme, who had been going to work as usual, notifies our boss that she had contact with her aunt who had a positive diagnose, but she never told us, her coworkers. Next morning, Karyme was asking me to turn on her computer on her desk, and organize her stuff. Then after the others came, they told me Karyme was not coming into the office because she was getting the test”.
Knowing this, Laura remembered “I recall perfectly that in that moment I had my hand on my face, and I angered because Karyme was instantly making petitions in a very insistent way, but never informed me of her possible infection”.
After this situation, Laura had a test of COVID-19 in the established period, and in fact was already infected.
Since the diagnosis her boss indicated 15 days in isolation. Although her recovery happened in her house, her greatest fear was to infect her family, so everyone was forced to change their habits. Time after the mandatory period another test on Laura was made, and by fortune, the result showed was negative.
For reporter Nohemi N., originally from Mexico City also positive on COVID-19, suspects she got infected by an acquaintance who works in a health center in a municipality where a sprout of this virus emerged and they had contact on a weekend. As a result of that, she had 17 days of recovery in her house, with symptoms like fever, pain in her throat, cough and sore throat, however, she did not require hospitalization these were manageable.
Essential laborers with higher contagious risk
Ivan N. does not know from where he turned into a positive case. His job requires for him to document visual support material, which makes him travel constantly throughout the whole territory of the state of Durango. He claims not knowing from where or how he could have gotten infected.
“On a weekend, I just simply had the symptoms, I was coughing and had sore throat. I searched a lab that I considered effective and on Monday I went and had the test realized, they told me that within two days they would give to me the results, but that same day I couldn´t put up to and went to see a doctor to have something for the pain, when I told the doctor I´ve had the test, he gave me some shots, which is why I felt confident, but arriving home, the lab worker called to inform that my test result was positive on Coronavirus.”
Sanitize, expensive and necessary to preserve health.
Another of the consequences of suffering COVID-19 is the expense that includes cleaning and disinfecting the spaces that are inhabited in their homes and place of work.
The sanitizing services range between the $1600 pesos in households of less than 492ft² and $4500 pesos in local businesses.
Being a person who had COVID-19 does not guarantee to develop immunity.
For some people, to be the carrier of that disease brings uncertainty of a possible job dismiss. Without doubt we have to stand out the ones who won this battle against this disease which for other turned out to be lethal.
Recovery, the next step.
Ivan confessed that in some moments he feared for his health, since before the Coronavirus he dealt with a series of chemotherapies, and also being diabetic.”I now have 18 days in quarantine and observation; I have been completely alone in my house, because I did not want to bring the risk to others. This Monday I am having another test. But until now I have no idea if I can consider myself okay, or if they will free me.”
Nohemi considers her process was long but easy, although she felt bad for two days, then she would be stable and then again repeat, “one of the advantages of living alone id that there was no risk of infecting others, I exposed nobody, not even my coworkers”.
Since the beginning of this pandemic, more than 3,374 people in Durango have been recovered. According to the Health Department, in the Mexican Republic up to August 21 there 371 thousand and 638 people have recovered.
According to the Federal Health Department, the activities that cannot stop are those essential for the functioning of the country, which are:
Medical branch; supply and service for the medical branch and health technologies, disposal of the biological-infecting waste; public security, legislative activities, the financial section, tax collection, distribution and sales of energy sources, generation and distribution of potable water, food and non alcoholic beverages industry; food markets; passengers and freight transportation services; agricultural and livestock production, agro industry, chemical, cleaning products; hardware store, shipping and messaging services.
Manufacturing, sales and distribution of stationery and didactic materials; uniforms, backpacks and other scholar articles; electronic computing and data processing devices as tablets, computers and calculators; as well as activities brought by editorials and libraries, are considered essential activities since August 3rd.
Guards in private security, nurseries and children´s homes, asylums and stays for the elderly.
Telecommunications and media services, private emergency services, funeral and inhumation services, store services and refrigeration chain industry, airports, harbors and trains.
Construction industry (since May 14th); mining (since May 14th), manufacturing of transportation equipment, automobile, aerospace, railway and shipping industry.
By Elisa Nuñez Retana
Special Contribuition/Enlace magazine