Despite exhibiting symptoms of the novel coronavirus disease (COVID-19) and indirect contact with one of the earliest fatalities, Quincy Braithwaite says that he has never tested positive.
Braithwaite, who was the brother-in-law of Jermaine Ifill, the man who became the second COVID-19 fatality in Guyana, had exhibited symptoms of the virus in late March. In a previous interview with Stabroek News, Braithwaite revealed that he was previously married to Ifill’s sister and while he had no direct contact with Ifill, his ex-wife and their two children did.
He, however, reported that health authorities were reluctant to test him for COVID-19 as they said he did not have 90% of the symptoms of the virus. At that time Braithwaite had flu-like symptoms along with shortness of breath.
When Stabroek News contacted Braithwaite recently, he revealed that following the reports in the media and a video which he posted on Facebook, he was then tested for the virus. The man noted that when he was tested, his results came back negative, even though he might have had contact with a positive case. “I was tested and it came back negative… after the video circulated, the ministry reached out to me and they did the test,” he said.
He noted that he was isolated at home after exhibiting symptoms of the virus and finding out that it was not that. To this day, he said, he does not know what caused him to display symptoms of the virus. He added that as he started to exhibit those symptoms, he began the use of home remedies to feel better. “I didn’t find out what the symptoms are, but when I started getting the symptoms I already started the home remedies and stuff,” Braithwaite explained while adding that health authorities reached out to him three days subsequent to him starting the home remedies.
“The results took another three days, but I couldn’t wait, so I was doing everything possible, using everything at hand so when the test did come back it came back negative,” he noted.
He said he does not know if those home remedies had anything to do with his test results but he was just happy to receive negative results. “I can’t say if it was that but I’m just happy that it came out negative,” he added.
Subsequent to being tested, Braithwaite noted that ministry officials kept in contact with him daily to check up on him and his symptoms and following a period of 14 days they explained that they would no longer be checking with him as he felt better.
Meanwhile, he revealed that his children, who were also in contact with Ifill, were all tested for the virus and their results were negative. He noted that he would not be able to say if other persons who were in contact with his ex-brother-in-law were tested.
Giving details of the home remedies he used, Braithwaite said that he was using lots of lemongrass, turmeric, ginger and oranges every day. “Like two-three times a day I would use them. Sometimes I would blend them together, sometimes I would make tea with it, different things,” he stated. Within two weeks he said that he began feeling normal.
