When Monica Joseph began experiencing COVID-19 symptoms, she wasn’t sure what to do. Now that she has recovered, however, she is urging others to follow all public health guidelines to protect themselves and others.
Joseph, an accounts clerk attached to the Regional Democratic Council (RDC) Accounts Department of Region Nine, was the first confirmed positive COVID-19 case in St Ignatius, an indigenous community located close to Lethem in the Central Rupununi.
In an interview, Joseph disclosed that she developed a dry cough on the eve of July 28th. “I suddenly began coughing after having a normal day. These were dry coughs since no mucus came up my throat. Chest pains then started shortly afterwards. The pains were not too intense, so I thought nothing of it and figured that I was just coming down with the common cold,” she recalled.