A single father of one, who tested positive for COVID-19 two days after developing symptoms, has said he only recognised the seriousness of the disease only after contracting it.
Randy Shepherd, 41, of Industry, East Coast Demerara (ECD), in an interview with Sunday Stabroek, said that he began to experience flu-like symptoms on January 6th.
He said he didn’t take it seriously since he thought it was just a ‘common cold’.
However, later the said day, the situation worsened when he started to exhibit other symptoms including body pain.
Shepherd, who was at the time on the road running some errands, said he immediately left for home. Upon his arrival, he said he took two Theraflu tablets and relaxed. “I seh man is probably just the normal flu,” Shepherd said.
The following morning when he woke up, Shepherd related that his body was numb. He also felt that he had lost his sense of taste and smell – signs of COVID affliction. “I ain’t smelling nothing, I ain’t tasting nothing, my skin was paining me,” he said.
As a result, he said he decided to journey to the Georgetown Public Hospital (GPH) where he took a COVID-19 test. “I went to them, I explained what it is, they checked my breathing and everything,” he said.
On the afternoon of January 10th, Shepherd recalled receiving a call from the hospital informing him that his result had come back positive and he needed to self-quarantine at home.
“They called me and tell me that the test came back positive and I need to self-quarantine. I need to stay home for fourteen days. Try avoiding going around people and if I get any issues with my breathing call the hotline number and they would send an ambulance to pick me up,” he explained.
As of yesterday, the total number of confirmed COVID-19 cases in the country was 6851. To date, 170 persons have died.
Shepherd is unaware as to how he might have contracted the disease. However, he is regularly involved in voluntary work and said that during the Christmas holidays he conducted a number of outreaches.
“I was going about my normal life. I can’t say well I contracted it at point A or point B because I was at various locations,” he said.
`Mentally it’s hard’
According to Shepherd, the situation has taken a toll on him mentally.
“The truth is mentally it’s taking a toll on me. If you are not strong mentally it would destroy you because it’s basically yourself and four walls,” he said while noting, “mentally it’s hard. Sometimes you feel like screaming. Literally you just feel like screaming….It can really, really destroy you mentally”.
When reality strikes and he feels like this, Shepherd said he tries to find ways to distract himself.
“I just finding things to do to distract me from the whole thought that ‘yes I have the Coronavirus’. From the TV to my phone, look through the bedroom window, get up walk around the house,” he noted.
Shepherd and his minor son live alone. However, since he tested positive, he said his son has been staying with his babysitter.
The child also had a COVID-19 test done. The result was negative.
“Fortunately enough he doesn’t have it…..He has a baby sitter who would normally take care of him during the day so he is with her until I am clear. I mean it’s uncomfortable for him because he is not accustomed to being away from me,” Shepherd explained.
Shepherd said that the experience is “uncomfortable” but he has convinced himself that he has to “go through the process”.
Director of the Mental Health Unit at the Ministry of Public Health, Dr Util Thomas had previously noted that many citizens are finding it hard to adjust to the changes brought by COVID-19.
“The stress associated with this period is manifesting in different ways for some of us; lack of sleep, constant fear, anger, confusion, frustration, anxiety and depression are what we face daily,” she had said.
She also provided some tips on how persons can cope during the COVID-19 pandemic which includes talking to someone you trust about your problems, your thoughts and your feelings; staying positive, daily exercise, sleep and eating healthily every day and staying connected with family, friends and groups.
Underestimating
Shepherd admitted that before he contracted COVID-19, he took “a lot of things for granted” which led to him underestimating the seriousness of the disease.
“I said to myself people got to live their life, just live your life. I wasn’t taking it serious and that’s the truth…Unfortunate-ly I had to feel it to know how serious it is but it is real,” he said.
While he said he was taking the necessary precautions, he didn’t study the consequences of COVID-19.
“I wouldn’t wish this on my worst enemy. One time you feel you are the strongest person around but from the time you get up and start to get active, your entire body feel weak. Your foot ready to give out. One time I had vomiting and diarrhoea but the pain, oh my God. My skin never pain me so much,” Shepherd said.
“The constant headaches. Sometimes your vision get blurry. You eating stuff and you don’t know what you eating, what you drinking because you can’t taste or smell. Even the water got a funny taste. It’s ridiculous,” he added.
Shepherd is advising persons to adhere to safety measures and follow the necessary guidelines to protect themselves and those around them.
“Wear your mask, wash your hands, stay away from crowd, go out only when necessary. Stop, just stop being ignorant to this whole thing. As I said I wouldn’t want my worst enemy to have to deal with this and go through what I am going through,” he said.
“People just need to take the necessary precautions and do what they have to do. This thing is serious,” Shepherd noted.
