AFTER a harrowing experience of witnessing the sudden death of a Covid-19 patient, AIMY founder Amirul Izzulis has strongly encouraged the public not to take the virus lightly but to quickly register for vaccination.
He said there are people who shrug off the danger posed by the virus, thinking they are strong and would not be infected.
“This virus can kill. I was in a Covid ward with six other patients. I was chatting with one uncle who was on my adjacent bed. He had been admitted to the hospital for 11 days and was told that he would be discharged. He phoned to tell his family the news and had prepared his things to go home. He looked normal and well.
“Then suddenly at midnight, he had a severe bout of coughing and was struggling for breath. He coughed up blood. I quickly called the nurses and they came to help him. But around 3am, one doctor came and I saw him wrap up the man’s body.
“I was shocked. I cannot forget this incident. Because of this trauma, I sometimes I dreamed about it,” Amirul said during an online Covid-19 Chat with Ex-Patients which was organised by Penang Youth Development Corporation (PYDC) via Stream Yard yesterday.
The chat was broadcast on PYDC Facebook live.
Two other ex-Covid-19 patients – Nafizah Ameer Ali and Ewe Pin – also shared their experiences during the chat, which was moderated by PYDC’s Marcus Kam and Charlene Ong.
State Youth and Sports Committee chairman Soon Lip Chee, who is also the PYDC board chairman, also took part. He is now under home quarantine although he and his family tested negative after his nephew was found to have Covid-19.
Amirul said he fully supports the ongoing vaccination drive conducted by the government.
“For those who have not taken the vaccine, do not discourage others from getting inoculated by giving the reason that they can still be infected even if they have been jabbed. I believe the vaccine will help reduce the risk of being infected,” he said.
“I am thankful that my family and friends were very caring and wanted to help me after I left the hospital. They know I had problem walking because of leg pain.”
For Ewe Pin, a Penangite who is now working in Kuala Lumpur as a senior project architect, he said he was fortunate to get a mild case of Covid-19.
He initially had sore throat, then headache, followed by nausea and vomiting – all of which were in his self-assessment report via the MySejahtera’s application as he waited to be contacted by the Health Ministry. Living alone in a condominium in Damansara, he decided not to inform his parents who are in Penang as he did not want them to worry.
“I just stayed at home and worked from home. I ordered food online every day during my self-quarantine for 14 days and the security guards were kind to put them at my door,” Ewe Pin recalled.
“Wanting to be responsible, I informed my close contacts after I was tested positive. One of my friends, whom I consider like a brother, scolded me over the phone. He said people like you like to go out and that is why you got Covid-19.
“I only went out for work and as my job requires, I sometimes need to go to DBKL for plan submission. I am not too sure where I got it from.
“His remark was: Do you know I have a family? I have a kid and a wife to take care of. If you want to die, it is your problem. Please don’t drag other people in. It is very sad that this comment came from someone I treat as a brother. This comment hurts and I went through a little bit of mild depression.”
On top of that, Ewe Pin said even neighbours wanted the condo management to shoo him out. He said he couldn’t blame them as the awareness of how to deal with Covid patients was still lacking.
“Now, I want to live life to the fullest,” he said.
For administrative clerk Nazirah, she first suffered body aches and thought it was due to her menstrual cycle. But when she lost her sense of taste and smell, she found out she was stricken with the virus.
She has, however, family members, friends and neighbours who were supportive and offered to help her.
“I am thankful that this is a second chance and I want to live a healthy life. What is going to happen tomorrow we don’t know. How we got the virus and from which cluster we do not know.
“This is not the time to blame each other. What had happened had happened. We need to break the chain of infection. Don’t look down on a patient. Don’t simply throw out words. Try to help the patients and support them with good words.
“To some people, Covid-19 is nothing. It’s not a joke. It’s a serious matter. I had terrible gastritis and even when I took plain water for three or four days, I vomited it out.
“And I did not get back my sense of taste and smell after over a month,” said Nazirah.
For Soon, he immediately took his whole family for antigen test and PCR test after being told that his nephew tested positive for Covid-19
All his family members were cleared but to be on the safe side, they are now all under home quarantine.
“My advice for the public is to quickly register for vaccination and whoever feels unwell, go to the clinic for test or treatment. The daily number of cases is scary,” said Soon, wearing a face mask and a pink wristband.
Story by K.H. Ong