Feeling well but virus still in body, Covid-19 patient endures 51 days of waiting before ‘release’

SINGAPORE — She was confident of being able to return home very soon after she spent just four nights at the National Centre for Infectious Diseases (NCID) and was then transferred to a community care facility at NTUC D’Resort.

Repeatedly though, her hopes were dashed when tests showed that she still had the coronavirus that causes Covid-19, even though she felt physically well.

“At the start, I felt I should be home in a week or so. One week became two, two became three and eventually, I think I was there for about seven weeks.

“On more than one occasion, I had a negative test but the following day, it was positive, so those times were very hard.”

The 24-year-old pastry chef, who spoke to TODAY but did not want to be identified, was among 18 patients discharged from D’Resort on May 15. She was deemed non-infectious even though she still had the virus and was declared “clinically very well” by the Ministry of Health (MOH).

In total, she had spent four nights at the NCID and 51 days at D’Resort — the longest among the 18 patients from her group, MOH said.

On Thursday, MOH announced that patients who are declared clinically well on the 21st day from the onset of the illness can be discharged without further testing.

However, those who have been discharged will still have to undergo home quarantine for another seven days as a precautionary measure — which was what Valerie did as well.

TRAVELLED TO LONDON

Valerie first tested positive for Covid-19 on March 22, five days after returning from a family visit to England.

In early February, she was in London with her husband to visit her parents and sister who live there.

She spent more than a month there before returning to Singapore on March 17. Since Britain was deemed high risk at the time, she was put on stay-home notice for 14 days. 

“I was feeling totally fine for the first two days but on the third day, I started having headaches. Initially, I thought it was just jet lag, but the fever soon started kicking in. I was feeling quite weak and worn out,” she recalled. 

Eventually, she and her husband decided to follow the protocol by informing the authorities and undergoing a swab test.

A day later, Valerie had just emerged from the shower when she overheard her husband talking over the phone. The caller insisted on speaking to her personally. 

“The woman on the other end of the line said that my test came back positive for Covid-19,” Valerie said. 

“At that point, I did break down. However, I had to carry on with the conversation because I was briefed on what would happen next as an ambulance was despatched to pick me up.

“We packed a bag with essentials, my laptop, chargers, etc. It was almost like I was going on a trip of some sort.”

HOSPITALISED FOR FIRST TIME

Valerie had never been hospitalised before. At NCID, she slept on a hospital bed for the first time. She described her initial experience there as one that was straight out of a Hollywood movie.

“The staff members were wearing protective suits, there were glass doors and it really was like another world. Everything felt different and I would say the fear of the unknown was the worst part.

“I couldn't really sleep or eat properly for the first 24 to 48 hours. It was tough due to the new surroundings. I was also nervous.”

Apart from headaches and fever, Valerie said that she did not experience any other form of discomfort. Moreover, the only medication she had was “one or two” Panadol or paracetamol. 

“Other than that, I kept taking my vitamins, drinking tea and lots of warm water."

KEEPING HERSELF OCCUPIED

After her transfer to D'Resort NTUC, which was a resort before it was converted to house recovering Covid-19 patients who have mild symptoms, tests were done twice a week.

Valerie said that she was feeling healthy by then.

“That I felt good physically might have made it worse because I began to question why I was there in the first place, especially after my symptoms subsided.

“I wouldn't say I was depressed but once it crossed the 30th day mark and the tests were still showing up as positive, the frustration really started to kick in. 

It is very hard to get through the days knowing that you are stuck there although you feel healthy.”

To keep herself occupied, Valerie adopted a new routine. She watched movies, did art and craft such as colouring and origami, spoke to her friends and family through video calls, chatted with her roommate at D’Resort and exercised. 

In an effort to lift her spirits, her friends living in Pasir Ris frequently delivered homecooked meals to her. Others spent time playing online games with her.  

Now that it has been two weeks since she returned home, she is trying to readjust once more and plans to find part-time work as a pastry chef.

Valerie said that her experience affirmed the importance of adhering to safety precautions and regulations to wear masks and stay home. It also taught her to treasure the people around her as well as the simple things in life.

“However strict the rules might seem, we need to observe them for the benefit of society so that things can settle down and we can socialise again.

“Even giving your loved one a hug, which was a distant memory a few months ago, is finally becoming a reality,” she said.