In surgical face masks I trust

My chest and my torso have been trying so hard to endure the pain of laying downwards as I type this on my laptop. I’ve been spending the days on this single comforter since last week and I swear I’m totally bummed. I miss my bed and work desk so much I could cry. Not to mention the fact that wearing surgical face masks is a requirement no one in this household must not escape from.

Why, you ask.

We are under quarantine and is currently being monitored as — yep, that’s right.

Just like any other coronavirus story, it all started when someone caught a fever that didn’t go below 38 degrees. In this case, it’s our Papa, who started feeling sick last Saturday, August 8. I asked that we isolate him in their room because in this time of the pandemic, you can never be so sure. A few days in, my brother also got the fever, and that was when we decided to take the isolation further. Dragged my stuff outside our room and camped out in the kitchen from then on, while Mama found her territory at the living room.

I was screaming and feeling angry inside for I kept on reminding the parents not to go out anymore because we are not living in ordinary times. It’s been more than a hundred days and everybody should know that by now, I mean how stupid can we get?! The feeling was extra intense because all I could think about is my brother, who at 19, still feels like a baby to me. You know I’m never the emotional type but for the first time in forever, I found myself crying that morning. Mama was telling me not to but how could I freaking not this is all on you old people.

Still, life has to go on. I continued working from home even if it was inconvenient as fuck, while looking after my sick brother, the barriers of social distancing included. Called the community center at this point so we can get guidance on what to do because obviously that stock knowledge on in-home remedies for fevers are no longer accurate. Also figured I had to tell my boss what was going on in case I would need to take days off as that’s what my gut feel was telling me. Fortunately, brother’s temperature (and Papa too) went back to normal but since isolation is the protocol, none of them were allowed to go out of the rooms.

About a day or two later, Papa’s temperature started rising up again. With cough this time, and counting back from the first time he had fever, it was already the seventh day. The coughing has gotten serious that on the eighth day, Mama decided to call the community center again and told them that we might need to go to the hospital already. The people at the center were really helpful and though it took quite some time for them to actually act, we’re beyond thankful. The pandemic has really slowed down operations especially on the health care side, and nothing is simple and instant at this point.

Finally, at 8:30 PM of Sunday, August 16, the ambulance came to fetch Papa and oh my gosh the only available hospital that could cater to us was not even in the south! Sure there was no time to complain for we don’t know what we were dealing so to the city of Mayor Vico we went. My Tito who lives in QC was quick to drive to the hospital and there we were, faced by the situation of having to decide if we’d have Papa admitted or not. As much as we wanted him to be separated and checked immediately, who are we though?? And we’d be real crazy if we step back and not push through just because we were feeling a bit uncomfortable??

And so it began.

Doctors and nurses started talking to us, to me especially. I was also being straightforward with my questions for there was no point in sugarcoating, and we’d eventually have to say the words as the situation progresses. Initial lab results said Papa’s stable, although the x-ray showed there was phlegm in his lungs, which means he has pneumonia. Doctors said oxygen tank was necessary to support his breathing, but although there’s just minimal liters of extra air needed, Papa has to overcome this phase for him not to be intubated. This trail of events paints a high chance of getting associated with the virus but it could also be an intense flu. Crossing fingers that it will turn out to be negative! We’re still waiting for the swab test results as of this moment, while the pneumonia is being treated simultaneously.

Mama and brother are also waiting for their own swab test results, while I have yet to take mine. Will have to schedule that as soon as possible too so I can be at peace for my own sake, most especially I was the one who had the closest contact to Papa prior to his hospital admission.

I’m currently at home now and able to rest for a couple of days (but in this comforter l o l w t f is this even rest get me back to my room soon please huhu) but will be back at the hospital by the end of the week. This time allows me to organize my tasks at work and to connect back with my team to leave out a few messages for the weekend’s deliverables.

So now while waiting, no one’s allowed to take off their surgical face masks.

Not even a second I swear you mofos.