Despite being asthmatic, a health care worker managed to beat the Coronavirus.
“Being an asthmatic, the tight chest, coughing and unbearable headaches were the worst symptoms to handle,” said Insaaf Mohammed, a 40-year-old Occupational Therapist who works for the Western Cape Government Health’s Klipfontein Sub-District.
Insaaf and her seven-year-old son contracted Covid-19 from her husband who works at the Groote Schuur Hospital laboratory.
He contracted the Coronavirus after giving his colleague a lift home.
Her husband started showing symptoms of Covid-19 and went for testing on Thursday, 23 April.
Insaaf, their three children aged two, seven and nine, and mother-in-law also tested, but only Insaaf, her husband and seven-year-old son were confirmed positive.
“We self-isolated in our bedroom while my mother-in-law (who has diabetes and hypertension), thankfully never contracted the virus, could take care of our other two children while we were trying to fight and overcome Covid-19,” said Insaaf.
The family were heading into the month of Ramadaan and it was hard for the couple to be separated from their two other children and mother-in-law.
“I experienced tiredness, coughing and tightness of chest which my asthma pump resolved, but my symptoms were not as severe as my husbands, who had body aches, nausea, a tight chest, shortness of breath, blocked sinus and thick phlegm on his chest with a fever,” she says.
“My son had a fever for three days, but recovered quite fast once.”
People were a bit weary when she returned to work.
“I want people in any working environment to take responsibility for their health, to educate their families, especially now that kids are going back to school,” says the mom.
“Help your child find creative ways to show affection to friends.
“Get your family to sterilise themselves before entering the home, leave your shoes in the garage if you can, shower before greeting your family be more health conscious,” she adds.