A 58 year old Filipina named Ella is currently being held in hotel quarantine in Melbourne after she tested positive for coronavirus.
In an interview with The Philippine Times, she confirmed that she has contracted the coronavirus from a known outbreak at work in a factory in Geelong.
In late July, all workers were required to leave work after a worker tested positive. Testing for COVID-19 was organised the following morning for Ella and her three other family members.
On the day she got tested, Ella began to feel symptoms such as physical pain, vomiting, and a fever. She immediately self medicated with cold and flu tablets, and drank ginger tea and started to notice her fever disappear within a day.
“I did not expect that it was Covid,” she said. Three days after getting tested, she received her test result that she was positive.
“I thought I was going to die!”
The following day, she was contacted by health authorities and required to be taken to hotel quarantine to keep her family members safe, particularly her husband who has underlying health conditions.
But it was too late. Her husband and adult child both tested positive for the virus while Ella was in hotel quarantine, leaving them unable to support themselves or leave the home.
“Thank you so much to my friends”
Ella has expressed how grateful she is that despite the pandemic, her family has received an outpouring of support from nine Filipino families, including four who live on the same street.
The friends would drop food such as Nilagang Baka, Tinolang Manok, Suman, Pandesal outside the house each day.
Without requests from the family, the friends have shown their support by also providing groceries. “I am so happy that they are helping them while I am in the hotel,” she said.
She was really appreciative of one person who safely assisted to obtain medication from the pharmacy for her husband. The prescription was placed in a zip lock bag, and the friend wore gloves for her safety.
Ella has almost completed her 14 day quarantine and is excited to return home. She has kept in contact with her family via FaceTime.
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