These days, I have a lot of time to watch the world go by outside my windows. For reasons I’ll get into below, I will, for at least 14 days, remain in a makeshift bedroom outside our home, while my parents and dogs occupy the rest of the house. All of us, including our pets, will have to stay at home for undetermined amount of time and eliminate direct contact with other people.
Table of Contents
- Why did I take this extreme measure?
- Why did you travel outside the Philippines in the first place?
- What do you feel now that you are back in the Philippines?
- Are you okay? Do you have any symptoms?
- How are you supposed to live while on self-quarantine for 14 days?
- What did you learn from this experience?
Why did I take this extreme measure?
Seven days ago, I arrived in Manila from a 6-day trip to Sydney, Australia. Although I did not travel to China, Italy, Iran, South Korea, or Japan, I decided to put myself to self-quarantine out of extra precaution. I’m not worried I’ll get the virus because of its low mortality risk. I’m young and I’m lucky enough to have health insurance from work that will cover COVID-19 (novel coronavirus) or related illnesses. What bothers me is that my parents are both seniors and this highly contagious viral disease can be much more debilitating and fatal. I’m also worried about the immunocompromised people, elderly and small children that I will meet if I am possibly an asymptomatic carrier.
Why did you travel outside the Philippines in the first place?
I know I should not have travelled outside the Philippines in the first place. I admit that I am one of those people who underestimated it. I stupidly believed the false security that the Philippines only have 3 confirmed cases since January 30th, which probably meant we successfully contained the virus and we are resilient. On March 5th, the Philippines received a grim reminder that the virus is definitely here. Though there haven’t been any new confirmed cases of the COVID-19, two people who traveled from the country back to Australia and Taiwan have tested positive for the virus. If there is no know local transmission in the country, how did this happen?
The next days after that, the Department of Health (DOH) reported additional cases of COVID-19. Before our scheduled departure to Sydney on March 11th, the total number of confirmed cases were at 33. Given that there is already an evidence of local transmission, I should have cancelled the trip but I did not. Upon arrival at our hostel on March 12th, the receptionist told us that WHO already declared COVID-19 as a pandemic. That night, President Rodrigo Duterte ordered a lockdown set to begin March 15 on Metro Manila to contain the spread of the virus in the country.
I did not know what to do. I was supposed to fly to New Zealand on March 16th and scheduled to fly back to the Philippines on March 31. I decided to cut the trip short and hightail it back home on March 17. This decision broke my heart. It was a dream that I have to give up.
What do you feel now that you are back in the Philippines?
Fear. Now I have to live with a constant fear of “what if the symptoms come out today, tomorrow or until the 14th day?” “What if I am already an asymptomatic carrier?” “What if I have already passed the virus to someone close to me or to a stranger?”
Regret. I regret taking my social responsibility for granted. I regret putting my selfish desires first without thinking about the harm I may cause to other people.
Are you okay? Do you have any symptoms?
It’s too early for me to say that I am okay. COVID-19 has an incubation period of 1-14 days, most commonly around 5 days, after exposure, according to the WHO. So even if I feel fine right now and in the next few days, I still have to wait for a full 14 days to make sure nothing develops within that period.
These symptoms may appear after exposure:
- Fever
- Dry Cough
- Shortness of breath or difficulty of breathing
- Chest paid
While I do not have any physical symptoms right now, it is my mental state that I am most worried about. A day before my flight back to Manila, I was on the verge of panic. With the public transportation being suspended in Metro Manila, we have no idea how can we get out of the airport. Many Balikbayans in the airport were stranded too. The free transportation provided by the Department of Transportation (DOTr) takes passengers to Clark only. We had no other choice but to ask my friend’s parents to pick us up and take me back home to San Mateo, Rizal.
How are you supposed to live while on self-quarantine for 14 days?
The first question that came to my mind before self-quarantine was how can I get food that will last for at least 14 days? Considering that food deliveries and public transportation are suspended, my only option is to ask my mother to get groceries for me. Imagine food rations at prisons. That’s how it is. My mother prepares and cooks the food. Once she is done, she will fill my bowl with rice and ulam, with of course, disposable plastic gloves. I am responsible to wash my own plates and utensils.
What did you learn from this experience?
The most important thing I learned from this experience is never exchange peace of mind for temporary happiness. Even if I have dreamt for it for so long. Saved money for months. The thought of checking this off my bucket list. The excitement of being in New Zealand – I still should have not taken this trip.
