Tonight, finally two of Belize's COIVD-19 patients are breaking the
stigma wrongly associated with contracting the virus. Nigel Espat and
Ramsley Gillett are patients #6 and #8.
Tonight they are each speaking out in their own way to share their
experience of the symptoms with Belizeans, and to say it's an
opportunistic virus, and not anything to be ashamed about.
We spoke to Espat via phone at his home in Cayo where he told Cherisse
Halsall that he's doing well, all things considered:
Nigel Espat - Patient #6
"I'm doing good. I feel very good health wise, as the days progress I'm
feeling better and better from the mild symptoms I experienced. So I'm
convinced that I'm on my way to recovery. I'm pretty sure I got it from
Patient #4 Hubert Pipersburgh who for the past 2 years have been riding
back and forth through San Ignacio and Belize City with me in my
vehicle you know, he does it about an average of 2 ot 3 times a week."
Reporter
"What were you feeling when you heard that Pipersburgh had died?"
Nigel Espat
"I was devastated, I was torn a part, Hubert has been a good friend for
many years and even now I'm saddened by his passing, I wish it wasn't
so you know. I wish that my phone will ring when this thing is all over
and get that usual phone call, hey bro, can I get a ride? I wish that
could be a reality again but it's not going to happen because he's no
longer with us."
Reporter
"So now how do you feel when you realised you had contracted this
disease that people all over the world are going really crazy about
from someone who is a dear friend?"
Nigel Espat
"I was shocked. When I was phoned from Monday morning to say that my
results have come back positive, I was shocked because I wasn't
experiencing any of the symptoms that are being told are common for
this disease. So I haven't experienced any coughing as yet. No fevers
whatsoever and no respiratory problems. Once more is I have an oximeter
and since I've tested positive I've been testing the oxygen
concentration in my blood and I'm somewhere around average around 98%,
so I'm doing good in terms of respiration. The only thing that I did
have which perhaps fooled me because I suffer seasonal allergies and
especially in this time of year that the flowers are in bloom, I
experience a severe case of sinusitis and what was new was that I lost
all sense of taste and smell but besides that, none of what would be
perhaps he traditional symptoms of COVID-19, I'm yet to receive any of
those and I'm now today at day 16."
Reporter
"So you don't have any underlying health conditions other than the
allergies?"
Nigel Espat
"I am diabetic and so perhaps that's what made it easy to contract
because what the experts are showing is that people with underlying
conditions like asthma or diabetes are more prone to getting it. Since
Monday there has been somewhat of a sense of anxiety because for
several reasons, number one we're looking at this thing on the
television for the past 3, 4 months and we're seeing how many people
are dying from it and how serious it gets. So there is that anxiety to
say, well I have this thing and god knows what can happen. You know
while I'm feeling good today, suppose I take a turn for the worse
tomorrow, so that does exist, I have to be truthful about that. There
is also the anxiety that has built up because I'm yet to receive the
results from my wife and my kids. We receive some good news today that
my parents are negative, I was especially worried about my dad who is a
current asthmatic and he came back negative along with my mom and some
other family members that I had contact with, some of the people that I
work with, they all came back negative, so I'm hoping that we get some
good news as far as my wife and kids. I think there is a lot of rumours
out there and speculation and I'm hoping it stops and that is why I
have agreed to come out and talk about this in the hope to end the
stigma and the discrimination, albeit minor but still we don't want it
to grow and to take root. I think we should stick to the facts."
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