"In this war, I got hit by a random bullet. I owe frontliners my life."

Ito ang sinulat ng award-winning broadcast journalist na si Howie Severino sa isang Facebook post tungkol sa pakikibaka niya sa COVID-19.



And now it can be told: Howie is Patient 2828.

Nakalabas na ang 58-year old Kapuso news anchor mula sa ospital matapos ng siyam na araw na confinement.

PHOTO: Howie Severino Facebook



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Personal niyang ibinahagi ang kanyang karanasan, sa pamamagitan ng artikulo sa GMA News Online, ngayong Martes, April 7.

Detalyado ang kuwento ni Howie tungkol sa pakikipaglaban niya sa COVID-19.

"After nine days in the hospital, a bout of pneumonia and a major scare, I think I can now be called a COVID-19 survivor," bungad ni Howie.

Patuloy niya: "I am one of the lucky ones who have been able to go home, resume a semblance of my former life, and live to tell the tale.

"It’s a tale of long painful needles that couldn’t find a vein in my hands, the swabs down my throat that made me gag, the torture of long sleep deprivation, and the team of doctors who formed a Viber group to discuss updates on my case and the experimental drug chloroquine that worked on patients elsewhere and eventually worked on me."

Ang chloroquine, ayon sa webmd.com, ay uri ng gamot na ginagamit sa sakit na malaria dulot ng mosquito bites.

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Pinapatay raw ng gamot ang malaria parasites na kumakapit sa red blood cells.

NEED FOR TRANSPARENCY

Aminado si Howie na talamak ang diskriminasyon sa mga tinatamaan ng COVID-19.



Dala na rin ito ng takot na iba na mahawaan sila ng isang virus na walang known cure.

Mayroon pa raw siyang mga nakasamang pasyente na gumaling na, pero hindi makauwi sa condo unit na tinitirahan, dahil hindi pumapayag ang ibang residenteng tiga-roon.

Pero umaasa raw si Howie na mababawasan ang takot ng tao sa COVID-19 sa tulong ng survivors na tulad niya.

Paliwanag ng veteran journalist: "Transparency is an obligation.

"While there are good reasons to keep this condition under wraps — there are even privacy laws that can justify it — it's not fair to anyone who has had close contact with you.

"For the greater good, we are required to disclose our COVID-19 status to the Department of Health.

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"Contact tracing can go a long way in preventing its further spread."

Laking pasasalamat daw ni Howie dahil maayos ang pagtanggap ng kanyang mga kapitbahay sa dinanas nitong sakit.

"This is more than a notification of work colleagues. One of my more critical decisions was informing my close neighbors.

"They reacted with compassion and appreciation for the information, but I’m not sure how they would have reacted if they found out later or through the barangay."

GOOD SUPPORT SYSTEM

Malaking tulong daw kay Howie ang lakas ng loob na ipinaabot ng mga taong malapit sa kanya.



Pinapatotoo niya ito para sa lahat ng tinamaan ng virus. Hindi raw nila kailangan ng awa.

"When reaching out to COVID-19 patients, do so with more than get-well messages.

"Share family news, your playlists, jokes and memes, anything that can offer a respite from the constant reminders of our condition.

"We do not need more pity."

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Isang kaibigan daw ang nagpaalala sa kanya ng dating insidente kunsaan nagkaroon ng traffic violation ang driver ng sinasakyan nitong kalesa.

Hinabol daw ito ng police car sa kahabaan ng Roxas Boulevard.

Si Howie, na noo'y nakasakay ng bike, ay namataan ng kanyang kaibigan.

Sa tulong daw ni Howie ay nagkaayos ang police officer at ang driver ng kalesang sinasakyan ng kaibigan nito.

Ang mga ganitong kuwento raw ay nakakagaan ng pakiramdam.



At ang pagkakaroon niya ng access sa kanyang mobile phone at constant communication sa outside world ay napakalaking tulong.



COVID-19 IS "NOT A DEATH SENTENCE"

Ayon kay Howie, madalas na ang naiuulat na COVID-19 cases ay yoong namamatay ang pasyente.

Pero marami pa rin daw ang tulad niya na nakakaligtas.

"COVID-19 need not be a death sentence. I am living proof.

"A combination of good fortune, physical fitness and competent medical treatment probably saved my life.

"Don’t believe all the statistics. One false impression is that the fatalities outnumber the recoveries, artificially bloating the case fatality rate.

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"The reality is many of the recoveries don’t get counted, while the deaths often make the news, adding to the overwhelming sense of dread.

"The odds of survival are pretty good."

THANKFUL TO FRONTLINERS

Saludo raw si Howie sa health workers na nag-alaga nang husto sa kanya sa kabila ng panganib na maaari silang mahawa sa kanya.



Tanging mga frontliners na may suot na PPE ang nakakapasok sa hospital room niya noon.

Malaking bagay nga raw ang regular na pagbisita ng mga ito para kunan siya ng vital signs, para kahit paano ay maibsan ang kanyang kalungkutan.

Kuwento pa rin ni Howie, isang male nurse mula sa isang private nursing agency ang lakas-loob na pumayag maging private nurse niya.

Interesado raw ito sa documentary, at pinaunlakan naman daw ng batikang broadcast journalist ang pagturo rito ng basic skills.

"I taught him how to shoot and he began to document his life as a frontliner, which eventually became a documentation of his patient.

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"This apprenticeship was a great diversion, kept my mind active while giving me a blessed sense that even lying there in isolation I was getting something done.

"It will be hard to pay them back, but one can pay it forward."

PAY IT FORWARD

Hindi raw matatawaran ang serbisyo ng frontliners.

Kaya naman umaasa si Howie na ang pag-donate niya ng kanyang dugo ay makatulong din sa paggaling ng ibang mga pasyente.

Kaugnay ito ng experimental medical treatment kunsaan ang may mga malubhang COVID-19 ay sinasalinan ng dugo mula sa naka-recover na COVID-19 patients.

"If it’s true that I will have antibodies in my blood that can help others fight off infection, I’ll be glad to donate this accidental gift.

"It’s a small price for all survivors to pay for the chance to see the sun again."

Si Howie ay miyembro ng Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism (PCIJ).

Isa rin siya sa kinikilala bilang pinakamahusay na dokumentarista, na napanood sa mga programang Probe Team at I-Witness.

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Noong 2009, itinalaga siya bilang editor in chief ng GMA News Online, ang news website ng GMA Network.

Pagkalipas ng limang taon, noong May 2014, na-appoint siya bilang Vice President for Professional Development ng GMA Network.