My Covid-19 Story

An Omicron spike in Singapore is inevitable.

The wave of this Covid-19 Variant rose sharply.

Infections have more than doubled over the past few weeks.

We will all be exposed to the virus at some point, perhaps unknowingly.

After more than two years of keeping it at bay, our family finally succumbed to the dreaded virus earlier this month.

In Sickness And In Health

My wife was the first person who was contracted with the virus and tested positive.

The symptoms were mild. It started with a headache, increase in body temperature and nausea.

And my baby had a fever shortly after. In the night she was tossing and turning, and having trouble sleeping. And she vomited a few times. That was when we tested and discovered that she was positive as well.

Living with my wife and baby, and taking care of both of them, it was not easy not to get infected also. And thus I was also tested positive a day later.

In normal circumstances, we should be isolating ourselves to prevent the spread of virus to other family members. But we were glad that we can go through it together as a family. As it was stated in the wedding vow: In sickness and in health. We agreed to stay together and support each other whether we are healthy or ill.

Every One Is At Risk

My family has been trying meticulously hard to be vigilant, wearing masks and maintain social distancing, constantly sanitizing our hands and regularly test ourselves — only to one day have it culminate into a dreaded positive result.

As a relatively fit and health conscious family, we were stunned when we were tested positive. And up till today we had no idea where we got the virus from.

No matter how careful we are, we can still get infected. The virus can get to you regardless of your age, your health status, your financial status, your social status. We must always be prepared for the worst. The fact is that every one is at risk. And it is not going away anytime soon. It is going to continue to spread, and it is going to continue to mutate.

Similarly, there is the probability of us suffer from a critical illness or met with a personal accident. Sometimes it may not even be our fault. We can do our part. We can do all we can. But at the end of the day, life can take an unexpected turn and tragedy may strike, and you may just find yourself at the wrong side of the road.

That is why it is important for us to manage and mitigate our risks. With a holistic approach, we can be sure that we can have a peace of mind. If you want to do your financial health review, speak to me for a meaningful conversation and discussion.

Faith Vs Fear

There is a change in attitudes that Singaporeans – especially younger, healthier people – have towards the virus.

Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong also said that we should respect Covid-19 but we should not be paralyzed by fear. We should live with it, go about our daily activities as normally as possible, taking necessary precautions and complying with safe management measures.

It was a stark contrast to two years plus ago with the rise of the coronavirus. As the daily infections and deaths climbed across the globe, it led to feelings of fear and anxiety across the society too. There were also lock downs in many countries including Circuit Breaker in Singapore and tighter measures and travel bans. Already feeling fatigued and missing the things we used to enjoy, this sense of weariness was palpable then.

We would have been more worried if our infections happened then. With vaccinations in place, the evolution of the virus to become more like the common flu, the change in our mindsets, we have faith and are more confident of fighting the virus.

Mind Over Body

Whenever we fall sick, there are many different factors that come together to influence the course of our illness. Existing medical conditions, stress levels, and social support all have an impact on our health and well-being, especially when we are sick. And more importantly what we think about our sickness matters just as much, if not more, in determining our health outcomes.

As Christians, we know that our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit. He who is in us is greater than he who is in the world. No evil shall conquer us. No sickness shall overpower us. When we remember and confess upon His words, it gives us strength against the sickness.

A serious illness can cause depression, especially more so for Covid-19, when a person has to isolate himself from the rest of his family members and close ones, to prevent the spread of the virus. When a person is depressed, the whole body suffers. Illnesses strike more frequently, and the road to recovery grows more difficult. While the coronavirus is a relatively new disease and there seem to be no medical prescription specifically to treat the virus yet, people who enjoy good emotional health has a higher ability to fend off the disease and enjoy a better recovery.

Instead of grumbling and complaining about the virus, we should stay positive. It is not the end of the world. We probably just needed a few days to rest it out and focus on ourselves, our health and our mental state to come out stronger.

Instead of just counting the days(like many people posting their ART positive results daily over the social media), we should make the days count.

Despite being down with the virus, I continued on with my coaching(virtually) and writing, did up several projects and proposals, and even started a new partnership in the marketing realm.

In His Timing

While it seemed all bad to be down with the virus, there were actually some hidden benefits as well.

We intended to travel overseas since Vaccinated Travel Lane (VTL) is open and we can enjoy quarantine-free travel between Singapore and select countries. Travellers will need to do Pre-Departure Covid-19 PCR or professionally administered ART tests within 2 days before departure from Singapore. Depending on countries, most will require an additional test on arrival. Before coming back to Singapore, there is the need for another test. Upon arriving back in Singapore, there is also the need to undergo a supervised self-administered ART at a Quick Test Centre (QTC) or Combined Test Centre (CTC) within 24 hours of arrival.

Fully vaccinated and recently recovered individuals who are traveling can be exempted from border measures and all the Covid-19 tests.

It was just nice that our intended flight was slightly more than one week after we were tested positive. We cannot imagine being infected just before our flight and thus having to postpone our trip or worse still being infected overseas and might have to quarantine and stuck over there. He has made everything beautiful in its time.

Getting infected could also protect us against any coronavirus variants that might emerge in the future. Our bodies and our immune systems will get stronger. We would be a lot more resilient when we have a vaccination and an asymptomatic or mild infection.

It was quite an experience of having Covid-19 together with my family. We must treasure the value of life and cannot take everything and everyone for granted. No matter what we are going through, and no matter how different the situations we all face, just know that we are NOT alone.