Exactly how the coronavirus is transmitted remains the subject of scientific studies. But Niceforo “Nikko” Vince Balbedina, PressOne.PH’s multimedia editor, believes he got Covid-19 from a place frequented by many people despite the lockdown: the wet market.
Balbedina also travelled by bike from his home in Makati to Quiapo, Manila to get to work, because of the lack of public transportation.
The only other place he went to was the public market, where he bought food for his family.
Like many Covid-19 cases, Balbedina said fever and sore throat were his initial symptoms.
“It started on July 19, I got a fever, and on Tuesday, July 21, my fever worsened,” he said.
“On July 23 my fever and sore throat were already gone, but my difficulty of breathing was still there,” he added.
The doctor advised Balbedina to go on quarantine for 14 days.
On July 29, Balbedina went to the clinic near his home to take a swab test. On Aug. 4, his results came back; he was positive for Covid-19.
When asked how he felt after knowing he was positive for Covid-19, Balbedina said he became more worried for his mother and sister.
“Our house has limited space, therefore, in order not to cause any harm within my family, I stayed inside the room, and my mother would just give me food and that’s only our physical contact,” he said.
Balbedina is also anxious to get back to work. “I have to get out of this,” he said.
Crowded, congested places
Infectious diseases expert Dr. Benjamin Co of the University of Santo Tomas urged the public to avoid “highly crowded and congested places with poor ventilation.”
“Because of the poor distancing and no matter how you clean a public market it is far dirtier, products are not kept hygienic, and the people that go there come from areas that are most likely congested also,” he told PressOne.PH
“Remember that the origin of the virus in China is from wet markets,” Co added. Laimae R.Chua