Among the thousands of confirmed Covid-19 patients in the Philippines, three Thomasians survived and lived to tell their stories.
Dr. Arlene Lansangan, a 2013 medical technology and 2017 medicine graduate, tested positive for Covid-19 after being exposed to an infected patient.
“Everything changed in a matter of two weeks, from being able to do rounds in the hospital, doing surgeries and operations to being in a state of complete isolation,” Lansangan said in an interview with the Varsitarian.
She is stable with no symptoms and is fit to go back to work.
Lansangan said video and text messages of support from her family and friends gave her strength, knowing that something good was waiting for her outside.
The UST Hospital surgery resident said that while the Philippine healthcare system was unprepared for a pandemic, it did not mean defeat.
“The perfect healthcare system does not exist. It’s a learning process, and the healthcare system should evolve day by day,” Lansangan said.
Another resident of UST Hospital, Dr. Carmina Fuentebella, celebrated her 27th birthday by announcing her recovery from the virus on a Facebook post last April 24.
“It felt like a dead end, but through everyone’s efforts and prayers I’m finally on my way to full recovery. I may be down, but rest assured that I will come back and once again battle at the frontlines—stronger and maybe a little bit more careful than before,” Fuentebella’s post read.
Fuentebella prayed for the safety of all her fellow frontliners as the pandemic continues to wreak havoc.
“We still have a long way to go, but I hope we can all stay healthy as we try to defeat this virus,” she said.
2003 Tourism alumna and former College of Tourism and Hospitality Management faculty member Charade Grande, an assistant secretary under the Health Regulations Team of the Department of Health, has also fully recovered and is back to work helping with the operations to fight Covid-19, albeit remotely.
From what started as an itch on her throat, Grande said her symptoms appeared and gradually worsened to chills and fevers.
“Alam mo iyong takot ko na ‘hindi, kaya ko ‘to, lalabanan ko ‘to’, actually nakakapanlumo siya pero kasi at that time, wala kang choice kung hindi lumaban,” Grande told the Varsitarian.
Grande said the courage of the frontliners who tended to her during treatment encouraged her to fight against the disease.
“I really had to be strong kasi every time na papasok iyong mga nurses and iyong doctors, parang walang saysay kapag pumapasok sila nang they’re being exposed tapos hindi ka lumalaban,” Grande said.
