Sorry for the lack of updates. As usual, life without Maria around helping me has been tough. Ever since I accepted a job offer to work from home, I have even lesser time on hand to update my blogs. I only have 2 hours each night to do my writing and assignments. I still can’t sacrifice my one hour of me-time every morning to exercise and meditate. It gives me the tranquility that I need.
Late last week, Maria was absent from work as a cleaner at our condo. She wasn’t feeling well. She had body aches, felt dizzy and had chills. When she Whatspped me to tell me her symptoms, I was quite positive that she may be infected. I nagged her to get tested as she was reluctant and sad to say, still very ignorant on the Covid symptoms and severity. Yesterday my worst nightmare came true. Maria was tested positive for Covid-19😭.
Ever since Maria did the Covid swab test on Sunday, she has not been answering my calls or Whatsapp messages, which got me even more suspicious. It was her friend, another cleaner at our condo who reluctantly told me the news yesterday. I will give Maria space and time to grieve and accept her fate before I try to Whatsapp her again to check on her.
When the area that Maria is staying turned into a Covid cluster early last week, I was quite certain that Maria would get infected. She and her friends stay above a shop and I can imagine how crowded the shophouse is. Crowded and unhygienic conditions are the main cause of infection among foreign workers. I would Whatsapp Maria everyday to remind her how grave the Covid situation is at our neighborhood, especially where she’s staying. I would remind her to put on her mask even at home as she’s sharing with friends. I would remind her not to gallivant about and to follow SOPs strictly. I guess she was somewhat lax. The Delta variant is airborne and is travelling around the world at a scorching pace. Anyone who’s lax can get infected as the virus is at every corner, waiting to find a host.
Now, something about the Covid self-test kit. Last week, the plaza management of where Maria stays did a Covid test using self-test kits on all the foreign workers staying at the shophouses. Maria was tested negative. Two days later when she developed symptoms, I urged her to get a Covid swab test done. But she bought a self-test kit and was tested negative. I am not sure if she did the test correctly. The Covid swab test done at a clinic finally tested her positive on Sunday. The Covid self-test kits are not 100% accurate and I would urge you to get a proper swab test done at a clinic if you have symptoms of Covid.
With this, it looks like Maria will not be able to return to our home to work anytime soon. According to the MOH, the Covid virus will remain in an infected person’s body for 3 months but the virus will not infect anyone. But we are not taking any risk. I have a highly vulnerable old folk at home and 3 daughters who are not vaccinated yet. The road ahead is too foggy with no light at the end. The Covid situation in the Klang Valley is still extremely grave and everyday I hear of someone I know getting infected. Yesterday, I found out from Facebook that our hairdresser’s husband died. He was only in his early 50s. These days when you see obituary of someone who’s still young, you can’t help but to point the cause of the death to Covid. A chap from my mum’s church in Ipoh recently died of Covid. He died after receiving his second dose of the Covid vax.
I think I would give Maria at least 5 months to fully recover before we can safely have her back into our home. My mil may even stigmatize Maria but I pray that she will not 🙏. Many things can happen in a span of 5 months. Maria may even choose to go back to Indonesia for good to be with her toddler son after she’s recovered. I don’t know. Things are very uncertain and there’s nothing that we can plan now with Covid still lurking around at every nook and corner.
Tomorrow is my second dose vaccination day. Honestly after hearing news of people dying after receiving their second dose, I am feeling a tad edgy. But avoiding the vaccination is something that no one should choose in view of how fast and furious the Delta variant is spreading.
I cannot fathom how children will be allowed to go back to school next month when the government made an about-turn again on the vaccination for children aged 12 years and above. The decision is now a NO go for children aged 12 years and above to get vaccinated. Though I would really love for my girls to go back to school and college, I know I am going to be worried sick of them when they do. When schools reopened this year, almost every school in the country had positive Covid cases. Two weeks into opening, schools were ordered to be closed again.
Hubby’s chefs are staying at an area that’s still under a targeted MCO / EMCO. With no chefs around, hubs has to do all the cooking himself – from preparation to cooking and from Western to Malay cuisines! He’s now a one-leg kick in his kitchen. He spends his free time watching videos on cooking on You Tube 🤭
This pandemic is truly a test of one’s perseverance, tenacity, grit and tolerance to hardship, not only for our family but many other people who have been affected in one way or another. May God see us through this very difficult time 🙏
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So sorry to hear Maria contracted Covid. I thought she would have had the shot by now. It’s very kind of you to stay supportive. Our situation was pretty bad here too with almost 4K cases in Ontario alone! But, with about 70% of the population vaxxed, including kids above the age of 12, we are opening up again🤞. So, stay strong, stay healthy!
Hi Chris
Yes Maria had her 1st Pfizer shot a week before she got infected with Covid. Her 2nd dose is due on 9/8 but this won’t likely happen now as she will still be in self isolation. The cases here is above 20k today 😪 despite lockdowns everywhere. I envy you guys with 70% population vaxxed! We still have a long way to go.