A doctor at the neonatal unit of the Korle Bu Teaching Hospital, who became infected with Covid-19, has bemoaned the stigma she suffered at the hands of some health workers in another department.
Speaking exclusively to Adom News, Dr Joan Woode, said fear gripped her, especially when uncertainty crept in about what could happen to her in the days that followed her test.
Speaking to Adom News, Dr Woode said she woke up one morning in March and noticed she had lost her sense of smell. She was not alarmed at first but became quite concerned when the following day, she could not smell her favourite perfume but others could.
Though she entertained fears, Dr Woode explained that she had not come into contact with anyone with the virus, hence her conviction she did not have the virus.
But her worst fear was confirmed after she called in the emergency team to carry out her test. She received the results after five days and was positive. Unfortunately, her nanny was also infected but they both exhibited different signs. While her nanny was very ill, she was asymptomatic.
The amazing thing is that of the three occupants of the house, only the child under six was not infected.
Dr Woode explained they could not even observe social distancing, but the child followed the Covid-19 protocols strictly. She explained they adjusted to doing extra cleaning at home for the three weeks they remained indoors using bleach and other disinfectants.
After two weeks of treatment, they took the test again and Dr Woode tested positive while her nanny became negative. She continued her treatment for another week before testing negative.
“Taking the test for the second negative was not easy at all. I was afraid of the outcome but I eventually went through,” Dr Woode said.
She recounted amazing support she received from her colleagues at work and family while in isolation. She said “some come and leave food at my door, while others offered to buy my drugs for me. Others even called me on phone and read the Bible to encourage me.”
But there were some health workers who stigmatised against her even when her test results were not in.
“Some other doctors and nurses in other departments started complaining about why I came to their department when I had Covid-19. But at that time, I did not even know my status until the results came back positive,” she said.
Now she is fully recovered and sharing her story to encourage others and dispel myths that Covid-19 is not real.