 Thank you so much for staying tuned. As promised we now have an interview with an individual who has been through the throes of COVID-19 as a patient himself and he's here to speak to us about his experience at the respiratory hospital being brought back to health. I'd like to welcome Mr. Fadeleon, businessman. Welcome. Good morning. Good morning. Good morning. Thank you so much for being here. I want to first of all say you know I'm glad to see you in good spirits. You're fully recovered. Yes indeed. Wonderful. Before we get into you know the talk about your diagnosis and everything you're widely known as a businessman here on Ireland, speak to us about your particular experience with the pandemic in the last year as a businessman here on Ireland. All right cool. I know about a restaurant in the heart of Rodebe, they call it Cafe Simeon 5-8 at J.K. Morro Rodebe and actually quite a few of my income you know from the throes and from the foreigners you know and from the events you know like such as jazz you know to you all day right and things as such. Unfortunately you know the pandemic will be exactly like one year from now right hit me as just hit like everybody else and I lost more or less like about 85-90% of my income because of the tourists and because of the restrictions on flights you know and because of the coronavirus and I think as such. Nonetheless I was forced just like everybody you know and by the guiness of the government you know to shut down and follow the protocols. So I choose to follow the protocols as I said a while ago you know and be safe than being sorry. Absolutely. Right and it's like you know it's something like you know everybody have to feel it so I'm just like one of them. Okay and speaking about feel it you definitely felt the full brunt of COVID-19. Yes indeed. Talk to us about you know the weeks ahead of well the days before you got your diagnosis what were you feeling in terms of symptoms and so on. Cool. On the 20th of January the the government in heart suspended the legalization and based on that you know actually I choose to shut down the the operation of Cafe 758 for good until further notes so I could be safe my staff can be safe and my customers you know although I have a restaurant and I could operate you know based on grab and go or based on the advice of the government but I choose to shut down completely just to be safe you know I mean I'll mess around in as well and I see all my operation you know and I see all my movement more or less somehow I got it but I wasn't away I had COVID-19 so the first four five days you know actually I lost my test you know I lost my smell I had a joint pain I had a headache but it was a very unusual headache I mean I suffer from headache every now and then but the headache I got in it was so unusual usually the headache can be like you know top of your head or the back of your head on the side but my headache was literally behind my eyes and something like you know I have never experienced before and I lost my appetite I lost my strength as well therefore I was just like the others you know taking paracetamol taking what you call the local tea you know and the the other things like you know ginger tea stuff like that you know but I wasn't feeling too well as well you get me like getting worse so I was advised to to go to VG complex where they have a free um testing for COVID-19 a friend of mine actually right just him to be on the safe side because your symptoms like so unusual and in not you know you you you're not recovering you're getting better as a matter of fact so I went to VG complex you know and I did two tests you know they call it a rabbit test and the PCR test the rabbit test in within half an hour 45 minutes you will be able to know exactly your status you know based on 60 percent 70 percent you know confirmation and the PCR test will come I think about two days or three days after to confirm the the the the how they call it the rabbit test so within half an hour 45 minutes the nurse and me know I'm positive right so go home quarantine and then soon as the PCR test comes out you know to confirm what you have you know we'll call you for further information or for the for the advice as a matter of fact but that I couldn't sleep properly I think like you know my situation went from bad to us so I have decided you know hey I need the medical attention would that being said you know I was too mind to go to BH because of what I heard the whole story you know the anxiety of being a hospital I have never been a hospital before in my life but I say you know this is my only hope take it all leave it so I drove the following day to the hospital and you drove yourself I drove myself to the hospital literally you know it looks like almost about Olivia actually in the north of the island it looks like a mouse an hour because you know I was driving so slow you know and I was struggling for a you know I couldn't I couldn't breathe do you live with anyone else I know I live by myself okay that's good thank you so soon as I arrived to the hospital you know I parked my vehicle and I walk to the security and I tell him you know chief I can't breathe I'm a positive I was diagnosed with positive coronavirus come come come and say what day was that it was I think the 11th or you know some was you know the 12th of February more or less and he didn't you know have a sitting under the tent and somebody would attend to you you know so he literally you know welcomed me they become inside come so he took my temperature first you know and he sanitized my hand I tell me have a sitting under the tent nonetheless you know within about 10 minutes you know a nurse came and she asked me to come actually to the other side of the of the hospital from the tent you know to inside the building you know lower down I mean I'm not sure you know the name of the of the of the sections you know so she took my pressure you know she took my sugar and I tell about my condition and she realized like my sugar my sugar high you know and my blood pressure high and she said we need to admit you and because of your breathing you can breathe properly you know so we have to go through the process sign some documents and stuff you know and then we walk to the to the center you know right up the hill I'm sure you know about between the security you know and going up the hill you know right so I was struggling to make it and of course you know I had a nurse a male nurse you know helped me out you know to walk through and when I tried to climb the steps and it was a challenge for me because of my oxygen level I wasn't climb properly so I fall a couple times and he helped me out actually finally I made it to the center and I was admitted I was admitted immediately you know and actually I came on time and the doctors you know and the nurses you know were really on me to make things happen talk to us about the treatment how you observed what was how long did you spend there coming to recovery all right cool so soon as I um soon as I entered the center you know um well that mean toward um how they call it a special room like a private room Wallace right we have your own bed you know you have your own shelf you have your own privacy Wallace but yet still you know it has like glass glass partition so that they could observe you know from from outside in case something happened on an emergency so you're on your own my own I have my own room perhaps like you know six by six I'm very well comfortable I mean and he's enough for one person there's a nice bed right so the first thing that the nurse did you know um she put a new bed sheet on the bed and the doctor will be with you shortly within about five minutes you know uh may god bless her always you know Dr. Gifford she came in right away you know and she attended me and she started the process so the first thing that she put an IV right here in my vein the upper vein and the blood come out like most like a clotting so she said like we need to extract some blood from you you know because we are afraid like you might have a sign of stroke you know or blood clotting so just to make sure like you know you are right so she took her from there and she go from the bottom you know from that side and the blood starts flowing right away she started treatment and she gave me some medication with some injections you know and stuff and she put in an oxygen machine because I couldn't breathe properly there after two hours you know three hours nurses coming in and out with a big machine you know like a monitor machine that has actually all the information like you know you need like in terms of the blood sugar vitals the vitals you know your blood pressure your oxygen level and your sugar as well I literally could not feel my fingers afterwards because the amount of time you had been yeah but I mean it's from for my own good you know yes so it's most like every two hours you know the way chicken chicken on me is that only chicken on me as well in a chicken everybody because their rooms like you know numbered like number one number two number whatever it is so they go in sequence so you never felt neglected no no no not at all not at all not at all as a matter of fact you know anytime like you know just like you know about to fall asleep that will just come in to make sure like you know you have your blood pressure and under control and stuff I was always getting like you know some medication on a regular basis you know to I think to make to make my butt thinner or something because we're kind of way afraid you know for me right and yeah and I recovered you know within six days seven days right within a week you recovered mollus mollus mollus I mean the service is amazing the nurses are amazing as I say like you know in a previous talk show you know I don't call them nurses and doctors I call them honey bees because they're around the clock working you know the local nurses and the foreigner or the Cuban nurses mollus if you want to call them and the doctors amazing all of them all of them I couldn't actually recognize them because you know of the gays they have right but they're just some point they come they they ask you you know hey you know how's your breathing anything troubling anything helping you anything so and so and so please tell us exactly what's your improvement in terms of breathing you know in terms of what you need or something yep and and definitely before you you just indicated that you were apprehensive about even contemplating going to the hospital what are your thoughts now when you perhaps hear individuals talk about the level of the quality of service that is being offered at that facility how does it make you feel following that experience be be be be being honest with you you know being honest with you the amount of horror stories I heard about VH and the amount of circulated videos about the poor service and the poor quality of the service mollus or the environment or the establishment I was really afraid but the first day honest to God you know the first day I entered this dissenter I was like wow this is a masterpiece because you're in a room by yourself nonetheless you know every two hours there's something checking on you your food comes on time as well you have your breakfast you have your full protein your tea whatever it is your lunch your dinner on time your medication I was also on drips I don't know what they call what they call the science word to eat in the drips and they make you see because you know we have a a glass partition so they're always observing you like you know mollus like what they passing by so sooner they realize what they call the drips you know going down or about to go down a new one comes in right away until I can we get to a point like you don't need it anymore because remember you know I lost my taste you know I lost my smell and I lost appetite as well so I wasn't eating per se so the only nutrition comes in through the drip yes indeed wow and today how do you feel I know that you got the the bill of clean health from authorities before leaving but you know some persons both here and abroad say that they do have some residual effects they feel you know the respiratory wise they do have some um all right cool um so I'll tell you exactly what happened you know uh within six days you know seven days you actually the doctor came in and he told me um how long you've been on the machine I tell him well a couple days tell me now you can't be in the machine anymore because I check your breather and things you know I mean your lungs working properly you have your sugar your pressure your oxygen level you know coming to come so I'm going to take you off the machine you're gonna struggle you're gonna have feel like kind of discomfort but nonetheless I want your lungs to work on on it on I'm gonna leave the machine right there next to you in case in case of any emergency you could just switch it on you know and use it but try your best not use it if you don't need it so that helped oh yes yes indeed so give me the courage you know you give me the hope like you know I'm recovering so that that them them them them was alone actually brought me up and brought me like you know closer to to to to recovery so I start doing some exercises I start walking around you know I start breathing on my own try my best like to forget like the machine is there and gradually I start recovering I start moving around I start walking actually better than how I came in because when I when I was admitting I couldn't actually walk like about four five steps I couldn't even like you know walk like further than the length of the code of the of the of the oxygen machine feeling like you know I will I will die well actually I was almost dead as a matter of fact and because of the help of the doctors you know and the nurses right and the center mollusks right and my life to tell us story right now and in that moment of feeling you know your thoughts of your own mortality tell us how what what what is going on through your mind at that time because we've heard you know millions have passed away you know millions are still grappling with COVID-19 today how did you feel in that moment all right um based on what I have heard about the age before based about what I heard about inclusion in terms of in a third world country and how limited resources we have I was really terrified I was really scared that you know I will not make it here based also on big countries like such as Europe you know Canada you America you know where people like where the health so advanced or the health sector so so so advanced and we have a limited resources I was kind of way afraid but when I entered the center and realized the amount of care and love me and the others or the other patients were treated I say hey nah I mean they it's it's it's amazing amazing as an amazing place we're actually big countries like you know where people actually die in you know despite the quality the advanced technology they have with our limited resources I survive to tell a story wonderful and and as you recovered we started here on island with the national COVID-19 vaccine indeed tell us what are your thoughts about the vaccine okay I supposed to um to to to get my vaccine actually you know prior to my to my to my to my illness but because of my immune system you know being jeopardized you know and you could say like you know right now my immune system under construction right the doctor advised me I can't take it right now right away because I need a little period of time for my immune system to recover nonetheless have not been sick I'll be taking it right away I'll be one of the first to take it right away so I advise everybody everybody just to take it there's nothing fear about it don't be scared to take it because at the end of the day you know my ideas you know COVID-19 is not a joke believe in me it is not a joke this virus you know have one initiative and one mission is to kill you I've been there I know how it feels trust me and because of the help of the government and the Ministry of Health from the head right to the janitors on my life today and healthy with no underlines I love the center you know as healthy as ever right I mean I'm definitely you know sending another kudos out to the healthcare world oh yes oh yes indeed yes yes indeed yes indeed I mean unfortunately I could not I could not actually remember you know the the the names of the individuals in the end the doctors you know like I know only what they call doctor Gaffard and there's one nurse as well you know from from from Mikusa you know nurse Montcherry but nonetheless you know I appreciate all of them I wish I could meet them in post you know and shake their hand like not physically you know but I mean like you know like figure out speech more less you know and then thank you for saving my life all of them right to the janitors because they will come they imagine you know even the janitor you know every morning and every night they will come they you know with the special special morphine and some solution you know and make sure you know I think that the place well sanitized your your garbage you know well flowing and stuff so I don't understand exactly you know why we have to look particularly we have to make the center so bad in our eyes that people are going inside and being saved and one of them we're seeing that the the recoveries I'm there I'll also you know have not been saving I'll be around Beatriz I've been honest with you my dear you know because what I felt it I don't even wish you wish it to my own enemies just tell you the truth the pain you know and the anxiety and the discomfort I've been through I don't wish it to my own enemies and I'm alive right now tell the story so thank you thank you to the mystery of health thank you to the government and thank you to everybody that helped me out from my friends my staff my family with the prayers you know everything I really appreciate that final question from me we've heard from the Royal Central Police force of breaches from last year across sectors and business people you know and also individuals social breaches in the social sector as well during Christmas time and so on and as a businessman in smack dog in the middle of you know having your business in the social sphere can you give any admonition to the general public in terms of continuing to adhere to the protocols at this time because yes we have the vaccine but it's going to take some time before we experience hood immunity indeed so we need to continue to adhere to the protocols I could say I could I could say a few things you know the first things you have to be healthy in order to make money that's one number one number two we making money money doesn't make us it means if you have your health you can continue to make money you know and have businesses you know and continue your life normally you'll be in sick you don't adhere to the protocols that's it for you could have all the money you need it not do anything my friends you need to adhere to the protocols you need to understand exactly how that virus works I mean I don't be in the government you know I don't think the government is is is uh how they call it I would use the right word I don't think the government here you know don't like us and they want us to to to to shut down the business just because you know they want shut down the business now there's a reason for that to limit the social this to me to me the social what they call it activities until further information you know in terms of the virus how it works until more or less like you know perhaps like as you said like the vaccine everybody takes the vaccine you know and immunity buildup you know and stuff perhaps you know life will come back to normal I advise everybody to listen to the protocols and to adhere to the protocols you know and make sure that they are healthy and take the vaccine it may it it it not worth it trust me it not worth it trust me at all at all at all wonderful indeed thank you very much you welcome you welcome time indeed I'm glad to hear that you are in the land of the living you covered and you are well thank you of course no better way to wrap up our morning update than with this wonderful news of one of the individuals recovering at the respiratory hospital you know giving his testimonial of the experience that he had at the respiratory hospital saying that it was superb and that you know persons who are spreading information about you know less than experiences that they might have had at the respiratory hospital you know certainly isn't the case so thank you very much Leon for that endorsement for the respiratory hospital of course we do wish you all the best thank you business going forward thank you my name is Jesse Leon signing off for today we encourage you to stay tuned to NTN for more updates from the government of St Lucia we continue to keep watch over COVID-19 of course our response is on the up and up there's the national COVID-19 vaccination campaign underway alongside our response to managing the virus on the ground and in the hospitals as well the community wellness centers as well we do want to say kudos to healthcare workers who are you know putting their lives at risk is essentially you know to ensure that the population is protected against this deadly virus do keep safe adhere to the protocols read up on the vaccine and once you're sufficiently once you're satisfied that you know it meets all of your criteria i i do encourage you to get vaccinated of course the ministry of health is definitely looking forward to that do preregister to get preregistered and go out and get vaccinated as soon as possible enjoy the rest of your day keep safe cheers