I was reluctant to visit the clinic. It rang on mind that I was going to be suspected to be a Covid 19 casualty. WhatsApp and Facebook pages were awash with the information regarding symptoms of Covid 19. Headaches were one of them. So was high temperature. I could feel that mine was indeed high. Yet it was not for the first time in my life that I had such symptoms. But Covid 19 is new…
“Medical people are so obsessed with Covid 19 that high temperatures make them overlook any ailment. It’s as if conditions such as sore throat and malaria have been replaced by Covid 19. The bundle of medical cards in my file has more records of…headache, back pain, stiff muscles, cough than any others…yet there was no Covid…,” my voice was almost loud enough to be heard two to three meters away. I was becoming despondent.
Back in the years I could device means of reducing the pains. Then ensure that I went to the clinic when, especially temperature; had lowered. Not anymore. Now I have a wife. She would observe her own symptoms for days without going to the clinic. But my symptoms give her the energy to talk. The energy to call me names for not going. The energy to leave everything she is working on to actually ‘take me to the clinic’. She did on the 13th January 2021. She left the khiba she was doing finishing touches on.
The nearest health facility to our residence is Masedi Clinic, Tonota. It operates 24 hours. On Wednesday there are Optometric services. These attract a lot of clients; especially the elderly. The clinic therefore is flooded with people. Covid 19 protocols of social distancing are jeopardized in this medical facility. Arriving around 0900 hours one finds one at the far back of the queue. Worse still, the back pain and stiff leg muscles do not allow me to stand for minutes. We decided I would come back in the evening when the queues would hopefully be shorter.
In the evening; precisely 1800 hours my temperature at the gate was 35.6 degrees Celsius. When I got to the Out Door Patient (ODP) department here were only two people ahead of me. I could hear the nurse asking them whether they had travelled. I was convinced the more that I was going to be tested for Covid 19.
I found three nurses in the office. The first temperature at the gate was taken from my arm. At the office they took from the forehead. I do not have the right words to explain how I felt, when for the first time ever since I had temperature taken and an alarm sounded from the thermometer. I tried to read the nurse’s face but could not. She was busy removing the other gadget that checked blood pressure.
“What is wrong?” she asked
“I have head ache, back ache and stiff leg muscles,” I responded. She scribbled on a white plain sheet. All the cards in my folder had no space for recording. From where I sat I could not get a clue of what she had written. Unlike those at the gate, she did not show me the reading on the thermometer.
“What else? Have you travelled recently?” she asked, her face showing concern.
“No I arrived here on the 10th of December, last year,” I replied. The other two were also paying attention. “I also cough, though I do not cough much,” I responded, studying her face and those of her colleagues. Her pen flew on the sheet of paper…
“We have to test you for Covid 19. You are feverish and have suspicious symptoms,” then turning to her colleagues she added, “His temperature is so high. He has headache, backache and muscle pains…” no one responded.
“I knew. But these are not the first symptoms I ever had in my life. They have been there before. Years before this Covid…heish!” I almost said it aloud. She let me read what she had written while she went behind her colleagues to take drugs I would take home.
“Where do you live and with whom? We are going to test you for Covid 19. The results take 72 hours to be released,” she stood up to go another office.
“I live in Lephaneng with my wife,”
“How big is your house? How many bedrooms? Can you isolate yourself? Is it possible for you to live in separate rooms until you get your results?”
“We have one bedroom,” I stood up too. I followed her outside.
“Mme. Mr Letsholo has to undergo Covid 19. He has symptoms linked to Covid 19. Does your house have enough rooms that will allow separation?” I marveled at the thought that though there was another woman in the waiting room she went straight to my wife and talked to her. She informed her that we have another house at Manyanda where we have two bedrooms, which will allow for the arrangement. She took her ‘tool box’ and behind the office where we consulted, she ‘swabbed me’ in the throat and deep into the left nostril. There was no pain. Then she pricked my finger and got samples for Malaria test.
“We have Malaria outbreak, so I have to test you for Malaria also,” she said. I responded in the positive. Less than 30 minutes of waiting and the malaria test results were out. They were negative. She assured me that in 72 hours I will receive an SMS on my mobile, showing the results. She assured me that she would call me on my other mobile should her colleagues delay. She informed us that two other drugs should be collected tomorrow as the dispensary was closed. But my isolation had started, so someone else should come collect.
The drugs she gave me were not common ones, save for two. Having taken them when I went to sleep I sweated the whole night. As usual the following day the common cold symptoms had subsided drastically, but I had discomfort in the chest. I was suspicious of two of the new drugs.
The 72 hours flew quickly. On the third day after testing I had recuperated. I was just awaiting the results. Little did I know that they would not come! The assurance by the nurse and the pains that day made me forget to get the nurse’s contacts so that I could make a follow up if the results delayed.
The eighth day after test there were no results. But I had received more than two SMSs from Covid head office. They were reminding me to wash hands as first line of battle against Covid 19. Around 1800 hours that eighth day I received a call on a landline. It was Masedi clinic. The voice told me that they got a call from Nyangabgwe hospital, saying I tested positive. The voice asked me whether I knew such results. Factually, I told her I knew nothing and that I am still waiting for an SMS.
“Are you still in isolation?” she asked.
“Yes. I am still waiting for the results to report on my phone,” I replied.
“They will come and help you tomorrow. You may be taken to Matsiloje for further isolation,” she said and hung up.
Day nine and around 1100 hours I receive another call. The caller informs me that she hopes I know that I tested positive. That they have to come and assess where I live and my condition so as to determine where I can further be isolated if need be.
Less than 20 minutes later we were talking. The results were delayed by failure of machinery at the laboratory. The surge in Covid 19 positive cases was overwhelming health equipment. They had to use labs in Palapye and even Kasane. Positive results are not sent by SMS. But they did not have the results themselves. My wife enquired why results process is not the same as those for HIV, Cancer and others. This creates lots of doubts in the authenticity of the results. They apologized but explained that they do not know what happens in the labs.
Lebogang Kgole, who was vocal during the discussions, indicated that they are the team tasked with dealing with contact tracing. The clinic staff should make follow-ups at labs and inform both the clients and the teams handling contact tracings.
As for my situation I am in the ninth day. I am asymptomatic though the said results were positive. There was no need to be taken to Matsiloje. I could not go to Ntshe House in Francistown for further isolation as I was asymptomatic. Those who are taken there are those with symptoms because they have to be treated for the symptoms. But they had to seek a Doctor’s discretion. So she enquired on the phone and the doctor told her to remind him on Monday (Day 13) of isolation. This was done.
Day 13: I called Kgole. She called after around ten minutes to say doctor had said I should use taxi to go to the clinic and see doctor. Upon arrival at the clinic however the doctor asks me what I was there for. I told her that those on the field sent me there; on his instruction.
“Have you swabbed for the second time?” asked Dr Tswalle.
“No sir,” I responded.
“Where was your first swab done?”
“Here in this facility,” I answered. He took my piece of paper and went into the office. My consultation was at the entrance of the room used for observation. Leaning on a table our words were saved by noise of other patients from being heard.
About five minutes later, he came to say those in field said I needed a fitness certificate. He had called them to enquire. He told me they would need my identity card. I gave him. Ten minutes later, he came back with the fitness certificate.
“There is nothing else you need to do. You need just that certificate…” and he dashed to the observation room…
I am still asking myself; “Is there anyhow we are going to understand what is really happening about Corona and Covid 19?”
