Kapuso comedienne Lovely Abella admitted that she got infected with COVID-19 as she is now a survivor.
During the virtual presscon for Bubble Gang on August 17, Abella admitted that she was asymptomatic COVID-19 positive when Gorgy Rula asked about it.
“Naging asymptomatic po ako, COVID po,” she replied
She did not announce her being positive with COVID-19 on her social media account because of her online business. But then, she said that she still had the intention to tell the public.
“Nag-ingat lang po kasi ako, kasi may paninda ako, may Lovely Cosmetics ako kaya hindi po namin nilabas.”
Abella assured that she was isolated from other people and her fiance Benj Manalo, son of Jose Manalo, was the one who worked in her stead.
“Pero I made sure po na nakatago ako na naka-isolate ako, and si Benj po lahat gumagawa nun, kaya tumigil din po ako sa online selling,” she said
Abella shared that it was their maid who first showed some symptoms of COVID-19 but when they took the swab test, it turns out that she was the one who was positive with the coronavirus.
“Sa rapid test po, may two lines, na ibig sabihin po, before, nagkaroon po ako ng virus. Pero ngayon, wala na akong virus sa katawan ko. Pero dahil po ang kasambahay po namin, nagkaroon po siya ng symptoms, which is nawalan po siya ng pang-amoy at panlasa ng pagkain, in-isolate po namin siya. Kinabukasan po, pina-swab test ko po siya na magkasama kami ni Benj para makampante ako. Ako po yung nag-positive. Sila po, negative,” Abella said.
She also said that she strictly followed the two-week self-quarantine which was difficult for her. She was so grateful that her fiance stayed with her in the room in a separate bed and wearing a mask.
“Kaya po masaya po ako ngayon, kasi dumaan po ako sa punto na na-depress ho talaga ako. Wala ho akong ginawa kundi umiyak, kasi natatakot po talaga ako para sa anak ko, dahil nga po asymptomatic ako, hindi ko alam kung tama ba yung ginagawa ko. Hindi ko alam kung paano ma-prevent para hindi ho sila mahawaan.”
“So, naka-isolate po ako for two weeks, and now, tapos na ako sa isolation ko, kinausap ko po yung doktor kung kailangan ko bang mag-swab test ulit. Sabi niya, basta wala na ho akong symptoms, like… kasi nahirapan ho akong huminga. Wala po akong symptoms, pero pag gabi po, hirap na hirap po talaga akong huminga. Ngayon, tapos na po ako sa isolation ko, okay naman po si Benj, wala naman pong problema. Nag-iingat na rin po kami. Dini-disinfect lahat na pumapasok sa bahay. May mga UV light po kami. May mga air purifier, lahat… Kaya okay na po ako ngayon.”
According to Health Undersecretary Maria Rosario Vergeire, recent studies had proved that “pre-symptomatic” virus transmission is possible. This could mean that a person with COVID-19 can infect other people even without experiencing the symptoms.
On a Facebook page of Scientists Unite Against COVID-19, an alliance of concerned citizens, organizations, and other citizens posted a “fact check” stated that both pre-symptomatics and asymptomatics are contagious.
“As early as February, pre-symptomatic transmission was reported in China,” they said. “One study estimates that pre-symptomatic cases may account for 44% of transmission, meaning almost half of the infections occurred before the patient developed symptoms.”
Asymptomatic people are also called “silent spreaders” because these are people who are hard to trace and easily can infect other people.
Lovely Abella is now a COVID-19 survivor and she is back with the new episodes of Bubble Gang starting this Friday, August 21.
