After her two-week battle against the Coronavirus disease (COVID-19), the now fully recovered Iza Calzado opened up for the first time about her experience.
On “Magandang Buhay” today, April 6, the “Ang Iyo Ay Akin” actress recalled the initial symptoms she experienced such as fever, cough, and loss of appetite, which lasted for a week. During that time, Iza was hesitant to undergo the COVID-19 test thinking that several other people needed it more than her.
“Kasi 'yun 'yung time na sabi nila limited 'yung test kit. So parang diyahe kasi baka sabihin nila, ayan 'yung artista tapos uunahin kasi artista siya. So diyahe talaga ako na ayaw ko na makigulo sa ospital, alam kong maraming mas nangangailangan. Pero sa ganoong punto pala, kailangan mo rin isipin ang sarili mo,” she recalled.
Upon her confinement in the hospital, Iza’s case got even worse when doctors found a “nasty” bacteria called acinetobacter baumannii in her lungs.
“Ito po ay hindi COVID. Ito po ay isang bacteria na hindi namin alam kung 'yun ba ay dala-dala ko na noong pumasok ako sa hospital or it could have been something I got noong pumasok ako sa hospital. Hindi pa siya COVID,” she said.
She continued, “Siyempre wala pa 'yung results mo. Hindi pa agad-agad. The minute you get to the hospital, they will start treating you for COVID. So kumbaga, day 3, nagco-COVID meds na ako. Sa totoo lang, kung COVID lang ang binattle ko, mahirap siya pero mas lumala dahil dito sa bacteria. Dalawa na 'yung nilalabanan kasi nasa lungs ko din 'yung bacteria.”
Apart from the battle against COVID and the bacteria, Iza also faced an allergic reaction to one of the antibiotics administered to her.
“Hindi nila alam if [the bacteria in my lungs] is the one causing [my] pneumonia or if is it COVID. Naka-COVID medications na ako pero noong dumating ito, they had to give me matitinding antibiotics. Umabot sa point na tatlo ['yung iniinom ko] pero 'yung isa, I had a very bad reaction. Hindi ko naramdaman 'yung bunganga ko, mouth, lips, tongue,” she shared.
“May moment talaga na akala ko ito na kasi hindi ako makahinga. Sabi ko, Lord, ito na ba 'yun? Parang, ito na 'yun, this is how it ends. Tapos naisip ko lahat ng pinagdaanan ko sa buhay," she recalled. "So sabi ko, parang ang dami kong pinagdaanan sa buhay para dito magtapos. Immediately, sabi ko no, hindi ganito magtatapos ang buhay ko. Hindi dito."
The actress then expressed her heartfelt gratitude to everyone who prayed for her during her battle in an Instagram post earlier today, April 6.
“After 2 weeks of battling COVID-19, pneumonia, and a nasty bacteria, I am alive and for that I am truly grateful,” she wrote.
“I know that so many of you sent your love and support, and I want to express my heartfelt gratitude to all of you. Please know that even if I didn’t get to read all the messages, I felt the love and good energy, and that you helped me pull through one of the darkest moments of my life. Everything by God’s Grace, of course, but your prayers did so much for me,” she added.
Iza is the second celebrity to have successfully recovered from COVID-19, following veteran actor Christopher De Leon.
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