There's Heartache And Hope

As the Covid-19 chaos continues, we look at the grieving, the affected and the recovering

Just a few months ago it was something affecting other people in a country far, far away. The chances of it coming here were slim, we were told. Don’t panic.

But just look at us now. Like the rest of the world, we’re living life under a cloud of COVID-19 – and people are losing their lives.

As the virus continues its relentless march across the world, stories of both heartache and hope are emerging about South Africans affected by the disease.

ON THE ROAD TO RECOVERY

NALEDI RADEBE (29)

When Naledi Radebe set off on her holiday to the United Kingdom, she could have never foreseen the frightening turn her trip would take.

The model and content creator from Johannesburg was spending time with family in London when she first started experiencing a tight chest and difficulty breathing.

It was Sunday 15 March – the same day President Cyril Ramaphosa made his first address to South Africa about the measures that would be put in place to try to curb the virus.

Terrified she wouldn’t be able to return, Naledi decided to take the first flight back home. “That was pretty much the international sentiment then – get home.”

Now, chatting to us via video call, Naledi is in her 17th day of self-isolation at home. She’s holding up okay, she says. “At this point, I actually feel like I’m becoming a professional at it.”

Naledi is well on her way to a full recovery but it’s been an unsettling experience.