God rescued me from CoVID-19

I got your test result. Sorry, but you’re COVID-19 positive.

- Dr. Lito Saquilayan

”I was shocked by what my doctor said. It was already past midnight on March 12, and the news completely woke me up. I was stunned! I started to cry as other fears came to mind.

The Risks of My Job

I lead a big state-run hospital in Metro Manila. As a doctor and medical director, I make sure that all the operations and staff of the hospital are working well to deliver the best service to our patients. I also preside over a lot of meetings and interact with multiple patients and people daily.

Then the COVID-19 virus hit our country. I was swamped, preparing the hospital for the crisis. I forgot this virus spares no one and I, too, was a vulnerable target because of my age and health condition. I was a senior with diabetes and hypertension.

Things raced by after that day. I started to feel weak on March 3, Tuesday, but I was able to attend my Men’s and Women’s group (MGWG) household meeting that night. I didn’t think I could have COVID-19 since I didn’t have any of the symptoms like fever, cough, or colds. I decided to take a three-day break to hopefully recover from my fatigue. I felt a bit better on Saturday, so I decided to attend our Pathways Cavite Open Gathering. This is a prayer meeting attended by approximately eighty to a hundred people.

My Scary Journey

I still felt weak the following Monday, so I took the advice of my fellow doctors to have myself checked. The CT scan results showed that I had pneumonia in both lungs. I was immediately admitted to our hospital and underwent a throat swab for COVID-19 testing.