How did you contract this disease?
I belong to a working group integrated to face the Covid-19 in the Hospital Clínico Quirúrgico Lucía Iñiguez Landín, exactly in the intermediate therapy room to attend polyvalent cases, that is to say, cases of all kinds that arrive that may or may not be presumed to suffer from the disease.
In one of these cases referred from the Vladimir Ilich Lenin Hospital because of a heart attack, we attended to it and the patient, approximately six days after receiving assistance, tested positive for Covid-19. Regardless of this situation, we were hopeful that none of the 16 comrades who treated the patient could have infected us.
You were asymptomatic the whole time?
That’s right, totally asymptomatic. It was nine days from the last contact to the day of the PCR diagnosis. I didn’t feel anything, I was even in my quarantine period and I exercised inside the room and maintained a normal physical activity, I didn’t feel any discomfort.
What happened when the PCR is positive?
I was admitted to the Hospital Militar Fermín Valdés, that day I passed normally, the first studies were carried out and a small lesion appeared in my right lung, radiologically without any clinical manifestation and when the treatment with Kaletra, Interferon and Chloroquine began, the symptoms began.
Immediately the cardiologists perform an analysis and they notice a pericardial rose and the possibility of having pericarditis. When I have the echo, it is noted that I have an effusion in the pericardium and from that moment on the symptoms become serious.
What was your reaction, with the experience in the Medicine, when you realized that your situation was getting complicated?
It was really difficult, because I know about it and I saw the movement of all the equipment; the ventilator for ventilation and the defibrillator on and it was really strong because I knew and was aware of what could happen.
Your colleagues, who attended you, say that you were always optimistic and confident in your recovery?
Yes, I tried to handle the situation all the time, I put a lot of effort into it, I tried not to let the psychological part affect me, but I’ll tell you the truth and I’ll be very honest, it’s not that easy to face a reality where you know what can happen.
How do you evaluate the quality of the staff that treated you at the Military Hospital?
In the Military Hospital of Holguín, what is most valuable and shines in our province in attention to the Covid-19 is gathered.
I dare to assure you that this hospital is the jewel of the eastern provinces, the jewel of the Eastern Army; firstly because of the technology we have at our disposal which is first class and available to our people and secondly because of the quality, professionalism and humanism of the professionals who work there.
And I cannot fail to mention the importance of biotechnology, which is an achievement of Cuban science, especially the CIGB 250 drug, which made it possible to stop the inflammatory process in me and saved my life.
What is the message that you send to your patients and in general to the people of Holguin, who day after day called to learn about your evolution?
To my companions, to my church brothers, to my friends, to all the people, to the group of cardiologists, intensivists, anesthesiologists who were by my side day and night, infinite gratitude.
Would you return to the red light district to fight this pandemic?
That’s a fact, after my recovery I’m going back to my job to continue supporting this battle, because that’s what I like to do and because I was trained to save lives.
