FE ATURE
A PERSONAL ACCOUNT:
GETTING INFECTED
BY
COVID-19
A SCC Member since 1993, 62-year old Huw Evans works in the Oil & Gas industry and is an active member of the Football Section. In March, he unfortunately contracted COVID-19; this is his story.
I first arrived in Singapore in 1981 and after leaving for a few regional postings I returned to Singapore in 1993, joined the SCC and have been an active member of the Club and the Football Section since then. I witnessed first-hand the Asian financial crisis and because I was also in Singapore during the SARS outbreak, I quickly realised the significance of COVID-19 and began to personally track it from January. From the outset, it was clear that COVID-19 was not just a simple flu and I monitored and recorded the infection numbers daily. I also had the leadership role in the company and so was responsible for all the monitoring, prevention, and sanitary measures that we put in place. Thus, as a company, we were early adopters and personally I was very aware of the risks. By early March COVID-19 was becoming a serious problem, but I had to make one last trip to London to clear some urgent company business. While there, my daughter and I were going to decide whether she should leave her University mid-term and come back to Singapore. Unlike Singapore, the UK had not landed on firm guidance and while offices had put in place sanitary measures, people were still riding public transport and gathering in pubs and restaurants - all with zero temperature checks. Concerned about the consequences, I decided against visiting my parents who are vulnerable and in their 90’s. Decision-making in the UK Universities was poor and ultimately, I flew back on my own to Singapore. Leaving London was an eerie experience on a Sunday morning as the gravity of the situation was finally being realised. The morning I left, the London streets and trains were empty although the SQ check-in desk was chaotic. Singapore had just introduced a mandatory home quarantine of 14 days for anyone returning from Europe; many were stressed-out Singapore students rushing back to Singapore with all their worldly possessions.
How did you find out you had COVID-19 and what were the symptoms? After returning from the UK I showed no symptoms and it wasn’t until the 8th day that I had the first subtle clue. I had five single dry coughs over a period of three hours late on the Monday afternoon but no elevated temperature or any other symptoms. The next
THE PADANG SEP / OCT 2020
The next day, almost exactly 24 hours after my test, I received a call and was told I was positive for COVID-19 and that in three hours an ambulance would take me to NCID for medical isolation. Obviously this was a bit of a shock and I spent the next few hours calling my office and emailing all my contacts in the UK to advise them of my positive test. Two hours later, there was the dreaded ring of the doorbell and I threw clothes into a small case and in another bag I packed my laptop, phone and chargers. For some reason I took my passport as well; I still don’t know why.
What happened when you were admitted to NCID? In March there was still enormous apprehension about COVID-19 so when two ambulance men turn up to your front door clad from head to toe in full Hazmat level PPE, it does make you think about the grave consequences. After being guided into the ambulance, I was then driven off with full claxons and flashing lights. The ambulance journey itself was quite sobering and upon arrival at NCID the anxiety levels continued to rise as a series of full-body PPE clad orderlies and nurses escorted me through a dedicated lane and then a lift to an isolation ward.
“OVERNIGHT I DISCOVERED I WAS CASE 588.”
We all landed prior to the SHN being in force and so the next day I was able to return to my office to prepare our computers and work systems to enable us to work from home from the following week. Fortunately, I had the foresight to work from a more isolated part of the office as a precaution and went directly home after work. Equally fortunate was that the Padangtiques (the SCC Vets Football team) voted to cancel the normal Friday game on the Padang, meaning that I had avoided all social contact that week including not visiting the SCC at all.
10
morning, I woke up with a sniffly nose and watery eyes but with a normal temperature. I thought it best to go to check with the doctor who directed me to NCID where I took a swab test and was told to go home and self-isolate.
I was assigned an Isolation room which I shared with another patient. I was provided lilac pyjamas which was the standard issue for the duration of my stay. The rooms are a reasonable size 7m x 6m, with two single beds, sink, bathroom, TV and telephone.
It was the telephone in the room that I first got acquainted with as it was the primary form of communication; every new arrival receives many telephone calls particularly from the contact tracers who did an excellent job. I had prepared all the contact information that they asked for and it was during these calls that I was told that several people from my SQ flight from London had tested positive. Medical checks started from the moment I entered my isolation room; there was a huge flurry of activity at first; I was fitted with a wireless thermometer for 24/7 temperature checking which then settled down to medical checks every four hours. My symptoms were not well developed, e.g. no significant temperature, and I did not need any medication. My roommate had been admitted six days before me and was quite frankly in a much sicker state than I was; he was a Singaporean who like me, had returned from London and had developed symptoms around six days after his return. Overnight I discovered I was case 588.
