The Covid-19 Experience

 Go ahead, meet your friends for a nice meal or drinks. You haven't met up with them for so long. Afterall, there's the temperature scanner in every establishment. We all have to wear masks unless we are eating or drinking. And the government says we can go out for nice meals. All those months of cooking at home is so tedious. We need to socialise with other people.

What if your friends are asymptomatic (infected but with no symptoms)? And when you eat or drink, all of you take off your masks. Red Alert! Shields down. Don't get me wrong, your friends don't have any intention to infect you. They just don't know that they are infected. As far as they are aware, they are in perfect health. After you are infected, you will infect your family and friends. You are not aware because you believe that you are in perfect health. That's how dangerous the asymptomatic variant is. It can spread so easily before anyone knows.

What To Expect

The following will be both my experience and my wife's experience. On 3 April 2021, my wife's colleague alerted the company that she was tested positive. The reason why she went for test was because she met up with a friend days earlier and that friend was tested positive. From the colleague's test result, she believed that she was infected earlier. And that was when she met up with another friend who was also tested positive.

The boss told all the staff to get tested. My wife took her test on 4 April 2021. Later that night, the result came back positive. BP Healthcare sent my wife a SMS asking her to stay at home and wait for further notice from KKM (Ministry of Health). She will be contacted on the next course of action.

So, on 5 April 2021 at about 9.50am, I went to Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya (a local government clinic) for testing. Testing at government clinics/hospitals are free. The nurses asked me why did I want to be tested. I told them my wife was tested positive. I showed them her report as requested. Then, they told me to that I must take my wife to Melawati Stadium for assessment before 12 noon. I told them that the SMS she received was for her to stay at home until contacted for next course of action. They insisted that they won't test me unless I send my wife to Melawati Stadium. I called my wife and she opted to comply with the SMS instead.

So, she asked me to get tested at BP Healthcare. It cost us RM240 to do that test. I arrived at the lab at about 10.28am to get tested. I received the result at 7.40pm. It was negative. At 10.20pm, I received an SMS from Klinik Kesihatan Kelana Jaya instructing me to report to the clinic the next day for testing. This is the same clinic which refused to test me in the morning. I didn't go as I've already have my result.

On 6 April 2021, my wife received an SMS from KKM instructing her to report to CAC (Covid Assessment Centre), Melawati Stadium the next morning. The SMS mentioned that my wife should pack up her personal items to bring to the quarantine centre. My wife had her breakfast before leaving for the stadium.

Things To Know

1. There are no road signs to CAC car park at all. The car park nearest to the CAC is near the construction site.

2. At the stadium itself, there are still no signage to CAC. We had to walk around and guess where to go.

3. They don't use MySejahtera app. Those who are tested positive have to use Selangkah app. You will need to create your username, etc. Fill in your personal details and employer/company details. So, make sure you know the company address, etc. Might be easier to get the Selangkah ready before you go.

4. Register with Selangkah before you can enter.

5. Wait to be called by Counter 1. They will check your pdf result and give you a form to indicate your daily symptoms. So, bring a pen along. But, I noticed there are pens at the table. Not sure if they work or not.

6. Counter 2 will check your blood pressure and heart rate.

7. Counter 3. Doctor will assess whether you go home, Serdang quarantine centre or hospital.

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This is where you wait to be called by Counter 1.

Notice how close the chairs are. The chairs are 1 arm's length. I know my arm is less than 1 metre long.

Patients waiting for the bus.

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My wife had to wait for the bus to take them to the quarantine centre in Serdang. The bus arrived at 1.54pm.  No lunch was provided while they waited.

There were biscuits and bottled water right at the front. Self-service. The staff will not offer them to you. The biscuits are not the healthy type. Basically, to fill up your tummy.

They arrived at the Serdang quarantine centre at 2.51pm and the staff had to go check if they are at the correct drop off point. Hmm......

They have to queue up for blood pressure check. The previous group was still being checked. So, wait. It's 3.16pm. My wife had sore throat. Hence, have to be quarantined. The medical personnel did not give her any medication for her sore throat. At least at home, we have stuff to take for the sore throat. So, quarantine people without giving medication. Only those who are more serious get medication. So much for medical care.

No lunch or snack was provided until dinner at about 6pm. My wife had breakfast at 9am+ and nothing to eat until 6pm. And she's quarantined because she's considered not well. And they let people go without food for so long.

TIPS

Request for special meals if needed. They pay special attention if you have food allergies.

Do NOT bring scissors, nail clipper, glass mug, steel utensils, extension plugs, etc (just like going onboard a plane). All those items will be confiscated.

Ordering food from delivery service like Grab, etc at the centre is NOT allowed.

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Common area for patients to hang their laundry. You have to wash your own laundry in the bathroom.

Corridor

The women/kids ward. Double decker bed.

Dinner. Notice how much rice (carb) and so little meat (protein) and vegetables. I think they forgot about the food pyramid recommended by the Ministry of Health.

Other patients will be talking on the phone or with each other late into the night. So, might be a good idea to bring earplugs for those who are light-sleepers. Announcements to remind people to take their medication continues till very late at night too.

Breakfast will be served at 8am. Spicy Fried Koay Teow with coffee and an apple. Spicy and fried food for someone suffering from sore throat? What are they thinking?

Lunch will be served at 12noon. Notice the portion of rice and the tiny portion of meat (chicken or fish) and tiny portion of vegetables. Well, the carrots are vegetables. Potato is carb. Hmm...

They give chicken with bones. But, patients are NOT allowed to bring in steel utensils. They only give patients plastic utensils to eat with. I wonder if whoever came up with the idea of confiscating steel utensils or chicken with bones, have ever tried eating chicken with bones with plastic utensils.

Another example of breakfast. Fried rice with 2 sausages and a few strands of kangkong (water spinach).

https://www.bernama.com/en/general/news.php?id=1933234

This is where you can see the Ministry of Health's recommended food pyramid.

Those Transported To Hospital Via Ambulance

My wife's colleague's mum was supposed to be taken to hospital quarantine via ambulance on 9 April 2021 at about 4pm. She is still waiting for the ambulance. It is 5.33pm, 16 April 2021.

TIP

No toilet paper will be given. There's a bidet in the toilet. So, if you prefer toilet paper, better bring your own.

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NOTE

My wife is scheduled to be discharged after breakfast on 13 April 2021.

My wife's colleague who was the first in the office to be tested positive has still not been contacted to go to CAC. That is so strange. Patient 0 is not assessed or quarantined but the others are assessed and quarantined.

So, going out with friends or inviting friends to the house will put you at risk of infection. Since there are asymptomatic variants now, it is very risky.

I hope this article has been useful.

28 April 2021

A friend shared this. Recently, his nephew was ordered to the quarantine centre. He waited for 10 hours for the bus to take him to the centre. No lunch or dinner was provided. Is that how Covid patients are treated? He might as well be quarantined at home. At least he wouldn't have to miss lunch and dinner.