Tobago WASA worker: I survived covid19

A 39-year-old man from Plymouth who contracted covid19 is thankful to still be alive and to have been asymptomatic throughout the infection.

Anthony Dumas, an employee of the Water and Sewerage Authority (WASA), said he only took the covid19 test after coming into contact with a co-worker who had it.

“My driver had tested positive and because I was working with him, I had to be swabbed. He was coming to work normal because he didn’t know he had it. He ended up getting sick, so when he got the test, I was contacted to get tested as well.”

Dumas was swabbed on April 30 and was found to be positive three days later.

“I had no symptoms before, during or even after. I never get no cold, no fever, no nothing – and I went through the whole quarantine, everything, with no symptoms.”

He said his family was also swabbed, but their results returned negative.

“When they told me of my co-worker, I began quarantining from them a little bit. So by the time I was swabbed, they weren’t really around me.

“I was home for the early part of the quarantine and then they took me to the facility (the old hospital at Fort King George, Scarborough).

"The treatment at the facility was good, I really can’t complain."

Dumas knows he was one of the fortunate ones.

As of Wednesday, the virus has taken 13 lives in Tobago and just under 500 in Trinidad. Even young people with no comorbidities have died of the virus.

Dumas said, “I survived covid19 and I feel good about that, but it would be a difference with everybody. To me, it really depends on your body and how you maintain and manage it. Some people are getting it worse than others.”

Dumas, who competes in dragon boat racing and other sports, advised people to treat their bodies right.

“I was normal, so I am not in any position to really give much recommendations in terms of staying healthy, but the most I can tell people is try and build up your body as much as possible.”

He said even though he has recovered from covid19, people have been scorning him.

“It have people that ain't too understand and started moving different. But to be honest, I don’t even study that, because with covid19 is really everybody to their own.”

He feels the THA Division of Health, Wellness and Family Development and the Ministry of Health have been providing adequate information to the public.

“Yes, the information out there. But some people still don’t understand how this thing working. So even though the information is out there, I ain't feel people really understand.”

He advised Tobagonians, “Be careful – follow the advice. Take care of your family.”

Because he had covid19 recently, Dumas will be unable to take the vaccine for six months. He promised to take it as soon as it becomes available.

“I say take the vaccine, because they’re saying it gives you the best chance to protect yourself. I find that’s the best thing to do – take it.”