COVIDNOMICS: A PERSONAL BRUSH WITH COVID19. Please share your story too from WHF, homeschool, etc

https://www.linkedin.com/pulse/covidnomics-personal-experiences-covid19-kobby-azu

On 6th February I left Kobe University in Japan to attend the African Business Conference at the Harvard Business School. I had an already scheduled itinerary to transit via Dalian, China. Then the virus epidemic began, and I had to cancel my schedule, rebook a new flight at a more expensive price via Manila and watch my bi-directional transit visa go waste. Japan had recorded cases already courtesy the Diamond Princess ship and had a travel advisory from the US, so I felt relieved to spend three weeks in a safer place.

I arrived in New York, stayed in Brooklyn, spent a week visiting the Bronx, Queens, Harlem, and Manhattan before proceeding to Boston for my conference. With my work experience in public health from Canada and the Bank, after other public health projects under the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) and John Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (JHBSPH); as well as academic background from Harvard T. H. Chan School Public Health, I prepared very well with hand wipes and sanitizers, masks and stayed very aware of my habits and spaces to keep safe. While in New York, I always wore my nose mask since I had perhaps become half-Japanese. This drew jeers and jests from the Americans probably because they were not used to seeing that and I had become the ugly duckling. I left for Boston by bus, spent 5 days with a combination of Framingham and Worcester and again left by bus to Washington DC for a rendezvous with colleagues at the IMF and some friends at Gaithersburg, Maryland. I also visited an old-school mate in Cleveland, Ohio before returning to Brooklyn and Manhattan. I arrived at Osaka Kansai on March 1 via Manila.

By the time I left New York, the news had it that community infections had begun in Japan making it scary to return and I even contemplated extending my stay since the US government had issued a travel advisory for their citizens. A few days after arriving, the US began recording cases as well in Boston, New York, and DC. I freaked out because those were my footprints. I self-isolated and after 10 days a fatigue feeling begun with some chills. I had no cold, cough, sneeze nor headache hence anyway, so I monitored my self over the weekend and visited the hospital on the 14th day of self-quarantine to assess the situation wearing a mask.

I told the OPD why I was reporting, they enquired about my travel history and checked my temperature; it was 37.5 degrees celsius. They panicked and quickly removed themselves from me and I panicked too but soon regained composure. I told them it was only a possibility that I may have the virus but not yet definite so they all had to calm down and be professional as much as they could. I was soon isolated and I had to take a urine and blood test and an x-ray too for the Doctor who would determine whether I would have to take the COVID19 test. It was a long wait in isolation with so many thoughts running through my head while providing blood and urine samples and taking the x-ray. When I finally met the Doctor, I had already spent about 4 hours in quarantine. However, he assured me that everything was fine with my results and there would be no need for a COVID19 test, good news maybe! He would just be giving me treatment for the common cold and review me at a later date.

I contacted Accra afterward for an evacuation from Japan. Midway through the protocols, a global pandemic was declared and rightly so, the evacuation was suspended. I’m still in Kobe Japan, very healthy and happy enjoying my physical/social distancing while doing my research work from home. I pray the world heals quickly from this pandemic. As rightly put by the President, Nana Akuffo-Addo of Ghana, “we know how to bring our economies back to life, but not how to bring back the dead”.

KobbyAzu™ ©2020

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@Kobby_azu

I was scared to read what happened to you. But I was relieved to know that you had recovered.

We must remember the words of the President of Ghana you have taught. Please be in a safe place. Thank you. :pray:

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Thank you so much Izumi san.

I’m glad you like the article. Sorry for the suspense, but it is part of the work of art. :grin:

Domo arigato gozaimashita!:bowing_man:‍ :male_sign:

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