Surviving COVID-19 from the Epicenter: New York

Surviving COVID-19 From the Epicenter: New York: 

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RICHIE FERRERA: This week on INC News World: young and healthy, a husband and wife both test positive; and another, who continues to be active in his faith even while in quarantine diagnosed with COVID-19. Your INC News World starts now. 

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RICHIE FERRERA: Welcome to INC News World, I’m Richie Ferrera, coming to you still from the Los Angeles area, praying that each of you watching from your own homes is staying safe during the COVID-19 pandemic. Though the CDC previously has previously stated,

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Those at higher risk are people 65 years and older; or people (of all ages) with pre-existing health conditions. CDC

RICHIE FERRERA: We learn that many young and healthy individuals are not being spared by the damage this virus brings. Michelle Peredo with more.

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AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): That evening is when I started to develop my problems with breathing. It happened insidiously in the afternoon. I remember that I had vomited and had my stomach issues in the morning. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: Ainelou from Queens, New York is a survivor of COVID-19. 

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): Yes, I live in Queens, New York. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: It’s deemed now the epicenter, you know, of America for this pandemic. A lot of people are still trying to understand or trying to paint a picture of what it’s like there.

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): Queens is the epicenter of the epicenter of the country. Ten blocks east of here, from where I live is Elmhurst Hospital. And every day, every night, every afternoon, I hear ambulance sirens.

MICHELLE PEREDO: And though quarantine orders had been in place in the beginning of the outbreak, they were at high-risk as the epicenter continued to pick up momentum. Ainelou’s husband, George, was the first to show symptoms and soon enough, he tested positive. And it isn’t clear how or when George contracted the virus. What mattered was what to come next. 

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): I get home from work and I have a fever. So here I am living with him, sharing the same air, sleeping in the same bed with him all this time and it sure looks like I’ve got it. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: Ainelou and George David, a young couple, both healthy active healthcare workers, positive for COVID-19.

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): I tell you, it feels like I ran a marathon the day before, every single day. And that your body is just, it just hurts. Sunday, same thing. Monday, same thing. Tuesday, I develop diarrhea, vomiting. At this point, I’m worried about dehydration. By evening, I’m in trouble. I cannot breathe at all. And so my husband and I were looking at each other we’re crying already. And, you know, we made the decision like okay, you’re going to take me to the ER. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: And as Aine’s husband rushed her to the ER, everything started to happen all at once. 

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): That’s when I really felt that this was time for goodbye. We called the Resident Minister Brother Joe Tasis for a prayer over the phone. We also called my dad who’s also a minister. It’s just my husband and I, we prayed again. I know I prayed in the car, on the way to the ER. I prayed while sitting in the ER. I prayed waiting for the nurse. I prayed while waiting for my chest X-ray. I prayed while waiting for my IV bag so I wouldn’t get dehydrated. So prayer was it, that was all I had. And that’s all that I relied on. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: And because it was all she had, it was what she kept doing.

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): Finally, the ER nurse had come to assess me. She takes my oxygenation with the pulse oximeter. It’s 96-97%, which is normal. And I remember shouting in the middle of the ER, “Praise God!” Because I know my lungs are working. My lungs came back. But to know that I didn’t need to be one of those who had to be admitted or intubated. You know, it was such a relief. And since I was able to breathe there, and the hospitals were full, are packed at this point they said, “We’re going to send you home.”

MICHELLE PEREDO: You prayed at every moment. What was that conversation that you had with God?

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): God is the author of all. So if He was going to take me, He was going to take me. I wasn’t praying for myself, inasmuch as I was praying for my family, my husband was sick also. So I was just asking God for a chance to help him if I could just stay a little longer to help him. Still wanted to perform my duty. But that’s up to God. And I understood that. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: Though she and her husband are on the road to recovery there is still some ways ahead, as the battle is on all fronts, including taking care of her kids.

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): There’s stress, physically, mentally, socially, as a parent, as an officer in the Church who just wants this to end so we can go back to the chapel. Even until now I have not been able to kiss or hug my children. 

MICHELLE PEREDO: Though there’s no telling how this will end and for normal life to begin, Aine and her family are continuing to soldier on with God’s help and the Church Administration.

AINELOU DAVID (RESIDENT – QUEENS, NEW YORK): The Church Administration is on point. They know what we need, and they’re responding. There’s always hope, the next day, whatever you went through today, in the morning, you get another shot. It’s going to be better. And the Church Administration gives us that strength and that motivation to keep going. They’re right we have more opportunities to propagate and share our faith because we’re home.

MICHELLE PEREDO: It is truly the faith of members of the Church Of Christ that give them the courage they need to face life’s challenges each day at a time, even in the midst of the pandemic. To keep up with inspiring stories even during these times, log on to incmedia.org/incnewsworld. Michelle Peredo for the Iglesia Ni Cristo News Network.

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RICHIE FERRERA: Although the rate of hospitalizations have leveled out, those

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who died due to COVID-19 illness put the state’s toll over the 10,000 mark. CBS New York 

RICHIE FERRERA: Unexempted from this number are medical professionals who fought at the front line of this battle. We’ll meet one nurse in the Brooklyn borough who heard news that brought him face to face with the uncertain reality of this pandemic. Adara Pineda has the details.

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JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): Initially, we had our preparation; we’ve been ready. But as soon as we started receiving COVID-19 patients, we were actually overwhelmed by the number of patients coming to our hospital.

ADARA PINEDA: Just like many of the frontliners in New York, Jemmuel Jasmin and his coworkers were bracing for the worst.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): This is something that we’ve never seen before and from a clinical perspective, this is completely different than what we’ve dealt with before.

ADARA PINEDA: Since the beginning of the outbreak in New York, the hospital began to see dozens of COVID-19 patients per day. And these heroes on the frontline also fall victim to the pandemic.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): When we started getting patients I believe about a week since we started receiving COVID-19 patients, some of my co workers tested positive, they started showing symptoms. And after several days, I think about four to five days I started showing symptoms as well. So I decided to get tested in our emergency room. And then the following day, I got the results back. And unfortunately the result was positive. I got infected by COVID-19 virus.

ADARA PINEDA: His worst fear has come: he was tested positive of this disease that has been claiming many people’s lives.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): I’m expecting that it could be positive because of the symptoms that I’ve seen.

ADARA PINEDA: Anticipating what the future held, Jemmuel would then spend 14 days in isolation in his own home as advised by his doctor.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): 14 days was very long. Sometimes you feel helpless, because there’s not much you can do. You have to stay there. Even if you want to hug your kids, even if you want to talk to them. They text me usually “Dad, how you doing? Hope you’re going to be alright.” And I know I can sense from what they’re telling me that they’re worried and scared for me as well.

ADARA PINEDA: However, in battling his fears for his own life and his family, Jemmuel finds support from those around him.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (VICE PRESIDENT FOR PERIOPERATIVE SERVICES – NEW YORK COMMUNITY HOSPITAL): Brother Jason heard that I tested positive for COVID-19 the first thing that he did was to call me and and pray for me through FaceTime and I really appreciate that. That moment I know I’m going to be able to go through that. 

BROTHER JASON DULALAS (RESIDENT MINISTER – STATEN ISLAND): We had Brother Jemmel in one room and his family in the living room, and they had me here because where we are at quite far, and we had our prayer right away. And we continued to have that prayer with his family, so that we can ask God for help continually.

ADARA PINEDA: His fast recovery was the way God answered his prayer.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (INC MEMBER – STATEN ISLAND): I had fever for eight days alongside with coughing, and after eight days, my fever subsided. And I just had some residual cough. But eventually that also went away. So after by around 14 days, I’m really ready and good to go.

ADARA PINEDA: Although in quarantine, Jemmuel didn’t stop performing his duties in the Church Of Christ.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (INC MEMBER – STATEN ISLAND): We have our worship services during this pandemic crisis online and one of the worship services I was able to perform as the head Deacon was able to lead the prayer during the worship service. And I’m very thankful to God for allowing me to be able to continue to perform my duties, despite my condition. I’m still able to attend the devotional prayer, and I know brethren and we’re actually praying for me to get better as well together with my family. So I’m really fortunate. That helped me a lot for going through those quarantine days.

BROTHER JASON DULALAS (RESIDENT MINISTER – STATEN ISLAND): It was resounding throughout all of the feelings of all of the brethren after that video streaming worship service, because of the message that our beloved Executive Minister Brother Eduardo Manalo gave to us, teaching us how to stay strong, how to stay active, how to stay true to our Almighty God. Even in the midst of hardship and this pandemic, the brethren were all the more strengthened in their faith, in their hope, so that they could see this through.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (INC MEMBER – STATEN ISLAND): As soon as I reached the 14 days without symptoms, the first thing that I did I ask my wife to go with me to the chapel. And the first thing that we did is to pray and to thank God for allowing me to recuperate or recover from this disease. He was the one who healed me and gave me back my strength to be able to go back to work and help my co-workers. 

ADARA PINEDA: With a new found outlook on life, Jemmuel is remaining positive as he returns to the front lines to continue the fight.

JEMMUEL JASMIN (INC MEMBER – STATEN ISLAND): To be able to go through this pandemic crisis and hoping that we will be prepared for the next wave or the next round, a scientific evidence shows that it’s possible that it would come back. We’ll be stronger that time. 

ADARA PINEDA: We continue to see God’s hand in our lives, and how it reminds us that we are never alone during these times. For the latest news log onto incmedia.org/inc-news-world. Adara Pineda; Iglesia Ni Cristo News Network.

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RICHIE FERRERA: In the continuation of this week’s episode of INC News World: 

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RICHIE FERRERA: Meet a man who has survived a severe case of COVID-19; see how a truck driver is delivering some much needed essential supplies during the pandemic; see how the virus is taking hold in the United Kingdom; More details when we come back, don’t go away. 

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