There’s always hope at the end of the tunnel, as Portia Maloyi’s story shows.
Maloyi, a nurse in Durban who was diagnosed with Covid-19, has now fully recovered and is back to doing what she loves most, even though she fears the possibility of being reinfected.
“After two weeks of quarantine, fighting Covid-19, I’ve now fully recovered and went back to work on Monday.
“I’m so happy I’m back to serving my people and lending a hand in the fight against Covid-19, but I do worry about contracting the virus again,” said Maloyi, adding that she trusts God to protect her.
Maloyi, who is 42, said having the virus was hard and scary because of the uncertainty that came with it.
She said although she had a positive outlook, she worried about who would take care of her five daughters if she didn’t recover. The youngest is only four years old.
Maloyi said she was grateful for the scientists who were working tirelessly to find a vaccine and hoped that they would succeed.
“I’d like to tell people that there is life after the coronavirus, and encourage those who have tested positive and remind them that they stand a good chance to recover – if they take good care of themselves and take the necessary medicine.”
Maloyi said she fought the virus by taking immune boosters such as vitamin C, combined with flu medication and a home-made concoction of ginger, garlic and lemon.
She also advised people to eat plenty of citrus fruit.
From her experience with the virus, she said she had learnt that life was short and unpredictable, that one should live it to the fullest and give it their all because no one knew what the future held – one might not live to see the next day.
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She said support from friends and family played a big role in giving her hope, courage and determination to put up an even stronger fight.
“After the first article about my diagnosis came out, I got messages of support from people all around the country, with some saying prayers for me. I’d like to thank all of them.”
Her eldest daughter Pfunzie Maloyi, 25, said it was difficult accepting that her mother had contracted Covid-19 because of how the virus was introduced – you could die from something you breathe.
Pfunzie said her mother’s recovery had given her hope that other people could also recover from the virus if they had a positive mindset.
“I’m so grateful that she’s recovered and everything is back to normal, I can see she’s very excited.
“Everyone in the family was worried her condition would deteriorate, it was such a relief when she recovered. She’s such a strong woman, she inspires me so much,” said Pfunzie.
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