“I can’t leave my colleagues in this battle. Who am I not to engage?” — Jovic Bermas, front-line nurse, Covid-19 survivor

The hospital operates 24/7.

It sits in the innermost part of London, England. With about 360 beds and an untainted history older than the two world wars of the 20th century, it is regarded as one of the major medical facilities in Europe.

It has two zones: green and red. The green zone handles various conditions; the red zone is purely for Covid-19 cases. This zoning system was only introduced when a number of the hospital’s health professionals have been tested positive for Covid-19 in the past two months. One of them is Jovic De Leon Bermas, a Filipino.

Jovic is in his fifth year working in the hospital, and in that span of time, he confessed that he has never seen a catastrophe like the Covid-19 pandemic. The 33-year old senior emergency room nurse said that the news of a strange infection — reported as a cluster of cases of pneumonia in Wuhan, Hubei Province, in China — reached his facility’s awareness in January this year. The news was not taken seriously, a reaction similar with the initial reaction of other countries. By the end of February, the number of suspected Covid-19 patients in the hospital increased exponentially. But still, he was not alarmed.

There was no personal protective equipment (PPE) then. Guidelines and policies were set up, but were not strictly observed. He followed his routine just like his colleagues. Triage patients. Noted down complaints. Chest pain? UTI? Abdominal pain? Severe headache? Past medical history. Nature of symptoms. Medications taken. Vital signs. 

March 21, Saturday. After toiling a 12-hour shift, Jovic was greeted by low grade fever with gastrointestinal difficulties. Sore throat. Headache. Muscle and joint pain. He also had sleeping troubles.

He was shivering the whole night even if the heater was on full blast and his thick, smooth duvet covered him.

“I was frightened. I was puzzled about what might happen next.”

He wondered how he got infected. As a tenured nurse who works in the emergency department pictured with a relentless influx of suspected Covid-19 patients, one would assume he got the virus while on duty.

He cried. So hard.

He had no relatives in London. Curled up, he thought about his family, his colleagues, his boss, his brethren in the church. How would they react?  He was horrified, unable to process the gravity of the situation.

That night, in a little room just three minutes away by foot from his workplace, he pondered on his life, his fate. Alone.

Since he had normal breathing patterns and no shortness of breath, he self-quarantined. He did not leave his room.

Day 2. On top of the symptoms which had manifested on Day 1, his body temperature for the second day reached 39 degrees Celsius. He was shivering. He had colds. He stayed in his bed all day.

Day 3. He experienced intermittent fever. He started to lose some of his vital senses: smell and taste. Consequently, he lost his appetite. However, he forced himself to eat to regain strength and for his body to absorb the nourishment and boost his immune system. But he was still lethargic.

Day 4. Jovic was able to successfully work on some simple tasks without putting much strain on his body. His upper back was sore. He had to work on semi-Fowler’s position where the upper body is elevated to 45 degrees. There were traces of improvements on his condition. Even so, he gave in to the invitation of his bed. His sleeping pattern had been disturbed. He slept for four hours, at best.

On April 2, the 12th day of his self-isolation, he got his nose and throat swabbed by UK health workers for his Covid-19 test.

Two days later, he received a message. “I’ve tried to call you but haven’t been able to get hold of you. I hope you’re starting to feel better. Your swab has come back positive for Covid-19.” 

Yes. Positive. Written in bold letters.

Jovic didn’t feel anything when he got the result. He expected it. He prepared for it. The test, he thought, was just a mechanism to make it official, for doubts to subside, for the process of acceptance to begin.

Naturally, when he informed his family and friends through chat and video calls of his sorry state during his first week of self-quarantine, everyone was filled with emotions. They cried. They worried. They wished they were with him. They asked him to resign and to just return home. But he downplayed their request.

“I can’t leave my colleagues in this battle. If everyone’s scared, who will take care of the sick? What if my loved ones become ill? Will the health workers just give up on them because of the strange climate we’re in? There are those who have already retired but are now courageously manning the frontlines to help, to contribute, to be part of the solution. Who am I not to engage?”

He didn’t report to work for 28 days. During his isolation period, he was assisted by his best friend Gisele, a Filipina nurse, for his everyday needs. She cooked sinigang (pork and vegetables cooked in tamarind-based broth), adobo, (pork or chicken that is steeped and cooked in soy sauce and vinegar) and other meals for him, prepared lemon tea with honey and ginger, and bought fresh apples, bananas, and clementines for snacks. For fever and pain, he took paracetamol. To stop the virus from multiplying, he opted for zinc fortified with copper, vitamin C, and Quercetin (powerful bioflavonoids). He also welcomed the advice of getting high doses of vitamin C via IV injection or drip since he was trained to do the procedure.

To keep his spirits high, for weeks, he religiously watched the live broadcast of Kuya Daniel Razon and Bro. Eli Soriano on Instagram and YouTube through KDR TV. In the program, Kuya Daniel interviewed medical doctors and experts to heighten the public’s awareness on the intricacies, extent, and projections of Covid-19. Bro. Eli, as one of the speakers, provided biblical truths for the viewers to understand God’s message about pestilences and plagues, and why crises like Covid-19 happen to humanity.

His faith in God kept him afloat in those trying times. He said that like the morning sun, the verse Philippians 4:6-7 reverberates with rays of hope in his being: “Be careful for nothing; but in every thing by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known unto God. And the peace of God, which passeth all understanding, shall keep your hearts and minds through Christ Jesus.”

As of this writing, the United Kingdom has more than 165,000 confirmed cases of Covid-19 and more than 26,000 reported deaths. The hospital where Jovic works has registered 89 casualties because of the infection. In the whole of the UK, 100 health workers have lost their lives due to the virus.

Now that he has fully recovered and has returned to work, Jovic is enraptured to perform his duty as a nurse again, now that the hospital’s leadership has made some key decisions and adjustments in handling Covid-19 cases. He simply cannot find it in his heart to abandon the oath he took, his colleagues who have been with him through thick and thin, and the opportunity to show love and compassion to others. He hopes that by doing his job with sincerity and dedication, God will show him mercy and guard over his loved ones who are miles away.

The soon-to-be convalescent plasma donor, front-liner, and Covid-19 survivor has this to say:

“I would like the public to know that all patients who will be going to the green zone during my shift will be served as best as I can while observing safe distancing. I will look after them like they are family. And if there is a need for me to go to the red zone — with full personal protective equipment on — I will, without a doubt, say yes.”

Editor’s Note: Bro. Jovic requested the editorial staff not to disclose the name of the hospital where he is working.