By Caroline Konje.
Midlands Minister of State for Provincial Affairs and Devolution Senator Larry Mavhima says covid-19 is not a death sentence even with prevailing comorbidities as long as you follow the doctor’s advice and stay positive.
Minister Mavhima who is a covid-19 survivor chronicled his battle and triumph over the dreaded disease during a covid-19 webinar hosted by YAFM and Great Dyke News TV recently.
“On the 15th of October (2020) I felt that I was not myself, I had constant headaches, fevers, weak joints, dry coughs, lack of appetite, shortness of breath but I took it lightly until my family noticed that I was no longer active, the busy buddy Larry Mavhima who wakes up at 5:30am and sleeps at 12midnight.”
Minister Mavhima narrated how he was forced to go the hospital by his family members even though he convinced himself that he was going to be fine the next day.
He urged people not to delay getting tested as this will result in more damage to the body from coronavirus.
Senator Mavhima said his doctor recommended some tests including a covid-19 test which he did through the Lancet Clinical Laboratories, but the results gave him a shock.
“I did the tests, went for Xray because the doctor had suspected pneumonia and when I got the results, I got the shock of my life because people are dying everyday so I thought I am next in line, but the survival instincts in me said I am not going to die. I am not going to give up. I am going to do what the doctor said I should do,” he said.
Minister Mavhima said those who contract covid-19 should know that it is a beatable disease.
“If you follow the instructions given by the medical personnelyou can beat this thing, you can survive.
“I urge people to listen to your family, listen to your friends, especially to those that care for you so that you receive attention as quickly as possible and also to remain positiveonce you have been diagnosed with the disease.”
Honourable Mavhima, who is also diabetic and hypertensive once survived diabetes when he once went blind for two days some years back after his sugar levels shot up in Cape TownSouth Africa whilst on a family vacation and this experience prepared him for the fight against covid-19.
People with underlying conditions have been urged by medical doctors to be extra cautious as they are at greater riskfrom covid-19.
Senator Mavhima who is also the Chairman of the covid-19inter-ministerial taskforce in the Midlands encouraged people to take self isolation as a way of saving lives and not punishing people.
