Thomas, who lives in Ratanda, survived the dreaded illness after battling it out in hospital for a week and now he wants to share his experience in the hope of educating the youth on the seriousness of Covid-19. It started around June 17 when Thomas was enjoying a slice of cake at home and realised that he could not taste (or smell) the cake.

Not having any other symptoms at the time, Thomas thought it was the start of normal winter cold, but by June 24, he was still unable to taste or smell any food and started to develop slight body aches. He decided to get himself tested for Covid-19 at Rensburg Clinic and being aware of his symptoms, Thomas immediately self-isolated. The test results on July 6 confirmed that he is Covid-19 positive and the same evening he fell severely ill, having difficulty breathing.

After contacting a local ambulance service, he was hospitalised and treated with antibiotics and other medication.

“It was a horrific experience and I have seen many patients suffer. Some were bleeding from the nose, while others could not breathe. Nurses collapsed around me and staff members were freaking out. I was shocked and scared. Some patients had blood clots, while others were crying out in pain. It is something I will never forget,” Thomas admitted.

Experiencing Covid first hand and with the message from sister Maseko clear in his head, Thomas realised the importance of Covid-19 awareness, especially among the youth. Thomas is now fully recovered and with his message of hope, busy creating awareness campaigns to educate young people, not only about the symptoms but also to bring hope that you can survive Covid-19.