A New Brunswick woman whose family says she almost died from COVID-19 is asking people to wear face masks in public.
Debby Clement spent three weeks in intensive care at the Moncton Hospital on a ventilator while being treated for the virus. She was released six weeks ago this week and says she’s grateful to be alive.
“I am grateful, but I am frustrated and I am sad to see that so many people are not taking this serious,” said Clements who lives in Grande-Digue.
The 47-year-old, who has a history of asthma, said she tested positive for the virus and was rushed to the ICU at the Moncton Hospital in early April struggling to breathe.
Her husband, Mark Clements, who also tested positive but had only mild symptoms, said he was not allowed to visit his wife in the hospital and the experience was extremely difficult for the entire family.
“I spoke with a doctor and he said there is a good chance that she won’t make it,” he said.
Clements did make it, but the trauma of the experience is still very raw she said.
“I was thinking that once I get home I will be all better and you’re not,” said Clements.
She still suffers from extreme fatigue and breathing difficulties. But the deep emotional scars caused by the traumatic experience are most difficult to talk about, she said.
“I don’t think the emotional or mental part of recovery, especially after something so life-threatening and as serious as this is, is really talked about at all,” said Clements.
As COVID-19 restrictions are loosened in the province, she and her husband are frustrated by the number of people they see not wearing masks or physical distancing.
Her husband thinks wearing masks in public should be made mandatory.
“I think if it is going to be a state of emergency that the government should implement that you have to wear these masks,’ he said.
Last week, the province reversed its decision to make masks mandatory in public buildings stating in a media release that it was “not the intent to place an additional expectation on businesses or the public” regarding wearing the face coverings.
The province also said that people must wear masks if they are in a public space where social distancing can’t be maintained.
That isn’t good enough for Mark Clements, who said his family is still struggling to overcome the physical and emotional scars of a virus for which a vaccine is still out of reach.
“Some people may feel foolish wearing them, but that is just the days we are living,” he said.
Also a COVID-19 survivor, he has also donated his plasma hoping that his antibodies can be used to help treat someone else who contracts the virus.
Questions about COVID-19? Here are some things you need to know:
Symptoms can include fever, cough and difficulty breathing — very similar to a cold or flu. Some people can develop a more severe illness. People most at risk of this include older adults and people with severe chronic medical conditions like heart, lung or kidney disease. If you develop symptoms, contact public health authorities.
To prevent the virus from spreading, experts recommend frequent handwashing and coughing into your sleeve. They also recommend minimizing contact with others, staying home as much as possible and maintaining a distance of two metres from other people if you go out. In situations where you can’t keep a safe distance from others, public health officials recommend the use of a non-medical face mask or covering to prevent spreading the respiratory droplets that can carry the virus.
For full COVID-19 coverage from Global News, click here.
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