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It has been a year since COVID-19 struck countries around the world.

Yet, and despite vaccines now being rolled out, there's still a lot about the virus that continues to puzzle us.

This was the experience of singer-songwriter Barbie Almalbis, whose husband, Martin Honasan, recently contracted the virus.

Barbie shared her story to the podcast show, Offstage Hang, hosted by Sandwich vocalist, Raymund Marasigan, and D&D Custom Guitars co-founder, Daren Lim.

“It's weird kasi people say watch for the symptoms like loss of taste and smell, coughing. 'Yong slight fever naman, we have so many reasons to have slight fever 'di ba?” said Barbie.

Martin, according to Barbie, initially experienced stomachache and a slight fever.

“We didn't think it was anything at saka hindi kami lumalabas, e, [for] the whole year. We've been very careful. Not once kami pumunta ng mall o ng restaurant the whole year so hindi naming inexpect.”

The couple thought it was dengue fever given Martin's history with the disease.

“Naalala ko may nakita akong isang lamok sa baba. 'Yon kaya 'yon? Just that one mosquito that got you?' and it would have been his third time to get dengue. Sabi ko kagatin yata talaga siya ng lamok,” Barbie said.

“So went to the ER and we got check for dengue. Weirdly enough, nag-positive siya sa dengue. Basta merong two checks for dengue. He got positive in that one and then negative in the other.”

At that point, the couple was convinced that it was indeed dengue fever that hit Martin.

“He was still in the ER getting instructions from the doctor. After an hour or so bumalik 'yong doctor ulit sabi niya 'Ay sir, sorry, positive ka pala sa COVID,” Barbie recalled the doctor informing them.

“Apparently 'yong COVID pala it can also activate a dengue antigen in your body. So your body thinks its dengue, parang may ganun din siyang factor.”

Barbie posted a photo of her in a complete PPE suit in an Instagram post last January 23. The picture was taken inside Martin's hospital room.

Recovering at home

Thankfully, Martin survived the ordeal and is now back home resting and recuperating.

“He's doing great,” said Barbie about her husband.

“He's just trying to get the animo back. Kagabi nakakatawa kasi naka-sneeze siya for the first time, like a very good sneeze,” the former singer for Barbie's Cradle smiled.

“So he was really like celebrating, 'That was a sneeze!' Kasi nga for the past week when he feels a sneeze coming and when he inhales hindi napupuno 'yong lungs niya so nabibitin palagi yong sneeze niya.”

She added, “He's exercising his lungs. May hinihipan [siya] para mag-expand 'yong lungs niya.

“COVID is really challenging. But grateful na we're home and he's recovering well. Quarantine lang muna kami dito, even more so than before.

“So I guess when you have low-grade fever baka [COVID] na 'yon,” she continued.

“Weird kasi ayaw din namin maging praning kasi kami the whole year konting allegry, 'COVID na ba 'to?' Lahat na lang.

“So at the same time kaya hindi rin namin na-detect kasi wala 'yong usual [symptoms].”

Living in a bubble

Barbie and her family have maintained a small, tight group of neighbor friends as company throughout the pandemic.

“It made it a lot easier and less boring 'di ba na you look forward to having dinners together, na lagi kayong magkakasama,” she said.

“Although I realized din that having such a big bubble also I guess increases your risk din. Kasi kunwari dito sa amin 'di ba apat lang kami and we have our staff with us so konti lang kami.

“Of course hindi rin kasi naming kaya na tightly sealed talaga wala naman tayo sa bunker. So minsan may pupunta ng palengke, minsan may pupunta ng drugstore, ganyan.

“In our bubble may konting leak talaga, may weak link bale. So na-realize ko that more bubbles together also increases the weak links kasi kunwari sila rin may mga necessary labas- labas rin sila, kami rin.

“So 'pag nagsama-sama rin dumadami rin 'yong risks. 'Yon yung mga things na kinuconsider namin ngayon moving forward.

“Kasi honestly 'yon nga hindi naman perfectly sealed 'yong bubble namin, pero 'di kami kumain sa labas, 'di kami nagmu-mall.”

At the moment, however, Barbie is just glad that Martin is out of the hospital.

“But of course there are still so many people who are going through it now,” Barbie reflected.

“So prayers for everyone. Sana matapos na rin 'to.”