GMA News reporter Saleema Refran shares her biggest fear during COVID-19 scare

GMA News reporter Saleema Refran shared her biggest fear during her recent scare with the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19).

In an episode of "Frontliners," a Brigada special online series, Saleema said that she couldn't bear the thought of possibly infecting her crew.

While they took every precaution to protect themselves, her team was reporting from Quezon City, which has the most number of confirmed cases in the country.

"'Lord, sana, sana, kung may COVID ako, hindi ako nakahawa.' 'Yun 'yung prayer ko na matindi noon," she said."Ang hirap kasi nun na dahil sa 'yo nagkasakit 'yung mga kasama mo," she added. "Paano kung maiuwi nila sa bahay 'yung sakit?"

Saleema has asthma, so when she started having trouble breathing during a live report on May 6, she didn't think it was something to worry about.

When she started coughing badly a week later, however, she was advised to get tested for COVID-19.

Arnel Gomez, one of her cameramen, admitted that he also felt afraid for himself and for the people who had contact with him.

"Iba pala 'yung pakiramdam kapag halimbawang nandoon na 'yung banta," he said. "'Yung totohanan na."

Saleema began documenting her experience with COVID-19 testing. She was still trying to do her job as a reporter, informing the public of the process now that she herself was intimately acquainted with it.

But when her x-ray results came out, she couldn't continue vlogging anymore.

"Ni hindi ko na nga naiangat 'yung cellphone ko after noon kasi gulat na gulat ako na 'yung hika ko pala e pneumonia na," she said.

Saleema eventually tested negative for COVID-19, but she said the four-day wait for the results was excruciating.

"'Yung mismong paghihintay ang tinding torture," she said. "Literal na hindi ka makahinga, saka 'yung utak mo hindi rin makahinga kasi nga hindi mo alam kung ano yung sitwasyon mo." --MGP, GMA News