After recovering from COVID-19, Pinoy couple in UK get vaccinated

After recovering from the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) which they contracted earlier this year, a Filipino couple in the United Kingdom has been vaccinated against the respiratory disease.

According to Athena Imperial’s “24 Oras” report on Monday, Roberto and Liezl Demaisip have been nurses in Brighton, England for two decades now.

The couple said 2020 was their most challenging year on the job yet.

In March, Roberto caught COVID-19 from one of his patients.

“May pasyente kaming umubo-ubo sa harapan ko. After two days, nakaramdam na ako ng typical na symptoms ng COVID,” he said.

Liezl, meanwhile, tested positive for antibodies against COVID-19, suggesting that she became infected as well but remained asymptomatic.

As soon as drugmaker Pfizer rolled out its vaccine in the UK, the couple immediately volunteered to get inoculated since they are both assigned at high-risk wards in the Royal Sussex County Hospital.

“Wala naman akong naramdaman, pero subconsciously, dahil naka-receive ka ng vaccine, iniisip ko na ‘Ay, may mararamdaman ako.’ Wala akong naramdaman,” Roberto said, while Liezl felt feverish after getting the vaccine.

The couple said they chose to get vaccinated to protect themselves and their three kids.

It was also a preventive measure for their supposed trip to Canada to be with their family for the holidays.

On the day of their flight, however, Canada halted the entry of passenger flights from the UK after a new strain of SARS-CoV-2, the virus that causes COVID-19, was discovered in the country.

The new strain is said to be 70 percent more transmissible than the original virus.

UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson attributed the uptick in infections to the new strain and also placed London and parts of England under a stricter lockdown to stem the spread of COVID-19. 

Local health authorities earlier said the new strain had yet to reach the Philippines. —Julia Mari Ornedo/LDF, GMA News