Bongbong on contracting coronavirus: ‘Something of an experience’

MANILA, Philippines — For former senator Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., he described his battle with the coronavirus disease as “something of an experience.”

“I’m feeling better, I’m starting to recover,” Marcos shared in a Youtube vlog uploaded Thursday.

“This was something of an experience because I did not realize how bad this COVID-19 was until I got it.”

Marcos tested positive for the coronavirus disease last March. Before this, his sister, Senator Imee Marcos, revealed that her brother felt unwell after returning from a trip to Spain.

In his vlog, the former senator speculated that he might have contracted the viral disease while in Spain, as he attended a family member’s wedding.

“Palagay ko dun ko nakuha eh. Habang nandun ako, narinig namin na i-lockdown ang Maynila. So kaming mag-asawa, we cut short our trip, takbo na kami dito sa Maynila,” Marcos said, referring to national government’s announcement of Luzon being placed under enhanced community quarantine.

(I think that’s where I got it from. While I was there, I and my wife heard that Manila would be locked down. So we cut short our trip and rushed back to Manila.)

After returning home, he said he started experiencing symptoms but was optimistic he would recover.

“Pero after mga one week, gumising ako, hindi na talaga ako makahinga. Tinakbo na ko sa emergency room, binigyan ako ng oxygen, kung anu-ano ang mga sinaksak sa akin,” Marcos said.

(But after one week, I woke up, I couldn’t breathe anymore. I was rushed to the emergency room, they gave me oxygen, and various objects were hooked on my body.)

“After a while, medyo nag-relieve na nang kaunti,” he added. “Pero nakikita ko talagang ang daming pumapasok doon sa emergency room. Kaya ang sabi ko sa doctor ‘Kung wala na kayo ibang gagawin at di naman ako ilalagay sa kwarto, uwi na ako basta magdala ng oxygen at inumin ko na lang yung gamot na ibigay niyo sa akin.’ ‘Yun na nga ang ginawa ko.”

(After a while, I was relieved for a bit. But when I saw the people being rushed to the emergency room. That’s why I told my doctor “If you don’t plan to do further tests and will not admit me in a room, I might as well go home, I’ll take oxygen with me and I will take the medicines you gave me.)

Marcos also expressed thanks to the healthcare workers battling COVID-19, saying “Kung hindi sa kanila, palagay ko yung tumama sa akin baka naging mas grabe pa. (If not for them, I think the disease that I’ve contracted would’ve gone worse.)”

Marcos also slammed the rumors that he died, calling it an example of fake news.

“Hindi pa naman ako namatay, nandito pa ako. Pero ‘yan ang halimbawa ng fake news na umiikot. (I haven’t died, I’m still here. But that’s an example of fake news.)