Hurt by coronavirus lies - Woman says rumours making her life miserable

Ever since Lisa* returned to the island from the US on March 21, rumours have been swirling that the Kingston woman has COVID-19 and is infecting other persons.

Insisting that she does not have the virus and is showing no symptoms, Lisa said that she even did a test for the novel conoravirus last Friday.

"It was some nurses who took me to do the test. Even before we went out to do the test, they tested my temperature and one of them even suggested that I shouldn't do it since I wasn't showing any signs; but another nurse said I should just do it to clear the air, and we went and I did it. They said if I was tested positive I would be contacted on Monday, but I have not received any calls to this day, which simply means I am okay," she said.

Coronavirus symptoms may appear within 14 days after exposure. Lisa has been in Jamaica for 18 days and she claims that she is not experiencing any symptom.

Nonetheless, the rumours continue, much to her dismay.

"Mi tired a it, and mi know mi nuh do nothing wrong. Just recently, mi send a little girl go shop and when she come back she say people stop her and a ask her if she was staying by my house, and when she yes, they started saying the child have corona. That is how bad it is," she said.

Lisa was among 7,500 Jamaicans who returned to the island between March 18 and 23, when the airports were closed to incoming passenger travel. She said that she remained under home quarantine for 14 days.

My travel history

"I have been in contact with the Ministry of Health and I told them about my travel history, and even give them the flight number. While I was in quarantine, the nurses kept visiting and checking on me until the quarantine period was up. They came to visit me every single day; is just the past four days I have not seen them, and that is because the period was up," she said.

Lisa said that before she was placed in quarantine, she got checked at the airport, and everything was okay.

"I was just placed into quarantine because that is the protocol. When I just came back, there were persons calling (Health Ministry) and telling them that I wasn't staying inside, and that was a lie. I was recently given the clearance to venture outside, but dem still a talk say mi have it," she added.

Lisa believes that the rumours are being spread by persons who have long disliked her.

"Dem all say mi a walk and a sneeze and a cough pon people, and that is a lie. Mi not even talk inna people face. When mi a talk mi put down my mouth a grung and talk, because mi know say spit can fly, and mi nuh run certain joke," she said.

Reflecting on the stigma associated with the coronavirus, Lisa said she is imploring Jamaicans to stop the labelling as it will only make the spread of the virus worse.

"I feel so bad, and I don't have it. So can you imagine someone who has it? If this continues, you may find a lot of people staying quiet, even if they have the symptoms and don't seek help, because they don't want any fingers pointing at them," she said.