“24 March. 8.00pm. My phone suddenly buzzed with the familiar, happy ringtone. ‘Hello, is this Rafaella Yiangou? We have your COVID test results. It’s P-O-S-I-T-I-V-E.’
Right then, an immediate sigh of relief trickled down my spine. I mumbled, ‘Finally! An end to the past six days’ chaotic jumble of anxiousness, fear and having to deal with cough, fever, muscle pain and almost the whole package of seemingly COVID-19 symptoms! Now that I know I have the virus; I can deal with it.’”
This is how Rafaella Yiangou, a young executive from FLEET CYPRUS, breaks the story to us. She says, “When I heard the news, only one thought ran in my head: did I socially distance myself when I first started developing the symptoms? I hope I have not infected anyone else, especially my family.”
“The next 14 days was a period of not only battling the virus but also learning to self-discipline and self-reflect,” confides Rafaella. “During my quarantine days, as I was finding my way through the cycle of sporadic fever, loss of taste and smell, heaps of pain-killers, and the daily dose of my personal doctor’s advice, I began to realise how fragile and brief life can be.”
She says, “We get so caught up in the fast-paced daily intricacies of life that we do not step back and appreciate the smaller joys. We take things for granted and blissfully forget life is short and we should make the most of every minute.”
Defeating the virus was not easy for Rafaella. She says she could not have done it without the support of her family and friends at work. Not to forget her own strong will, positivity and resilience. “From infection to recovery, this entire journey definitely made me stronger, braver and wiser”.
“As a piece of suggestion,” she asserts, “Don’t panic. It is an unknown enemy. However, we must stay positive and look out for each other. It’s also the time we are more matured and responsible, so we do our bit in slowing the spread of the virus as much as possible”.
Rafaella is now back to work at the FLEET CYPRUS office and in very good health. Since she got back, she has been our torchbearer of positivity, courage and hope. She makes us believe, “It might be stormy now, but it can’t rain forever”.
