Rica Peralejo reveals battle against COVID-19 last March

Rica Peralejo revealed that she and her husband Joseph Bonifacio both tested positive for the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) last March.

On a vlog posted on YouTube Friday, the couple detailed their COVID-19 experience and how they were able to battle against it.

Rica said she was the first one in their household to exhibit symptoms but proceeded with a home shoot for work on March 20.

According to Rica, she and the kids were already sneezing. She thought their sneezing might be due to the air conditioning, which confused them about whether or not it's a symptom of COVID-19.

“I really didn’t know that I had anything. I was just exceptionally pawisin noong araw na iyon, pero kasi ang init din. So, parang confused na confused ako, ‘Ano ba ito? May sakit ba ako or pawisin lang ako?’" She said.

According to Rica, she experienced an "unusual" tiredness five days before the shoot. She thought it might be because she lacked sleep or she is tired from work.

After her shoot, Rica said she felt tired which at first she thought was normal. “Ang dami ko namang ginawa. Parang gumana yung buong sarili ko sa shoot na iyon, so naturally, I would be tired," she said.

The next day, Rica said she felt "fluish" which is why she decided not to go with her husband to church.

Rica got herself tested for COVID-19. "Because tiredness was one sign," she said.

On March 22, Rica found out she tested positive for COVID-19. Her husband  and their helper Renelda at first tested negative.

"Ang hirap palang i-trace lahat ng steps mo. And that was also kind of the week na we saw a lot of people," she said.

On her sixth day of isolation, Rica felt over-fatigued to the point of falling asleep while watching a YouTube video.

“I try to get up in the morning, mga 10 a.m. and when I did, parang nasusuka talaga ako."

She says she experienced new symptoms every day. 

“You’re energetic one moment and the next, you’re totally wasted and totally sick. Hindi makakain, I don’t really get hungry. I am only able to really take in soup, ganun.”

On March 27, Rica said her oxygen level dropped to 94. It alarmed her after learning from friends, who tested positive with COVID-19, that they brought themselves to the hospital when their oxygen level hit 94.

Fortunately, when she talked to her doctor, her oxygen level was at 95-96 and she was only advised to go to the hospital if his oxygen drops to 93.

Rica admitted that her experience "started a thread of worries" in her head.

“Whenever I would look at my kids, naiisip mo na, ‘Ito na ba yung mga istorya na naririnig mo na last time mo na sila makikita? Hindi na ba kayo magkikita uli?’" she added.

Rica said she "didn’t want to lie to myself na naiisip ko yung mga ganung bagay.”

Rica attended a healing class every Saturday, which helped her cope emotionally and mentally.

“It was so life-giving, iba rin talaga yung nagagawa pag nare-remind kung saan naka-anchor yung faith mo," she said. “Jesus is indeed the great physician. I had no better healer in the world than Jesus and I just kept saying that in my mind.”

It was on her 12th and 13th day of symptoms that Rica started to feel better. That was also when her husband Joseph started to feel symptoms.

“When he started showing signs of weakness, lalo akong natakot kasi feeling ko, lahat kami puwede maging weak, pero ikaw, please, huwag ganun!” she said.

On the day they shot the video — on April 13 — the couple was given clearance that they are COVID-19 free.

Rica also listed down some of the things they did after she tested positive for COVID-19. — Jannielyn Ann Bigtas/LA, GMA News