"I never thought I would get it. When I got the call, I said, 'No it can't be true!' But, it was. I was positive for the coronavirus."
Melburnian Liza Di Blasio didn't travel abroad or come in contact with anyone she knew to be positive for COVID-19. Catching the virus seemed improbable, unthinkable even.
Testing positive
Thinking that the virus was unlikely to affect her, Liza lived and worked as she normally did. She did her usual shopping; met up with friends; continued working as a customer service officer, as the president of Give Love Inc, and the Community Development Manager of Western Union and Assistant Treasurer of the Filipino Community Council of Victoria (FCCVI).
"Then I got a slight cough, a fever, chills and body aches. I went to the doctor, but he said 'You're fine. It's not coronavirus - you didn't go overseas or come in contact with anyone who is infected.'"
Liza is a career woman and a leader in the Filipino community. Source: Liza Di Blasio
Although the doctor's assurance led Liza to believe that she couldn't possibly be sick with COVID-19, eventual news of someone testing positive in the Filipino community group she was with at a past event caused alarm.
"I rang the COVID-19 hotline on March 20 and I was referred to a testing centre. I did a test the day I called and at 10 o'clock that night, the Department of Health rang me and told me I was positive."
Winners of past Miss Le Oscars Beauty & Charity Queens. Source: Supplied
"Oh my God! I said it couldn't be true because my doctor said I didn't have the virus - but it was true. I had COVID-19. I was so scared! I thought I was going to die. I was crying. I was so upset. It's so hard to explain."
Professional and personal
When it came to explaining, Liza had to make the difficult but necessary phone calls to colleagues, friends and family to let them know about her condition.
"First, I called my boss because I was working the week prior to being symptomatic. Aside from me, there are seven in the office - so they all went home and got tested. Luckily, they all tested negative. I called up the friends I associated with as well - they also all tested negative."
"My family was shocked. My sister in Las Vegas who is a nurse was devastated - she rang me all the time to ask how I was. Everyone was shocked and scared."
Liza worked from home when she was forced into isolation upon testing positive for COVID-19. Source: Liza Di Blasio
She says she couldn't let the virus scare her into submission though. She had too much to live for and too many people to still take care of.
"I'm a mum of three. I didn't want my kids to lose a mum. I support some of my family in the Philippines and I am a community leader. That's where I got my courage - I needed to get better because I still wanted to help others."
Despite the sickness and isolation, Liza continued helping others. She provided financial help to some international students and had rice sent to relatives back home who were experiencing a lockdown themselves.
Liza on a video chat with her children during quarantine Source: Liza Di Blasio
"They were shocked. They said to me, 'You're sick and you're still doing this for us?' Liza laughs. "The virus can't stop me from helping those I can."
Getting through it
While the virus couldn't stop her from helping others, it did slow her down.
"I was lucky I only had mild symptoms. I felt drowsy, I had a dry throat and watery eyes and, I would get dizzy when I stood up, but I didn't have shortness of breath."
Liza says warm water with lemon, staying under the sun in the morning for at least half an hour each morning and getting plenty of rest helped her feel better.
Liza's daughter dropped off essentials for her during quarantine. Source: Liza Di Blasio
"The Department of Health told me that I needed to call Triple Zero if my symptoms worsened. I was lucky - the virus never reached my lungs."
Liza was cleared for the virus on April 2 and shares that aside from immediately letting others know of her recovery, her immediate thought was toilet paper.
"I was in home isolation for a month and I was finally free; so I went to the supermarket to get toilet paper," she laughs, adding, "there was none left!"
Aside from missing out on toilet paper, Liza shares what she was really missing were her friends, children and grandchild.
Still practising social distancing; A friend drops off food for Liza. Source: Liza Di Blasio
"I miss them, especially my grandchild. That's the most challenging part. My friends are also sympathetic, but scared. It's understandable. I also wouldn't dare meet with them right now."
'Right now' won't last forever and Liza is hoping that the world heals from the pandemic soon.
"Normal will take time," she shares, adding, "whoever had or has the virus, it's not your fault. Don't be embarrassed. I pray for healing."
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