KOTA KINABALU: Avila Geraldine Samuel is pleased that she completed her Covid-19 vaccination two weeks before giving birth at the Sabah Women and Children's Hospital in Likas, near here.
However, despite giving birth on Aug 5, the 35-year-old new mother has not been able to be with her newborn as she is still undergoing home quarantine.
"I am now undergoing home quarantine until Aug 19 after being discharged from hospital yesterday. I stayed at the hospital for 10 days.
"During my stay, I had been exposed to two Covid-19 positive mothers that I know of," said the former New Straits Times journalist, adding she was admitted on Aug 3 in a six-bed ward.
Avila added swab tests would be conducted for all mothers before the admission and patients would be placed accordingly based on their results.
She said everything was fine but the next day, a mother in the same ward who looked pale started coughing uncontrollably and almost passed out after which the medical staff sent her for an emergency operation.
"On Aug 5, I gave birth but didn't get to meet the baby properly as the little one was sent to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit to monitor breathing. He was discharged on Aug 11.
"I was then placed in a two-bed ward. Later that evening, a teenage mother from my first ward was also placed in my room for quarantine.
"She was the closest contact as her bed was just next to the coughing mother. We were told the coughing mother tested positive for Covid-19," she said adding those in the same ward had to be tested and quarantined.
Avila's repeat tests came back negative but another woman was infected. Thus the quarantine was extended following the second exposure.
"I don't know what's the status of the two Covid-19 positive mothers but I found out that all mothers from my first ward contracted Covid-19, except for me. Most positive results were only shown on their second swab test.
"Also I was the only mother who was fully vaccinated. How did the infection happen? No idea, but we are walking among the virus now."
Initially, Avila had doubts about taking the vaccine, afraid it would affect her baby. However she changed her mind after seeking medical advice and reading up on rising cases of Covid-19 among pregnant women.
"Vaccines protect. So, if you know anyone who is pregnant, please advise and encourage them to get vaccinated immediately."
The hospital director Dr Marcus Netto said before admission, patients were usually triaged and screened.
"Some with negative results are in the incubation phase and asymptomatic, hence you can't detect after a few days and symptoms develop.
"You can't really pinpoint if it is from the ward or brought into the ward from the community."
Meanwhile, since July 8, Dr Marcus said the hospital had administered 188 antenatal and 334 postnatal vaccination for mothers for them to have a better immune system to reduce the risk of infection which is already in the community.