Joy Virata:After surviving COVID-19

MANILA -- After recovering from COVID-19, theater stalwart Joy Virata lent her voice to the Department of Health's (DOH) social media campaign amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

The former artistic director of Repertory Philippines was quoted in a post on the DOH Facebook page on Monday as part of the agency's "Survivors Speak" campaign.

According to Virata, she still does not know how or when she got infected by the virus, but she is certain about the importance of three things that will help prevent it from spreading. 

"There is still a lot that is not known about this virus. But what is definite is that there are three simple rules that, if followed strictly by everyone, could lick this pest: wash your hands often or use hand sanitizer, strictly observe physical distancing, and wear a mask to protect others and hope everyone wears a mask to protect you," she said.

It was last April when Virata wrote about her battle against the novel coronavirus which also affected her husband, former Prime Minister and Finance Secretary Cesar Virata.

In her column in The Philippine Star, she said she first had her COVID-19 test in early March, after being admitted for hospital-acquired bacterial pneumonia.