The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

FORMER Deputy Prime Minister Cynthia “Mother” Pratt has tested positive for COVID-19.

In an interview with The Tribune yesterday, the former Member of Parliament said she suspected she had the virus after experiencing nausea and fatigue a week ago.

Mrs Pratt followed up with a COVID-19 test, which confirmed her suspicions.

“This started about a week now, but I feel a lot stronger,” she said yesterday in a telephone interview from her home.

“This started last week Wednesday, and it started with nausea. I have been careful. I didn’t go out in crowds. I always wore double masks and things. I have always been careful.

“When I started this nausea, I thought maybe it was something I ate that upset my stomach. So, I got some Dica and I took that and it gave me some relief just over a short period of time and then it came back.

“I then started to feel very weak and I was fighting to put one foot before the next one. I said ‘Lord, something isn’t right here’. I am a woman with energy. I could go like the Energiser bunny, and I was walking from the kitchen to the living room and every two minutes I had to sit down.

“So, I decided to call my daughter. I told her I am going to get checked again because I have had five tests for different things, and they were all negative, but I never had any tiredness like this. I knew something didn’t connect. My daughter took me to get the test and mine came back positive and hers was negative and that’s been a week now.”

The former St Cecilia MP has also experienced loss of taste and smell, tell-tale signs of a coronavirus infection in many cases.

“I noticed I couldn’t smell the food I’m cooking and then I couldn’t taste the food. I had no fever, I had no vomiting, but the diarrhea came later.

“So, all of the signs weren’t really there at first and then, of course, I didn’t have a cold. . . but then I was bringing up a lot of cold, but I always have a problem with sinus on and off so I didn’t pay that much mind.

“The next thing I know I was diagnosed with COVID-19.”

Mrs Pratt, 75, said under the advice of Progressive Liberal Party Senator Dr Michael Darville— who contracted COVID-19 several months ago— and another health professional, she was recommended certain vitamins and medications and is now doing well.

“The vitamin C, B and Zinc I’m taking now with medications and I’m not short of breath or anything like that.

“I am probably just getting old,” she joked, adding she was hopeful to be released from quarantine next week.

“They said my case seemed to be very mild because I don’t have breathing problems. This is a week now and I haven’t had any problems with breathing.”

As for how she contracted the virus, she believes one of her children who works at a government facility may have passed it on.

Mrs Pratt urged Bahamians to take the proper precautions to avoid the disease.

“I want to say you could never be too careful and as much as you try, you don’t know who has it. This thing has no eyes, so some people look healthy, and they don’t even know they have it themselves.

“Do what you are supposed to do to avoid it,” she said.