Photo: facebook.com/kilama.dennis
After spending weeks fighting off the deadly coronavirus, Dr Dennis Kilama, the senior Pastor of Lugogo Baptist Church in Kampala is thanking God for helping him recover and is urging Ugandans to take the virus seriously.
The Ministry of Health announced 701 new cases on 7 Dec. 2020, bringing the cumulative confirmed cases to 23,200. There have been 207 deaths, and Dr Kilama is one of 9,374 people who have recovered from the virus.
The father of two sons revealed in a statement yesterday that when he unexpectedly started showing symptoms of a Covid-19 infection last month, he decided to keep away from his family and any pre-planned meetings.
He had a sore throat, fever, loss of taste — some of the typical symptoms for the infection.
“I have a sanitizer in my car, in my office, and at home. I often wear a face mask in the right way. Yet I still got Covid-19. Definitely, I errored somewhere,” he stated.
“I assumed it affected those that were part of large crowds, that did not follow Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). This is until it got to me,” he continued.
Kilama who doubles as the deputy Vice Chancellor of Africa Renewal University observed that medics were “very kind and professional” as they attended to him. He is grateful to God that when they tested his entire household, they all turned out negative.
“I was advised if I can self-isolate in a room somewhere, that might be better unless I have experienced breathing complication that I will need to rush to the hospital. I chose to self-Isolate. Together with my wife, we had to talk to our children that I was sick and have to social distance. We talked to them and fear just befell them. They asked questions which we did answer. From that moment I took stringent self-Isolation measures,” he said.
“A few days after more and more symptoms began to set in very fast. I had a very high fever that always attacked me from about 6 pm to 10 pm daily, I developed a dry painful cough, I could no longer taste anything that I eat, I could no longer smell. My body got weak. The cough got so painful that my chest for several days hurt. Soon I began to cough, and my sputum returned with blood. This was very painful. I lost my voice at some point and could barely speak. This went on for many days,” he said.
“Covid-19 tortures, for several days my body, my mind, and my spirit was tortured,” he continued. “Psychologically, I was tortured by this disease, I stayed in one room for close to 18 days day and night. This was very torturous; it is going to take me time to feel comfortable in that room again. Spiritually, I could barely pray or study the Bible as I previously did, I was held up in prayer by family and friends.”
In many ways, Pastor Kilama says that he felt like the paralyzed man in Luke 5 who was subsequently brought to Jesus in Luke 5:24-25. He noted that though-out the difficult period, he had to ensure that he does not transmit the infection to others.
“I stepped out of the room two times for 45 minutes each day,” he revealed.
“It was sad to see my children literally flee from me. If the sound of the door to the room I occupied was heard, everyone fled for their lives. The cry in the corridors was, “Daddy is coming.” What this meant was ‘run for you’re dear life.’ From the youngest to the oldest. When you have Covid-19, your Children must keep away from you, it is very painful.”
Kilama cautioned that Covid-19 is in the community even though “the media in Uganda barely even talks about it now.”
“Covid-19 exists in our world and it tortures. It is no longer just [in] China, the USA, Italy but [also in] Kikuubo, Nakawa, Kiira, Buloba, etc· Even with the vaccines, Covid-19 is here to stay for now. We have to learn to live with it,” he said.
The preacher said government is no longer tracking contacts because they are too many infections: “You are on you’re on.”
“When I got Covid-19, I discovered that there are very many more people that have contracted COVID 19 in this season,” he said.
“By now chances are that you have been in contact with some that have contracted Covid-19. The hospitals are very full, that you will have to take care of your self unless you have experienced breathing complications. Mulago is full, Namboole is full, Naguru China is full of people that are suffering from Covid-19. There are many more than you think that have been infected,” he said.
‘You should not fear’
The pastor encouraged his audience saying Covid-19 is curable. He said he was advised to take Azithromycin, Vitamin C, Zinc and Paracetamol. He also took a concoction of honey, ginger, garlic, and lemon in moderation to build his immunity.
“After some days I began to feel better,” he continued. “For now, I am COVID 19 negative, the symptoms are gradually going.” “All I can do is praise the Lord for His faithfulness.”
