Cyclist full of praise for healthcare workers

Cyclist Kwesi Browne was released from being quarantined for COVID-19 last Thursday night, five weeks after he tested positive for the deadly virus which has been labelled a pandemic by the World Health Organization (WHO) and he was in full praise for the staff at the medical facilities where he was being treated.

In an interview with CNC3 on Friday, Browne said he felt relieved at being released, but he was confused about the positive test on Monday 16 because he was in perfect health.

Although the virus has killed over 202,000 people worldwide, Browne, who is one of three T&T cyclists to have qualified for the Olympic Games in Japan in July next year, said he was not fearful of the disease because he was in good health.

The talented T&T pedal-pusher was the country’s fifth COVID-19 case, a situation that has now reached 116 positive cases with eight deaths in the twin-island Republic.

Upon being tested positive during the National Track Championship at the National Cycling Centre (NCC) in Balmain, Couva, in early March, the 26-year-old was moved from his primary care hospital in Caura where he was admitted before he was transferred to the Wellness Centre, a step-down facility at the Home of Football in Balmain, Couva, before he was released on Thursday. As of April 28, 59 people have discharged.

“The doctors and the nurses at Caura, I really want to, you know, thank them all. I really appreciated them the way they dealt with me and looked after me while I was there, they really made me feel welcome. I mean when I left Caura two days ago I felt like I was leaving family, that’s how close we got in my time there.”

He added, “The challenging thing for me was that I was in good health but my test results were still coming back positive, which was a bit puzzling to me. We just could not understand why the test kept coming back positive when I was in good health. Just being in there, not being able to go home and being in good health, it’s kind of frustrating.”

According to the champion keirin rider, he was confined to a room during his one-month ordeal, however, he feels good to be back home with his family, saying all his family members are in good spirits, as he was always in perfect health.

Due to his extended time away from training, Browne said although the experience has kept him away from preparation, he was looking on the positive side that everything happens for a reason, citing that the main thing for him is making it to the Olympic Games which is now a year away.

But the star cyclist went on to plead with people to adhere to all the necessary measures put in place to prevent the spread of the virus. He said being at home is way better than being in the hospital frustrated. For those battling the virus, he said positivity is the key.

“Just be positive. A couple of times now I let my self get down and you can see a difference in terms of how your body feels knowing you’re down. Just be positive about the whole situation, find positive things.

“Don’t bombard yourself with all the negative news, just continue to be positive, continue to find stuff to do during the day to keep you occupied, so your mind would be at ease. That’s basically how I got through the entire process.”