Lana Marks, the South African-born American ambassador to this country, has revealed that she spent ten days in ICU battling Covid-19.
In a statement released by the American embassy in Pretoria Marks said she began feeling ill on Boxing Day last year. Her condition soon deteriorated and she was admitted to hospital on 28 December, being admitted to the ICU on the same day. Marks said she spent ten days in ICU and three more days in a Covid-19 unit.
She called the illness the ‘most physically debilitating thing that I have ever experienced in my entire life’.
Marks said she had revealed her battle with the disease to destigmatise it. She also praised the South African doctors and nurses who had treated her saying she had been treated with the ‘utmost professionalism’ and the care she received was ‘excellent’.
In other Covid-related news on Tuesday President Cyril Ramaphosa announced the closing of most land borders in the Republic as part of the country’s response in the current Covid-19 crisis. The country remains at lockdown Level 3, although the hours of curfew have been slightly adjusted, although beaches remain closed and the sale of alcohol remains prohibited.
On 11 January South Africa had had over 1.2 million confirmed cases of Covid-19 with nearly 240 000 being active cases. So far, over 33 000 South Africans have died from the illness.