- Suidooster's Dean Smith talks about his lingering symptoms and feelings of guilt after testing positive for Covid-19.
- Dean, who plays Wade Ferreira in the kykNET soapie, says: "The loneliness and being separated from the people who I love - that was worse than the symptoms for me."
- The screen and stage actor from Malmesbury in the Western Cape, admits that although he always tries to be vigilant, he has dropped his guard as Covid-19 fatigue set in and encourages everyone to stay alert as the pandemic continues.
As the global fight against Covid-19 continues, celebrities have been using their voice in an effort to curb the spread of the disease and minimise its impact on South Africa.
Speaking to Channel24, Suidooster's Dean Smith talks about his experience after testing positive for the virus, encouraging fans to stay vigilant in the face of Covid-19 fatigue.
Dean, who received his positive test result on 14 July, says he is "feeling much better" despite still experiencing a lingering cough. And after completing the mandatory 14-day self-isolation period, he sometimes struggles with feelings of guilt following his return to work.
"I'm not someone who would get sick. I'm that guy who will be in a house where everyone has the flu, and I won't even pick it up," Dean, who plays Wade Ferreira in the kykNet soapie, tells Channel24.
However, when his girlfriend tested positive for Covid-19, he decided to self-isolate as a precaution, but the following day his health started to go "downhill" as his symptoms worsened.
"I started getting weird body aches, headaches, feeling uncomfortable and coughing.
"What I got that was really weird for me was the random shivers, and that was definitely worrying for me. I'd be dressed in layers, very warmly. Then I would get really cold, but only for a moment and then it would be gone again," he explains.
Dean says that he is very grateful that he didn't experience severe symptoms or require hospitalisation.
"My sister was basically my nurse, and I got my food in a tray at the door. I was very lucky to have my sister full on taking care of me. You feel powerless because you can't do anything to help her on the other side of the four walls, but at the same time, you are grateful to have someone taking care of you," he says.
He admits: "I had some bad symptoms. But the fact that you can't see your family, your loved ones, people you want to be close to. That kind of got to me."
Dean, who was able to talk to his parents through his bedroom window, says his heart goes out to those unable to reach out to their mothers, fathers, and friends during the lonely period of isolation.
Although both Dean and his girlfriend have been avoiding social gatherings and are always wearing a mask and sanitising in public spaces, he confessed that he has started to drop his guard as South Africa approaches the one-year-and-five-month mark into the lockdown.
"You find yourself not sanitising as much as you used to or being as cautious as you were at the start of the hard lockdown," he says.
Although Dean's sister was the first to be diagnosed with Covid-19, he says that he has been very blessed to have not lost a close family member to the virus and feels incredibly thankful.
"We're becoming numb to the news of death because it's such a regular thing now. It's sad that we have become almost desensitised to the news," he says.
One week out of isolation, Dean says that he is "definitely more appreciative of the things" he has been taking for granted, and his outlook on the pandemic has changed completely.
"I'm someone who can't sit still, and I was in the room alone for two weeks. That was really difficult for me. At the end of the isolation period, I was so used to being indoors that I didn't even go out the front door on the Friday.
"Walking along the promenade that weekend, admiring the sunset, I appreciated that moment so much more - something I see every day, something I used to just walk past because it's a normal part of my day. What you perceive as stupid things, you appreciate it just a little more," he says.
"I'm a very active guy, and I have sports and fitness equipment in my car. Every week I play Fives soccer and touch rugby over the weekend. I have a newfound appreciation for my health, as it could have so easily been taken away, but also, I've realised that maybe I need to slow down a little. Because this virus doesn't just impact my wellbeing but also the people around me, it's not just about me anymore.
"If you have the mindset of, 'If I get it, I get it,' don't forget about the other people that you can potentially pass the virus on to as well," he says.
Dean says that he is "very, very, very, very" grateful that he has still been able to work on Suidooster and generate an income, however, roadshows, festival appearances and theatre work has dried up.
"I haven't been able to do any theatre work, still can't. The only theatre news you hear is about theatres closing down. And even when theatres are allowed to operate again, I don't think it will ever be the same.
"A lot of theatre shows that I would have done I had to cancel. It's the not knowing that also gets to me. Shows go from being postponed to being postponed again, and again - to being cancelled," he says.
As South Africa will soon open vaccines for people aged 18-34 from 1 September, Dean says: "I am so excited, I feel like I want to go and camp outside already!
"For me, it's really not a 'controversial' topic. I want to keep myself and the people around me safe and see an end to the pandemic or get back to some normality."
He says: "Sometimes you feel useless because you as an individual maybe can't save the world or find a cure, but getting vaccinated is playing your small part, and although it seems like a drop in bucket, it all adds up."
Sharing a message with people who are perhaps feeling unsure about the future, Dean says: "There are so many things in life that we are uncertain about and so many times, greatness and success lies on the other side of the fear of the unknown.
"And you'll never be able to reach that side of greatness if you don't take that leap or take that jump.
"No one has all the answers. However, I'm taking this little 'risk', and I'm getting vaccinated not just for myself but also for everyone around me," he says.