By LEANDRA ROLLE

Tribune Staff Reporter

lrolle@tribunemedia.net

LIFE has not been easy for Dr George Charite since his two daughters tested positive for COVID-19 last month.

The Abaco resident says his daughters - who he chose not to name - have been aiding in the fight against the virus and have been battling the potentially deadly disease since mid-April. “My two daughters are in the nursing field,” he told The Tribune yesterday. “They contracted the virus the second week in April. One of them is still in hospital. She’s doing much better now. At the beginning, it was really touchy, but she’s doing much better now.

“The other one is coming along. She’s in isolation and we’re having a few little challenges, but she’s coming along.”

While noting the situation has taken its toll on the family, Dr Charite says their trust in God has given them hope that they will overcome the challenges of COVID-19.

He says he expects both of his daughters to make full recovery from the virus.

“You have your moments, but I’ve been able to work through them and it’s not affecting me tremendously because (as a medical doctor) I know how it affects people,” he said.

“But, the one who’s in hospital, it’s been quite challenging because it’s really affected her. For a moment, it was a ‘let’s see what’s going to happen’. You didn’t feel comfortable. It’s challenging.”

He continued: “But, God has taken me through Dorian, and I had my moments in Dorian so I’m sure he’s going to help me through this one as well.

“It’s not easy, but you have to work through it and support the family and friends. A lot of people have been calling and checking on me and that’s been quite encouraging as well.”

After losing his clinic to Hurricane Dorian in early September, the medical doctor relocated to New Providence to continue providing care for his patients.

“Since the hurricane, I’ve been working between Nassau and Abaco and since we got the clinic open back up again, I started going back to Abaco to see the patients there,” he added.

“…I work at Doctors (Hospital) here in Nassau.”

However, after being exposed to the virus from a patient he had treated earlier, Dr Charite said he had to be taken out of the healthcare system, despite testing negative for the virus.

His time in quarantine was prolonged when his daughters tested positive for the virus, he said.

“I’ve been in quarantine for over a month now. I had a patient that I was in contact with that passed away and then my two daughters who lived me who are in the nursing field as well, they got infected.”

“I just came out on Monday.”

Asked yesterday how he spent his time in self-isolation, Dr Charite said he kept himself busy by cleaning, cooking and watching television.

“I don’t normally watch TV except for sports, but I’ve been able to watch movies and things since then.”

The father-of-five said when he was not doing those activities, he would be tending to his patients virtually.

He said: “Well because of tele-medicine, I’ve still been able to take care of my patients through telephone and the tele-medicine system that we’re using so even though I can communicate with some people they don’t even know what’s going on with me.

“But, I’m still able to treat people but it’s just that face-to-face contact is not right there right now. But, I’m still able to continue patient care but just not for the emergencies.”

Dr Charite noted he hopes to return to Abaco once the COVID-19 restrictions have been lifted.

However, in the meantime, he said: “I’ll be right here working in Nassau.

“…Right now, we have patients all over the place in various islands. So, I’m able to see my patients from Abaco in Nassau too while I’m here.”