The Tribune

By KHRISNA RUSSELL

Tribune Chief Reporter

krussell@tribunemedia.net

SHANNA Adderley’s worst fear is going into labour in Abaco where conditions remain poor because recovery on the island has been slow in the aftermath of Hurricane Dorian.

Inter-island flights are suspended at this time in an attempt to limit the spread of COVID-19, preventing Ms Adderley from travelling to Grand Bahama or New Providence where conditions are better to give birth to her second child.

If something goes wrong, the 29-year-old said it is terrifying to know she’ll have no other choice but to deliver her baby on the storm ravaged island.

For Ms Adderley, fears over the respiratory virus have brought stress to what should be a joyous time in her life.

“My main fear is if the virus does get to Abaco, I get stuck and have to go into labour,” she told The Tribune yesterday.

“I’m not due until July and I had no complications with my last pregnancy, but it’s a possibility that something could go wrong and I won’t be able to leave.”

The young mother has also had to worry about how she will continue living in Abaco if cases are reported there.

There are confirmed cases in Grand Bahama and New Providence. A Bimini woman died on Monday after she was airlifted from that island to New Providence for treatment. Yesterday, Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said the woman tested positive for COVID-19.

“If the virus does reach here it will spread like wildfire because most people are living in tents and a lot of people still don’t have power and don’t have running water,” said Ms Adderley. “People’s homes are still not fixed and they are trying to slowly fix homes hopefully before hurricane season starts again. But now this virus has everything on halt once more.”

Following Dorian’s passage, Ms Adderley was out of a job. A whiff of hope came in February when the tourism based company she works for restarted. But that was short lived and she is again without a job since the tourism sector has been hardest hit amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

For other pregnant women, COVID-19 has caused isolation and stripped them of events that most women look forward to before they give birth.

Raquel Pinder said there will be no baby shower or maternity photos for her out of fear of contracting the virus.

“It’s scary that there is a possibility that I could get the virus and possibly pass it on to my baby as well,” Ms Pinder said yesterday.

“It has caused me to be more cautious in my interactions with people. I am somewhat isolated at work, in an office by myself and no longer see customers.

“Because I am high-risk, there are a lot of things I cannot do normally. Now I have to head straight home from work and have little to no contact with anyone so that has been a little difficult as well.

“So I have had to change my surroundings and become more to myself during this whole process.”

She also fears being admitted to hospital for her baby’s birth.

“Being in an area where I don’t know who has what. Nurses attending to me not knowing who has what is scary. Not having my family to be in hospital with me this being my first child and not having that support system I don’t know how it’s going to be or what’s going to come out of this whole situation.

“Unfortunately I have not had the best experience in pregnancy and on top of that the virus has caused me not to be able to experience a baby shower, no photoshoots or not even getting my room ready because everything is basically closed. So now I have to order everything online and have to deal with freight forwarders and their fees. It’s a lot to take in, but I am mostly concerned with my health and the health of my child.”

Precious Bethel, another expectant mother, is also worried about being admitted to hospital. She said her birth plan, which included the presence of her fiancé during labour, will also be abandoned.

“I am just now finding out that he is not going to be able to be a part of my delivery,” Ms Bethel said. “He won’t even be able to visit me at all.”

But isolation seems to be what’s safer for these pregnant women.

They spoke to this newspaper shortly before Prime Minister Dr Hubert Minnis said community spread is a factor in the surge of COVID-19 cases. He went on to confirm six new cases in the country bringing the number to 21: 18 in New Providence and three in Grand Bahama.