Bus firm matriarch survives COVID-19

Olivia Yanson, the matriarch of the family that owned the biggest bus company in the country, has recovered from the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).

Ginnette Dumancas, confirmed the recovery of her mother, the 86-year-old Yanson, in a Facebook post on Thursday, September 10.

She said her mother was discharged from St. Luke’s Hospital in Manila Wednesday night, September 9, after over a week of battling the disease caused by SARS-CoV-2.

Yanson would still be in isolation for another 7 days, Dumancas added.

The Yanson family owns the giant Yanson Group of Bus Companies, which includes among others the Ceres bus line.

Dumancas said her mother “stayed in the St. Luke’s Hospital for 10 days to fight the Covid and the feeling of uncertainty and the helplessness is the one that stressed me the most.”

She added that prayers helped her mother recover from the virus.

“I don’t think that I can endure all of those tensions if I am not assured that you are praying with me for Mommy Love… I am sure that heaven was flooded with prayers coming from all over the world,” she said in her social media post.

She said that the key to fighting the virus was early detection, adding that COVID-19 first attacks the nasal passages, throat, and lungs.

“Once you have low oxygen saturation, your heart works double time to augment the loss of oxygen. COVID-19 will weaken your lungs first, then the rest of the body organs,” she said.

Dumancas said that a pulse oximeter, an instrument which measures the oxygen intake of the body, detected her mother’s possible COVID-19. At that time, the older Yanson did not have a fever and her cough was minimal.

She added she was grateful that they were able to leave Bacolod days before the airport was closed.

Olivia Yanson, along with children Ginnette, and Leo Rey, has been in a legal tussle with her other children Roy, Emily, Celina, and Ricky over the control of their mega transport company. – Rappler.com