Aga and Charlene Muhlach test positive for COVID-19 while in U.S.
AGA AND ARLENE MUHLACH with clinic staff during their COVID tests
Celebrity couple Aga Muhlach and Charlene Gonzales-Muhlach have contracted the COVID-19 while in the United States where they spent the Christmas holidays with son Andres.
The couple made the announcement on Instagram and this was reported by their mother studio, ABS-CBN and other media.
Aga, who is Ariel Aquino Muhlach in real life, and wife Charlene, a former beauty queen, were on spotlight in June last year when the couple and children Atasha and Andres got vaccinated against COVID-19 with AstraZeneca shots at the Festival Mall in Alabang, Muntinlupa.
It was alleged then that they got special treatment at the vaccination center, but this was denied by Tes Navarro, Muntinlupa information officer, who said the family, who resides in Ayala Alabang, registered with MunCoVac three weeks before the vaccination and when they got the notification of their schedule, they proceeded to the center where they lined up and waited for their turn to be inoculated.
The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) supported the couple, saying they are qualified beneficiaries of their local government unit’s (LGU) vaccination program against the coronavirus disease (COVID-19).
DILG Undersecretary and Spokesperson Jonathan Malaya clarified speculations that the Muhlach family were given preferential consideration owing to their celebrity status.
“They are bona-fide residents of Muntinlupa City. They enrolled at the MUNCOVAC registration portal under A3 category,’’ Malaya said.
Most importantly, Malaya noted that the Muhlachs submitted medical certificates/clearances from their attending physician at the Asian Hospital and Medical Center to prove that they have comorbidities. The A3 priority group covers persons with comorbidities.
In Instagram post, Aga shared photos with the Filipino medical professionals who took care of him and Charlene.
He captioned it: “Nothing but gratitude for these group of Filipino Medical professionals for taking care of me and my wife fight Covid! Maraming salamat doc @homer_t Mark Yu of @trinity_pharmacy and all your staff!”
Aga added, “It’s on and off this Covid battle. Ingat tayong lahat ”
On Instagram, as reported by ABS-CBN, Charlene said she started to feel several symptoms just before 2021 ended and just took over-the-counter medicines, which worked in the next couple of days.
“My symptoms started on Dec 30 & 31. After taking initial over the counter medicine, I felt OK for the next couple days but had continuous nausea & fatigue. I was testing negative during this time but isolated right away the moment I felt symptoms,” she explained on her social media account.
The beauty queen-turned actress said she felt sick anew on January 4, adding it was the same time when Aga also showed some symptoms of coronavirus.
“We tested again & this time our tests came out positive. From then on, It was an up and down feeling of being sick & monitoring. One day you’re OK… one day your not… but we are so happy that we are making our path towards recovery,” Charlene wrote.
Charlene said she was grateful that both of them are fully vaccinated against the virus.
She added their son, Andres, tested negative in his swab test despite spending the holidays with them.
“Andres tested negative in his PCR test, has no symptoms, was cleared by the doctor and was able to make it back to school safely in Spain. Andres is COVID-free,” she said as ABS-CBN reported.
Charlene said they will return to the Philippines once they are declared COVID-free.
“We will be back home as soon as we are cleared, recovered and COVID-free. Sa lahat ng mga kababayans natin. I pray for everyone’s safety & speedy recovery for all that may be going through the same experience,” she wrote on Instagram.
Aga took to Instagram to thank the Filipino healthcare workers in the US for taking good care of them as they battle the coronavirus, which has been plaguing the world for two years already.
“Nothing but gratitude for these group of Filipino medical professionals for taking care of me and my wife fight COVID,” he said in the ABS-CBN report. (Jeanne Michael Penaranda)
