Februar 25, 2021 admin
Ever since I had found out that covid had become a pandemic there was this worry of what would it be like if this virus hit death row. So I became consumed with tracking the news of how this virus was spreading throughout the country, and especially here in Texas. Over the early months of 2020, it was clear that many people in position of power was not very organized in how they were going to prevent the spread of this virus. And it was also clear that there was a sizeable portion of the population that really didn’t have consideration of other people when it came to the spread of this virus. To me, it was only a matter of time before the virus hit the prison population here in Texas and then death row.
As the first guards started to come down with covid and as they inturn spread the virus to inmates, various prisons throughout the state had started to close down until it was decided that all prisons would go on covid-lockdown. But even before a systemwide lockdown was declared, it was obvious from what many of us back here on death row was seeing is that a few of the guards was already sick. And soon after, it was also clear that a few inmates on death row was sick. What I had decided to do was limit going to recreation and also going to the shower. I placed plastic over my door where the screen is so that guards can see into the cell and talk with me. Policy was declared that guards and inmates should wear masks. Prison made clothe mask was handed out. Inmates were given two masks a piece, and these we could turn in to get washed with the regular laundry. There was nothing special about these masks, nor was the material that they was made from special. Bleachwater was passed out so that we could disinfect our cells. That’s it. There was no enforcement of special distance between guards or inmates. Guards didn’t have to change out their gloves everytime they touched a different inmate. Nor was the handcuffs that the guards used to cuff inmate after inmate disinfected. And even after the system wide covid lockdown, where there was no movement, and all normal activities cancelled. One of the things that was not cancelled was the cell searches that occur every few days. This meant that guards would handcuff an inmate, and while that inmate stands outside his cell with another guard, the other one goes into his cell to ‘inspect’ it for contraband and to make sure things like the lights, sink and toilet work properly. If an inmate refuses to come out of his cell, he can be gassed and forcible removed with physical brutality. The point is, even with a system wide covid-lockdown, sick guards was allowed to continue to enter our cells after touching us, basically all but ensuring that covid would spread back here on death row.
After the first covid test was conducted back here on death row, officially it was stated that only about five people had tested positive. This was false. Five people was removed from their cells and placed under quarantine, but other people back here who was obviously sick was allowed to remain in their cells. These inmates still was allowed to shower, and after the covid-lockdown was lifted for the prison system, they went to recreation.
For the better part of 2020, I did all that I could to avoid catching the covid virus. But, in the early month of 2021, I became sick. At first, I didn’t know that I had covid. I have chronic migraines, and I had recently started having problems with my thyroid. So, I thought that the intensified migraines and problems with my throat was not unusual. I didn’t have a severe cough. But I did develop a sinus problem. Still, I didn’t think I was sick. Then almost over night I developed a high fever, body chills and body aches that had me doubled over! I was in so much pain that to me there was no doubt that I had covid. I really knew that I had it when I had lost my sense of smell. With this knowledge I put in a request to be tested. That is the only way in which a person can be removed and placed under quarantine, and monitored. In my section, it was also clear that other people had covid. One person down the run was so sick that the administration wasted no time in testing him with a nasal swab and removing him to quarantine. This was not done for the rest of us.
Over the next few days, I ran a high fever and had bodyaches and chills that really scared me. I was receiving no special care. No guards checked on me. I lay here wondering if I would actually die. I began to think of my mother who had passed away some years before from cancer. I thought of a lot of my family members who had died while I was here on death row. But then, I also thought of all the people who was still alive in my family. My friends, and other people who love and care for me. I began to think of the injustice of dying here before I had achieved my freedom. And then I became defiant. I had the mindset of NOT HERE, I will not die of covid! There is this part of me that would like to think that my defiant attitude against covid is what saved me. Truthfully, I did nothing special to recover. I understand that some people recover faster than others and that some people suffer worse than others. All I know is that as I began to feel better, I felt that I was very fortunate. More than forty people had covid at the start of the year here on death row and so was placed in quarantine. And there was a lot of people who was sick that the covid test that was given to us missed. We are recently off another covid lock down, and there is movement on this prison unit and death row. Nothing really has changed with people’s behavior, either from those who have recovered from covid or from those who never had it. If a person was considerate before they had covid, they still are considerate now. If a person was careful about not trying to catch covid, they are careful now. This leaves everyone else, and ‘everyone’ unfortunately is not very considerate or careful when it comes to covid.
I am not sure when the Texas prison population or death row will be given the vaccine to prevent covid. But my thoughts on having covid has only enforced my belief that I will continue to do all that I can to not catch it again or become someone that will carelessly spread it to others. My thoughts are also that I wouldn’t want anyone to catch this virus, and that what the covid virus has done is given us an insight into how we see each other as humanity. Unfortunately I don’t think that this virus has brought us together. It seems to have divided humanity into two camps. Those who believe that this virus is enough of a threat to seriously do all that we can to prevent it’s spread. And those who feel that there is nothing special that we should do about it, especially if the measures that is taken interfer with the things that scale back economics and entertainment. Covid will not be going away anytime soon. There are too many people, and too many people in power, around the world, who don’t care enough to prevent it’s spread. But for those of you who do care; let us continue to do all that we can to prevent the spread of this virus.
Always, in Strength and in Spirit!
Tony Egbuna Ford