Nobody else other than the one, who has survived the shock and trauma of the highly infectious novel coronavirus, would know what it means to be infected with the unknown virus and how it changes your life and of your family’s. I am a COVID-19 survivor from Aurangabad in Maharashtra.
I am sharing this as I want people to have faith in the healthcare system. People need to follow the instructions from health and civil authorities. But please don’t socially stigmatize a COVID-19 patient. I have seen some educated people fall into the trap.
I was discharged from the isolation ICU of the Seth Nandlal Dhoot Hospital on March 24 after 10 days. I finished my last medication on March 28 and am supposed to watch my health up to April 3 as per my doctors, who are happy with my recovery.
I am a faculty in a prestigious hotel management institute in Aurangabad. My daughter-in-law and I had gone to Russia to watch the Northern Lights with a group of women. We had a fabulous holiday; in fact, one of the best I have had in a long time. We had observed all necessary precautions because the news on coronavirus and the havoc it had created in China then was known to the world. I returned to Aurangabad on March 3. The next day I was back to work. I had to conduct viva for my students.
I was fine till March 7, when I developed a stuffy nose followed by shivers the next day. I took Sinarest and called up my doctor. He advised me to take a course of antibiotics. I took the medicines and went about my work. On March 11, I felt exhausted. My stamina was at its lowest. This is when my elder son, who is an intensivist in a Mumbai hospital , advised me to get my CBC (complete blood count) test done.On March 12, I felt shortness of breath. The next day I went to the hospital for my chest CTC and swab tests were done for H1N1 and COVID-19.
I tested negative for the former but positive for the latter. I was admitted in the isolation ICU the same day.I was so worried about my college, students, colleagues, my 85-year-old mother and mother-in-law with who I used to have evening tea and dinner. I immediately informed my college. Everyone who was in contact with me was quarantined and tested. Thankfully, all tests were negative.
That was a huge relief for me and I thanked God. The hospital doctors and their frontline nursing and other staff were very caring. What I noticed after I was tested positive was the change in attitude of many people. It was like a stigma that had suddenly come upon me. But help, medical care and prayers came from unknown quarters. My two sons attended to me.
In terms of medication, right now, there are only experimental protocols and there is nothing to prove the efficacy of A over B since a scientific-based medicine data on large randomised controlled trials is still awaited. In my case, in addition to other routine medications, Lopinavir and Ritonavir were used. While my doctors gave me the best medical care, it was my faith that didn’t allow fear to get better of it.
The unending fear out of uncertainty is one thing but what the patient and loved ones go through is something that cannot be expressed in words. Loving care and resilience helped me through my illness. The staff not only did their core duties but gave me healing prayers twice a day.
I am back home. There are a lot of logistic arrangements that needed to be put in place in terms of allocation of space and a new work order had to be drawn for household chores. I am in regular touch with my doctors. In fact, they call me to check on my well being.We need to fight this war together. I could not have fought my battle alone either!
In gratitude to everyone!
(As told to Bala Chauhan by a 59-year-old COVID-19 survivor from Aurangabad, Maharashtra. )
Disclaimer: The line of treatment for COVID-19 should be decided and prescribed by authorised doctors and health specialists for each individual case. TNIE and the survivor do not recommend a particular line of treatment.