My Covid Journey

Friends by the grace of Bappa I was discharged from my 5 day hospital stay in Thane Healthcare Hospital, Naupada day before yesterday on 25^th April 2021. Thanks to all the doctors & nursing staff who helped me overcome this deadly disease which is a silent killer.

Some important tips to share post my experience for information.

1) Please don’t avoid taking a test whether it’s the rapid antigen test or the more credible RTPCR test for the fear of being ostracized. It’s for your own good and early treatment is the best way to counter this disease. I travelled a lot for official work during Jan – April 2021 and started feeling unwell rather fatigued when I was in Itanagar, Arunachal Pradesh on 13^th April 2021. We wound up our demo next day and returned to Mumbai via the tedious route of Itanagar – Dibrugarh (road trip 2 & half hours), Dibrugarh – Kolkata flight 1 hour duration then a stopover at Kolkata airport of about one hour and the final crunching almost 3 hours flight to Mumbai. We started in the morning and reached Mumbai by night. Once I arrived at home I told my family I was feeling unwell and will maintain social distance from them and slept in a separate room. Next day I immediately got tested and was detected positive by the rapid antigen test which gives the result on the spot. TMC staff have a prescribed medicine regime to be followed in case you are positive which was shared with me. I came home and quarantined myself in my daughter’s room which was at the far end of the house with an attached toilet bathroom so that the rest of the house was free for the family.      

2) Getting professional help: doctor/hospital is the first step one should take if you are Covid positive. I consulted my family doctor and my sister who is also a doctor and shared the medicines prescribed by TMC. They made some alterations to it and asked me to do the RTPCR test as well as the CT scan of the lungs. The RTPCR results usually take two days to come and confirmed my earlier rapid antigen test results, while the CT scan showed nil infection in the lungs. During my home quarantine after three days I got fever intermittently ranging from 100 to 101. I consulted my family doctor who advised me to do a CT scan again on the fifth day to know if the infection has spread to the lungs. This time the CT scan showed a severity of 9/25 post which it was decided that I should get admitted to a hospital because of my earlier complications of hypertension and removal of germ cell tumour from my chest. I had no other symptoms and my SPO2 level was also above 94. The usual symptoms are recurring high fever, fatigue, dry cough, headache, breathlessness and loss of sense of taste. These were the symptoms of the other patients in my ward.

3) From 2nd day onwards I was started with Remdesivir injection 100 mg/Vial which comes in a powder form MRP 899/- per dose taxes extra (Cadila – the cheapest as of now) and liquid form that needs to be kept cold storage, price ranging from Rs. 2000 – 3500 by various manufacturers. It is manufactured under license from Gilead Science Inc. USA and total 6 doses are given over a five day period. First day two doses then one dose for rest of the days. Beware of fake products in the market. We were also given  heparin injections in the stomach to prevent blood clotting along with other tablets and medicines, steam inhalation and gargle was to be done thrice a day while oxygen level, body temperature and blood pressure were also monitored regularly . After five days X-ray and other tests were done to pronounce we were fit and stable enough to be discharged.

4) Common recommended cure for this virus AS OF NOW is Remdesivir though WHO has recently recommended that it be removed from the Covid treatment protocol. I can say all the patients in my ward who were prescribed it recovered their health and were in no need of artificial oxygen. It is administered through an IV in a hospital setting.

5) Post my discharge from hospital I was advised 10 days home quarantine and a medical protocol was prescribed to me. I was advised medicines for viral (Fabiflu 400 mg) & bacterial infection (Ivermectin 12) along with Sanmedin microbicidal gargle, steam inhalation with Easibreathe inhalant capsules from Cipla and Alex cough formula. Zinconia Zinc tablets, Vitamin C tablets, Uprise D3 tablets, Pantop D tablets and Azee 500 tablets.

6) Post my home quarantine period I was advised to do blood tests and X ray and had to visit my treating doctor at the hospital. After a look at my reports the doctor pronounced me cured and prescribed Vitaress Multi-vitamin, Multi-mineral & trace elements tablets for next thirty days.  

7) Most important proactive measures to protect oneself is putting a mask & avoiding crowds, steam inhalation & gargle. Keep fit mentally and physically followed by a healthy diet. Get Vaccinated ! I got my first dose (Covishield) in mid-March 2021 however got infected in mid-April 2021 before my second dose. I will get my second dose after 6^th July as advised by my doctor. I can say with confidence that my first dose helped me to counter the disease in a more robust manner. I have seen people younger than me and with better physique suffering serious consequences even requiring oxygen and admitted to ICU. Unfortunately many people young & old never recovered and were lost forever.

This pandemic has raged worldwide is not showing any signs of receding as countries scramble to vaccinate their population. While mankind will eventually overcome this pandemic but the genesis of this disease has be uncovered and if the suspicions are true that it is a man-made virus that was let loose by China then they should be made to pay a price for their evil deeds. WHO as a world body has been the biggest let down during this pandemic misguiding the world and trying to shield China at all costs. It has to be restructured and its senior officials so beholden to China need to be sacked immediately to restore its prestige and sanctity.