It was a tsunami! Tsunami never announces its arrival, but whenever it crosses the shores, it rips whatever there triggering devastating impact. Similarly, during April 2021, COVID second wave was creating dreadful impact throughout India. A Tweet of BBC’s Nicola Careem about the condition of Delhi was heartbreaking and shook me to the core. News about lack of oxygen support, collapsing health care systems pushing people to limit of human endurance was frightening.
I got COVID19
In first week of May 2021, Tamil Nadu government had announced complete lockdown to tame the rising covid numbers. Every morning when I woke up, I always get distress news & ferocity of the second wave. At this instant, I believed lockdown and arrival of vaccines (at very nascent stage) can save me & my family from catching covid. But bad news arrived in middle of May. On May 16, 2021, my wife reported unusual fever. Fever did not subside with normal Paracetamol drugs. Next day we took RT-PCR test, she was reported covid positive. Within next 2 days, we (me and my kids) felt same symptom and were covid positive as well.
Real Challenge
Fever for my wife did not recede even after six days. When I called a private hospital for admission, doctor picked the call and enquired symptoms of my wife. I informed that my wife has had fever for the past seven days. Doctor yelled at me immediately “Why you didn’t get admitted even after having fever after 5 days, you are careless person”. “Admit immediately, she requires steroids treatments”. “Arrange me Remdesvir from outside for advanced treatment ASAP”. These were the words from a doctor.
In those days, obtaining Remdesvir from outside was complicated due to two main reasons. One: Since COVID19 crisis was peak at that time, demand was huge as common public believed this drug was magic bullet for covid. Two: TN government allowed to procure this drug only from govt hospitals personally by someone related to a covid affected patient. This was to avoid hoarding by private hospitals.
Getting scared by doctor tone, I left the option of private hospital. I started exploring for government care centers. Govt centers were overcrowded and getting admission was very tough that time. Personally enquired Tamil Nadu established call centers to arrange a bed. They asked me to wait one more day. At this moment, running out of options, reached to a friend inside secretariat for help. Help came in few minutes. A Senior Doctor & a Nodal officer of one of Govt care center called me and asked me to come immediately to care center established in Chennai Trade Center. Finally, there was good news.
When I took my wife to care center, there were guards at gates of care center who appeared more like thugs than normal guards with plain clothes. These guards refused to allow me inside. They threatened at me “Run away, No recommendations works here. You don’t belong to this area. You live in different area, go there”. We felt helpless again. After some brief conversions between police officials and the doctor who asked me to come here, we were allowed inside, and my wife successfully got admitted.
Next day, my condition got slightly deteriorated as well, with an oximeter reading of 93/94. My sons and I were still in home care. As fever prolonged for long time for me, I too decided to get admitted in same care center. Now finding a safe house for my kids was another challenge. Since this disease is very contagious, leaving them in relative or friend houses was near impossible. Situation was worse that my family and we even explored of sending my kids temporarily to an orphanage which was specifically taking care of kids for those whose parents affected by this disease. We spoke with few kids care centers regarding this. Thankfully one of my relative who was earlier affected with covid accepted to take care kids.
Period of Uncertainties
In basic care center, we were provided first line therapy for first few days. Irrespective of this, our oxygen levels fell below 90 on the fifth day. And we were asked to go for critical care center for treatment. We arrived in critical care center at night 2AM on the sixth day. We were brought to hospital in an ambulance. We were put under oxygen support immediately. I felt breathing issues for next few days. My blood tests showed my immune system was overreacting. Whenever I removed my oxygen mask, I observed a strange suffocating cough, originating in the upper abdomen.
After spending six days in critical care center, my wife and my conditions improved, oxygen levels returned to 93/94. Those six days made us feel that we were in war front. On a daily basis we were saw more and more sad stories around our bed. Nearly six people succumbed due to severity of disease. Every day there were poignant scenes like group of doctors running towards severely ailing patient at midnight, trying to revive them & relatives weeping at other end. At other instances there were relatives of patients losing their cool and shouting at doctors, crying at them. Doctors advised us to get discharged quickly just to avoid these scenes, as these scenes itself created more fear.
Positive Lessons & return back
First few days were very tough in home after hospital discharge. Due to steroid treatments, we were completely exhausted throughout day. I lost nearly 7-8 kgs. After 15 days, I was able to regain my partial strength. By end of 40 days from hospital, I was able to start my walking exercise. We slow and steadily returned to normal life after 60 days. Friends and office colleagues support played another important role during recovery phase.
I observed two abnormalities when I was hospitalized. My heart pulse was reaching 130 bpm & my oxygen levels were dipping every day. My doctor firmly told me “Both will revert to normal after reaching threshold, you need to wait for that threshold”. And it did revert back. My kids returned to our home after 15 days. My 70-year-old father who adamantly wanted to come to Chennai (even during peak phase) to help us, is now delighted.
