Tired, but in high spirits, this is how a 26-year-old London-based medical practitioner, the first patient to be discharged from hospital in the tricity, described her feelings after walking out of the Post Graduate Institute of Medical Institution and Research (PGIMER) late on April 1 (Wednesday) night. Admitted to the isolation ward on March 20, she was discharged after two consecutive negative reports.
The Sector-19 resident, however, had shown maturity when she decided to go straight to the hospital from the airport. She recognised the symptoms, as she had been treating people with the disease at the London hospital, where she worked; she had also lost a colleague to the virus.
“I had never felt so unwell in my life. It started with high fever, breathlessness and ultimately led to sensory loss of smell and taste,” she says, adding that it was her passion to serve patients that gave her the strength to endure the suffering.
“I decided to isolate for me, my family and all others more vulnerable. The disease can hit anyone and we must follow advisories religiously. My family was quarantined at home,” she adds.
On the course of treatment, she says, “The schedule was taking a paracetamol and sleeping; after a time, it got exhausting, even as I had my laptop with me. Most days, I slept 18 hours a day.”
{{/usCountry}}On the course of treatment, she says, “The schedule was taking a paracetamol and sleeping; after a time, it got exhausting, even as I had my laptop with me. Most days, I slept 18 hours a day.”
{{/usCountry}}She adds, “The disease is different from other flus. I had diarrhoea, severe abdomen pain, chest congestion, breathlessness and even headache. At one point of time, I felt I was about to die. However, I sailed through with courage.”
She is all praise for health workers, saying that they were making huge sacrifices. “The PGIMER staff was cooperative and always available for help,” she said, adding that the large majority of persons who do contract the disease were not going to die.
“One needs to consult and believe verified sources of information. Venture out, only if important. Our parents and grandparents can suffer due to our mistake,” she says, adding that even in her sector there was some panic after she tested positive, but she put it down to people not knowing much about the virus. “There is nothing to panic, but one must be aware that anyone can be impacted.” Even now, at home, she is maintaining some distance from family members and says this is a change that most households must inculcate.