My COVID Story: “It was the darkest phase of my life”

Everything was fine till March 2021. By the end of March 2021, COVID cases had seen a sudden spike and gradually started spreading rapidly. Each day the cases in New Delhi were doubling.

The month of April was very tough and hard to accept for many families. We always read in the newspaper or watch news on television about how families were struggling to save their loved ones but could not really relate to them. But this April we were also a part of this vicious cycle. We were a happy family till April 22nd 2021.

I got infected with COVID on 22nd April 2021. That night I had sudden fever, temperature around 104.8 Fahrenheit. The moment I checked my temperature, the next thing I did was isolate myself from my parents and my grandmother. I knew I had COVID. But how? The last time I stepped out of my house was 29th March . Yes, my father used to go for his work outside, but he made sure he took all the precautions, then how? This question still revolves around my mind, but till today it remains unanswered.

We all, including my grandmother, did an RT_PCR test on 23rd April 2021. Results came within 24 hours and we all tested negative. I doubted the result because by the 24th April, I had all the classic symptoms of COVID. I lost the power to smell and taste, had cold and cough, and all this combined with a high fever. So I was not convinced with my RT-PCR result. I told my parents that these reports were fake and I have to get a CT scan of my lungs as soon as possible.

I woke up the next day with chronic breathing trouble and extreme chest pain. I called my uncle who was working with Fortis Faridabad. He took an appointment and got my CT Scan done. My CT score was 7/25, which was stated as mild in medical terms. I got back home, did not speak to anybody nor did I want to see anybody. I was upset and started cribbing about how this virus entered my life.

On 30th April 2021, I woke up hearing my mother crying loudly. My grandmother was no more. She slept all well the night before but did not wake up to see the next morning. We broke, as she was the guiding light of the family.

After my father came back home from cremation, he was unable to even get up from the sofa and go to the washroom. All he said was he was not feeling well. My mother thought he was feeling like that because he lost his mother, and this was quite natural.

In the evening, I was skeptical about his health. I told my mother to check his oxygen level, and all we could see the oximeter blinking with the digit 72; Spo2 level was dropped to 72, and Pulse rate was 112. My mother was completely numb and did not know what to do. I called my cousin to help us out. I could not move out of the room as I was isolated, but sitting in the room I started calling different helpline numbers to ask for a hospital bed or oxygen cylinder. I must have dialed 500-600 numbers that evening but nobody responded positively.

Finally my uncle called me up and told us there was a bed available in Fortis Faridabad. My elder sister who was on her way from Mumbai , landed in Delhi to find her phone flooded with my messages. As soon as she came home, she took my father to the hospital. I was still confined to my room and did not even say goodbye to my father.

Starting from 30th April 2021 to 10th May 2021, my father fought bravely. I lost my father, who was my best friend too, on 10th May 2021. We thought our journey of COVID ended here but my uncle who was like my second father, who helped me get my CT scan, helped my father get admitted in Fortis also succumbed to the virus. He was admitted to the hospital on 18th May 2021. He too fought and always remained positive. His “Good morning” messages to all his family members including me made us rest assured that he will come back home. On 29th May 2021, he was put on a ventilator. Doctors kept on saying his willingness to live will get him back home. But on 30th May evening, he passed away too. I lost my second father as well. I was shattered. I blamed the almighty for everything happening around us .

Remember, everybody is responsible for their health. Early detection of the virus will help us. Please wear a double mask, use a sanitizer and most importantly please take your vaccine on time. Trust me, the pain is irreplaceable.

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