Bihar: Survivors recall their fight against Covid-19

PATNA: From illnesses like fever, sore throat and breathlessness to mental stress because of isolation, Covid-19 has left a deep mark on the lives of people it affected. Many have recalled their battle with the disease and the way it changed their lives.
While some recovered from the disease within 10-14 days, it took longer than usual for others to defeat the virus. For Somya Singh of Bahadurpur, who tested positive for Covid-19 along with her eight-month-old daughter, it took almost three weeks, four tests and a great deal of mental and physical struggle to beat the deadly virus.
“The hardest thing was to watch the pain of my daughter. She ran high temperature and developed rashes around her body for almost a week. Although we both have tested negative and are doing fine now, the headaches I had developed during infection haven’t subsided yet,” Somya said.
Rajendra Nagar resident Shilpi, a doctor, said the key to recovery is getting tested as soon as symptoms appear. In a family of six, Shilpi and her father had tested positive for the virus on July 20.
“When my father and I developed fever simultaneously, I was alarmed. We had heard of a few cases being detected at my father’s workplace. Hence, we immediately got ourselves tested. Upon discovering that we had contracted the virus, I was very scared. More than myself, I was concerned about my father’s health as he suffers from a comorbidity,” Shilpi said.
“Apart from the medicines and supplements prescribed by our doctors, we also took some home remedies like ‘tulsi kadha’ and ‘giloy’ juice. It was such a relief when our test results came negative after 14 days,” she added.
While young and healthy people have been found possessing a good immune response against the Covid-19 virus, elderly are more vulnerable to it.
Sukrit, a resident of Kankarbagh, recalls the horror he experienced after knowing that his 83-year-old grandfather had contracted the virus. “It was a nightmare. Even though he had mild symptoms, I was extremely worried because of his old age. I was only relieved after his x-ray reports came fine. The infection hadn’t spread to his lungs. He tested negative after 12 days. He is doing fine now.”
It took almost a week for 34-year-old Rohan Jasywal, a resident of Kadamkuan, to figure out that he had contracted Covid-19. “My symptoms were not usual. I initially had loose motions and back pain for three days. I consulted my doctor and took medicines for stomach infection. After about five days, I encountered loss of smell and taste. That’s when it struck me that I might be Covid-19 positive,” Jasywal added.
Even though Covid-19 patients are required to isolate themselves socially, emotional support of family is crucial to the patient’s well-being.
Prashant Kumar, a stock market trader based in Patel Nagar, was diagnosed with Covid-19 on August 2. He chose home isolation as his symptoms were mild.
“Staying under the same roof but not meeting your family is very difficult. I was not able to play with my niece or sit next to my parents. I spent the days watching movies or sleeping. It was a tough time psychologically,” Prashant said.