My COVID Story: My first COVID symptom was pain in the lower part of my body

Soheli Purohit experienced several COVID symptoms before finally going for a test after having an acute pain in the upper right part of her chest. We often tend to miss signs like body ache and that's what makes this story important. Here's what we can learn from her COVID journey
It started with a severe back pain that travelled through the entire lower part of my body and whole night I could not sleep because of the pain. I assumed it was because of some travelling I had to undergo some days back and I must have lifted some heavy weight. I had a slipped disc a few years back after some tough horse riding in Kashmir and so, I assumed that the slipped disc would have relapsed. The pain was so severe.

Next morning, I applied Volini topically and felt some relief, however I caught a cold. The cold was exactly like a seasonal allergy, stuffy nose and an overall feel of having a cold. No fever or cough. I started taking steam with Karvol plus. I continued the typical self-pampering that we do when we have a cold, ginger masala tea, taking steam etc. for the next three days and thought it will subside. However, I continued feeling very tired and some discomfort continuously; that feeling of malaise was just not going. However, I did not have fever a single day or any active dry cough. I monitored my oxygen levels and it was around 97.
Just before Diwali, I met a group of friends, and I kept enough distance from them and wore a mask in the car. But right after I came home, I realized suddenly I could not smell even the super strong smell of menthol in Karvol plus. I tried smelling my strongest perfume…nothing! I could not smell a thing! It suddenly struck me, I had caught the virus. I immediately self-isolated as my aged mother and my teenaged daughter live with me.

I also started feeling pain on the upper right part of my chest. The pain was almost like a muscle pull and quite severe. So much so that when I turned sides, it hurt. I applied topical pain relieving ointments on my chest thinking it to be a muscle strain. But the pain and the heaviness as well as a tenderness (as if the inside of my chest had become super sensitive) persisted. I immediately called my doctor and he started me on the initial dose of COVID medication and asked me to get tested.

The day after Diwali, my results came positive and I was hospitalized as I am a diabetic. In the initial investigations, I was diagnosed with COVID pneumonia and my HRCT score was 5, which indicates mild to moderate pneumonia. The doctors treated me with Remdesivir, steroids and blood thinners while constantly monitoring my vitals and oxygen levels. I was fortunate not to require any oxygen support though my SpO2 levels went down to 93 and remained mostly at 95/96. After the completion of the course, I was tested again to check for internal clotting by doing a D-Dimer test, CRP to check for inflammation, CBC, X-ray and other tests that showed I had no lung fibrosis and I was fit to be discharged.

I was asked to quarantine for 7 days and it’s now been ten days and I have regained a lot of my energy back, though it will take some more time to get back to normal. In the review, I have been advised by my doctors to repeat some of the tests to ensure I am recovering well.

From my experience, I learnt that you can save others by self-isolating and that means complete isolation, using a separate washroom, washing your own utensils and maintaining enough distance. No one else in my house got infected other than me. Also, getting in touch with the doctor even if you develop minor symptoms is extremely important to avoid complications later. I did that and I was told, the initial medication prescribed by my doctor while I was at home helped reduce the viral load. And lastly, I still don’t know how I got the virus. Please stay safe and take care. Keep wearing a mask and please maintain enough physical distance with others.

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The views expressed in this article should not be considered as a substitute for physician's advice. Please consult your treating physician for more details.