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Updated April 22nd, 2021 at 16:37 IST

My COVID Story: Locked in with family in Mumbai, some positive & some not - how we managed

My ordeal with COVID-19 started off in August 2020 when I first started showing common symptoms which felt nothing more than flu that we’ve known all our lives.

Reported by: Shloak Prabhu
Image Credits: Republic World
Image Credits: Republic World | Image:self
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My ordeal with COVID-19 started in August 2020 when I first started showing common symptoms which felt nothing more than the flu that we’ve known all our lives. These included cold, sore throat and body ache. The only thing that seemed different this time was intense fatigue, which was frequent even as I had not engaged with any household chores or anything that will drain me out completely. Nonetheless, I was optimistic that it wouldn’t be COVID-19 as I had already been at home in Mumbai for quite some time considering the situation outside.

Even so, as these symptoms started getting severe, my family decided to get tested. My father was already unwell, followed by me and our domestic help. Thankfully we had sent my grandfather to my aunt’s place just in case things got serious at home. After contacting Metropolis Labs, they sent an employee to conduct our RT-PCR tests at home, therefore we did not have to go through the trouble of venturing outside amid a brewing crisis due to this pandemic. The overall testing experience was hassle-free.

24 hours later, our test results came back positive. Mentally I had prepared myself already. On the other hand, we were glad that my mother’s and sister’s test results were negative. Wasting no time, my mom and my sister immediately shifted to a cousin’s flat that was vacant in the same colony. Even so, the three of us at home (me, my father and our domestic help) were in for a long haul as we were asked to quarantine for two weeks. My bosses and other authorities in office were kind enough to grant me a sick leave in spite of allowing me to work from home for the most part of last year.

The long road to recovery from COVID-19

Among other challenges that we encountered was food. But that was also manageable as I have cousins living in the same colony. Also, the neighbours were kind enough to provide us with light snacks and other beverages like tea whenever we reached out to them. They would keep these things outside our apartment. However, other challenges were consuming the medicines which severely affected my appetite. Apart from this, I had pain in my lower body while other symptoms eventually decreased. Regardless of all these issues, the main challenge was being locked in 24/7 which felt like a mammoth task. I was never used to anything like this before. In fact, I have been used to a busy environment, thanks to a fast-paced newsroom of a leading news network. Therefore, in order to divert my mind and kill time I began finding ways with the hope to recover at the earliest. That comfort zone soon became more like a bubble and I desperately wanted to get out of it.

Books and Netflix helped only till an extent. The main thing I missed back then was socialising with my friends and close ones. Since the day I fell sick, my friends used to check up on me through video calls, at least twice a day. To make it even better, we started LAN gaming, something that we had not done in ages. Therefore, these ways helped me counter Coronavirus in a way. I realized that channelizing my thoughts and emotions while killing time was the only way to get through this.

Getting well and getting out of the house again

On the medical front, I was glad to be virtually assisted by my family doctor who had already suggested medicines, even before my test results came in. As for the administration’s efforts, the Thane Municipal Corporation (TMC) did check up on us and provided us with additional help like providing medicines. All this happened in a window of two weeks. When I finally started feeling fine, my family collectively decided to wait for some more time before calling my mother and sister back home. We also waited for conducting a second round of tests hoping that results come back negative.

Even though I got better, I preferred to stay in since the paranoia persisted for a while. Those two weeks soon turned into a month. I only ventured out for a walk after almost 30 days. Following an eventual recovery, I met my friends again. I caught up with them and spent enough time only to be told that some others among us had tested positive. Back then, I never imagined that this situation will remain for so long even as cases in the following months started dropping for a while. We were hopeful that things may get better soon, but in the recent months, the situation has only got worse and days ahead reek of uncertainty.

As India battles COVID-19's second wave, we request that you share your stories of beating the virus with us so they may serve as a guide & as hope for those who are currently in its midst. Write to contact@republicworld.com with 'My COVID story' as the subject.

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Published April 22nd, 2021 at 16:37 IST

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