Today marks the 20th day since I got infected with the Corona Virus. My wife and my two daughters got affected as well. The good news is that all four of us have fully recovered from the virus and are back in good health. Here is our story
But first, a disclaimer: Every thing I say in this post is my personal experience and opinion. Please do not take this as medical advice.
The four of us are lucky because we got the mild version of the Corona Virus. Over 85% of people get a mild infection, 10% get a moderate infection, and 5% get a severe infection. Almost all the people who die from the virus fall under this 5% who have existing health ailments.
The contagious period where a Covid-19 positive patient is capable of transmitting the virus is between 8 to 10 days. We played it safe by quarantining ourselves within our home for twice that long.
Ever since the lockdown began from March 25th, we have remained at home and rarely travelled. The last time I filled up fuel in our car and bike was 102 days ago. And there is still enough fuel left. This should give you an indication of how little we have used our vehicles.
Among the four of us, it was mostly me who would step out of the home for my daily walk. I never stop anywhere, nor do I speak with anyone during these walks.
In the initial days of the lockdown, Covid19 was just news I read online. Initially, it was in other countries in China, Italy and the US. Then it came to India in trickles. Then, I heard of a few cases in Chennai. After that, I started hearing about a few instances in my locality and finally in our street. It was at this time I knew that getting Corona Virus was not a question of if but when. I was mentally prepared for it.
The first news of a person I personally knew who got infected was a friend I played badminton with for two years. We had not played badminton together ever since the lockdown started. Then, one day, he shared the news on our Whatsapp group that he got infected and that he had fully recovered.
I reached out to him and had a long conversation. He explained the symptoms and the process of recovery. He mentioned how he got fleeced by the hospitals and why it is not necessary to get hospitalized for mild symptoms. Proper care at home is sufficient. I started to research more on this, and many doctors advised the same as well. It was at this time that I felt confident about taking on the virus if it ever came.
And that day finally did come. As is my usual practice, I went for my 5 km walk. That particular evening, I did a power walk where I picked up my pace. When I came home that night, I felt unusually tired. I figured it could be because I pushed my body too much. It could also be because of my diet. Over the last month, I was following a calorie deficient diet and had successfully lost 6 Kgs. The next day, I was feeling quite sluggish and tired. Even at this time, I suspected nothing.
The next day, I had a mild temperature, and my body began to ache. I was perenially tired, and the only thing I wanted to do was lie down and sleep. It was at this time, I had a mild suspicion and decided to google for symptoms of Corona Virus.
Fever – Check
Body Ache – Check
Tiredness – Check
Dry Cough – Check
The last symptom mentioned was a loss of smell.
I went and grabbed my perfume and sprayed on the back of my palm. And smelled it. NOTHING. Not even a whiff of the smell. – Check
That was when I was 100% convinced that I had the virus.
Immediately, I quarantined myself in the second bedroom at my home. I called my wife and kids and told them the news. Understandably, they were worried. But did not panic.
Over the next ten days, I did not step out of the bedroom. I literally mean it. My entire world was this small room. I had separate plates. I washed them after use. I washed my clothes. I swept my bedroom. My family were barred from entering the room. Most conversations were over the phone.
My wife was rock-solid in her support. I ended my diet and started eating well. She cooked healthy food, and I had multiple small meals in a day. I tasted nothing and smelled nothing. Everything was bland. I lost my appetite. The only thing I could sense was the heat, and I preferred eating warm food which made it palatable.
The next seven days were crucial. One of the symptoms of severe complication of Corona Virus is shortness of breath. I was keeping a close watch on my breathing. Thankfully my breathing was OK throughout. The mild fever continued to be persistent, as was the body aches. After seven days, the fever subsided. The body aches reduced. From the 10th day onwards, I was back to normal health.
Within a few days of me falling ill, both my wife and the kids got the symptoms. All three of them lost their sense of taste and smell. They experienced fever, body ache and mild shortness of breath. Nevertheless, they continued with their daily routine. A few days later, they started to feel better.
Now that the danger and fear of our individual lives were no longer there, we were conscious about the elders in our apartment building. We did not want to transmit the virus, which is less forgiving of older people. My wife’s Mom stayed in the apartment right below ours. We banned our kids from meeting her for her own health sake. We never told her about us having the Corona Virus lest she freaks out and starts to worry. We never revealed this news to my parents, who are at our farm. We finally broke the news to them today, much to their relief.
In all these 20 days, I never missed a single day’s work. I had my laptop and a fast WiFi, and that’s all I needed to work. The team review meetings happened without missing a beat. The client meetings happened like clockwork. In fact, some of my most productive work happened during this time. We were able to win some big clients during this time. In a way, it was a blessing in disguise.
I did not tell my staff nor the clients of my infection. I knew it wasn’t serious, and I would eventually recover. As long as work happened correctly and on time, I felt there was no need to voice it out.
Now, after 20 days, everyone is back to regular life. We are hale and healthy. Today is my younger daughter Kalpitha’s birthday, and we had a small celebration at home. It was also a celebration of our success over Covid-19.
The reason why I decided to voice out our experience is to pay it forward the way my friend did to me. Be proactively cautious and follow the best practices to avoid the virus. Practice social distancing. Always wear a mask when you step out. Wash your hands regularly with soap.
But in case you ever get it, there is no need to panic. Quarantine yourself and eat healthily. While most will recover in a couple of weeks, we owe it to our elders by not spreading it further.
Stay safe, everyone.