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Our Covid Experience

Despite taking all precautions, not going outside for food/leisure, not meeting parents for more than 15 months, skipping important family functions or celebrating few functions without family, all of us (my whole family) tested covid positive while sitting at home.

We believe it started with Dad coughing, and then Bua (my aunt, father’s sister) and Wife coughing on 25th April, 2021. We isolated ourselves and got a home test scheduled for 27th April, 2021 for everyone. Bua and Wife tested positive whilst all other negative. Dad’s cough lasted for a day or two. I decided to stay back to take care and also I expected to test positive in a day or two because sleeping with wife. All other left for sister’s house (Papa, G ja G [brother in law], nephew [3 Year Old], sister) and to think about it, few days back I was getting ready to book vaccine appointments for rest of us

However, before Bua and Wife started coughing (showing symptoms), one day I felt extreme weakness suddenly to the point I was not able to move but next day I was perfectly fine. This weakness could have been my first symptom or first symptom in the house. On 28th April, 2021, I too started having sore throat and next day fever. Others who had left also started showing symptoms. On 1st May, 2021 my sample was taken again for RT-PCR and tested positive. On 3rd May, 2021, everyone else tested positive too.

My symptoms were: Extreme and Sudden Weakness three or four days before cough and fever and then fine next day, Extreme Dryness in the mouth, burning eyes (could be pollution of Delhi NCR), rotten aftertaste in mouth, loss of smell, taste, cough, fever, body pain, headaches, weakness.

Most of the time when thermometer showed fever, we did not feel feverish, which caused us to believe our thermometers were at fault, so we ordered more and they all showed the same reading. So, you might have fever but might not feel it at all.

Nephew was not tested for Covid but he did have fever and cough around the same time when we had, so we assumed that he also had Covid and fought it.

We sort of were preparing for this because most of our relatives were affected while sitting at home, and people in the apartment were being diagnosed positive in huge numbers around us. Also we had most of the medicines at home due to one reason or the another. When wife and Bua consulted doctor, all of us started with medications as well immediately.

After this we did few things:

Opened all doors and windows in the house to keep it well ventilated. Only netted doors and windows were closed.

Kept a bowl of water in every room to make the environment humid. Don’t know if it helps or not or placebo effect, but it did seem to help us. The bowl would be half of its original quantity by EOD. Also, used to just fill the vaporizer for steam and let it run for sometime.

We started noting down our respective SpO2 levels and body temperature every 3-4 hours.

If AC had to be used, it was at 28c and doors and windows were still kept open.

We minimized our work to bare minimum. Weakness was hitting us all badly. Food was mostly ordered in.

As with illness, we weren’t hungry most of the time, but we needed energy too, so we ordered sweets for ourselves which we liked.

Things you should have at home now and the brands I trust:

Brands: Rossmax, Dr Trust, BPL

Atleast one Oximeter

Nebulizer with separate mask for each user. Extra masks are good.

Digital Thermometer. We had separate thermometer for everyone. Infrared thermometers are mostly inaccurate, avoid.

Plenty of N95 and Surgical masks

[UPDATE BELOW, REFER TO EDIT 7] As of now, we have almost recovered. Everyday we tend to feel better than yesterday. Nephew, Papa and Bua were first ones to recover. Wife and G Ja G’s cough lingered on for quite long. G ja G still has extreme weakness. I have reduced sense of smell, can’t taste salt, mouth feels rotten always, have weakness and occasional headaches. None of us has fever now. Blood reports were mostly normal for us. Blood tests done: CBC, CRP, D-Dimer and Serum Ferritin. On 10th May, 2021, Sister, G Ja G, Nephew, and Papa came back to Indirapuram.

We got infected sitting at home. Literally, no-one was allowed to leave house except me and G ja G. We used to double mask, wear face shield and literally bath in sanitizer when out. Still we got it but we were lucky in the sense that none of us was affected enough that we had to go to hospital for treatment. Be careful. If anything which is not normal to your body, treat it as symptom and get tested. I am not mentioning the medicines that were prescribed to us, though, just a suggestion to check with your doctor if you do have symptoms (don’t wait for the positive RT -PCR report) and whether if you should take Paracetamol or Dolo for a fever of less than 100. Latest definition of fever is body temperature >= 100.3.

As for people who are still doubtful or apprehensive about the vaccine, here are 6 cases in which vaccines saved my family, all of whom are 60+, from having serious symptoms :

Papa: Heart patient, operated, least affected. Fully vaccinated. Covid +ve in early second week after 2nd dose. Covishield

Bua: Diabetic, mildly symptomatic, high d dimer, recovered the fastest. Fully vaccinated. Covid +ve in early second week after 2nd dose. Covishield

My Another Aunt (Chachi): Extremely asthmatic, mild symptoms, recovered quickly. One dose. Covishield

Grandmother: probably 90 years old, asymptomatic. One dose. Covaxin

Mummy (in law): Probably remained asymptomatic, tested negative twice. Was in close contact (multiple times) with someone who was severely affected due to Covid to take the same person to hospital. Fully Vaccinated. Covishield.

Papa (in law): Cough and Fever, fully vaccinated. Covishield.

Vaccines prevented them from getting seriously impacted. Please take the vaccine as and when it is available. It prevents people from going into ICU.

[EDIT 1 – 19/05/2021] In-Laws started showing symptoms few days back. Struggling to get blood tests done because no1 is willing to come for home collection.

[EDIT 2 – 22/05/2021] G Ja G and Wife had their Kidney Function Test and Blood Sugar tests done today owing to the steroids that were prescribed to them. Results of both tests for both came out normal.

[EDIT 3 – 23/05/2021] Wife left for her hometown for in-laws house, finally, after trains that were booked were canceled, preferred flight was getting canceled for 4 days, so avoided, booked flight got rescheduled. Despite having previous day negative RT-PCR report, wife was stamped for Home Quarantine of 7 days. Mummy (in law) tested negative, papa (in law) is positive. Both of them are fully vaccinated (Covishield, more than 2 weeks since second dose). None of them have fever. Papa has cough, X-ray was fine. Meanwhile, in Indirapuram, we all have tested negative in latest RT-PCR test.

[EDIT 4 – 24/05/2021] Papa (in law) had slight fever 101 (max), hovered around 99 most of the time.

[EDIT 5 – 25/05/2021] Getting the in-laws tested was a task in itself. No-one was ready to come for home collection. Had booked LFT, KFT, Fasting Sugar, Urinalysis, D-Dimer, CBC, CRP and Serum Ferritin for Papa (in law) and CRP, CBC, Serum Ferritin and D-Dimer for Mummy (in law). Finally, one guy agreed if we paid little extra, which we did and blood sample was taken for both at 11:30 AM instead of scheduled 06:30 AM. Blood tests finally done for both were CRP, CBC, Serum Ferritin and D-Dimer.

[EDIT 6 – 26/05/2021] One set of reports came and they are so so, could have been better. CRP was in normal range for both but CBC could have been better for both. For D Dimer and Serum Ferritin, we will have to wait another day (as per the guy who came for home collection).

[EDIT 7 – 27/05/2021] Indirapuram: I still can’t taste salt, slightly heavy voice, headaches and mouth feels rotten though it has reduced. G Ja G and wife no longer have cough even though it lingered on for quite sometime. Weakness (of varying degrees) is a symptom common to all. For me, the weakness that hits post covid after doing some heavy duty work is something else. It literally makes me drowsy, the kind you cant even keep your eyes open but also cant sleep. Just lie down and wait for it to pass.

[EDIT 8 – 28/05/2021] Papa (in law) has slight cough and no fever for 3rd day without Paracetamol/Dolo. Weakness will remain. Mom (in law) remains asymptomatic. Also, today is 11th day since he started showing symptoms, so he is essentially free of virus now. D-Dimer and Serum Ferritin reports are delayed because sample is sent to Kolkata from Jameshedpur and that was delayed due to Cyclone Yaas.

[EDIT 9 – 29/05/2021] D-Dimer and Serum Ferritin reports came for both (on 5th Day since giving blood sample) and all seem to be fine. Today is Papa’s (in law) 12th day since symptoms came and 4th Day without fever and Paracetemol/Dolo.