A Journey

A Journey from Vaccine to fight COVID19 to COVID19

03 April - 28 April

Like several other people in India, had registered on the Aarogya Setu mobile App, blocked an afternoon slot on 14-April two weeks in advance so that I could take the jab when it was available to me in a nearby hospital.  

 

Lazing after a normal Saturday lunch on 03-April "Sunil, My friend called she had her jab in the morning session, there was not much crowd it seems, should I attempt to get my vaccine today? We can Walk In." was something that I could not ignore because Namita was going non-stop since March 2020 (when the pandemic in India started) to her office and an early vaccine I thought would be a if not anything a protective gear for her. So masked I drove Namita to the hospital, a nice shamiya (like they do in festivals in India) was put up by the hospital with Social distances chairs. Everything looked good that I sent out an email to the head of the hospital congratulating them for the  great arrangements.

The Shamiyana for the vaccine drive

I had decided that I would have my vaccine on the day I had already booked the slot, two reasons (a) why hurry up and (b) with the varying effect the vaccine was having on people, we required one of us to be not affected by vaccine to run the show in the house.

I waited for about 45 minutes. It took 10 minutes of wait for Namita's  turn to come and after the jab a mandatory 30 minutes wait for the doctor to see if the vaccine was having any adverse effect. Namita came out beaming. "Sunil, Why do not you have it today itself? There is no queue"  I was hesitant (what if we both of us were down with fever) but the greed of not having to make one more trip to the hospital pulled my brain to take the vaccine. 

 

I walk in. There is a registration counter. "Can you take off the mask? So that we can take your picture". I am hesitant but seeing no other option I do smile into the camera. Click. how your identity. Click. Go to Room #2. Two nurse's joking give me the jab. Say it it Covishield. I thank. All looks good. After the 30 minutes mandatory wait walk out at 1730. All seems well a little pain in the arm because of the injection. We drive back home.

 

[T] Vaccinated 03-April-2021, 1st dose at 1700 hrs!

Night of the vaccine I develop fever, pop a Crocin and sleep. I get shivers in the night. Vaccine effect. Namita nothing. I joke to Namita "Looks like the vaccine is acting on me, not you" on Sunday morning. Fever stays 100+. Pop in crocin more chills in the night. Monday  [T+2] Namita goes to work as usual, I find it hard to sit but with work (from home) to do I labour on and manage the day. Fever comes down. Relief. But the weakness continues. "After high fever you do become weak" Namita says and I agree. Wait for a day.

[T+4] "Why not consult a doctor online?" especially since it looks like I am getting a sore throat. I speak to a doctor narrating the fact that I have taken the vaccine. I am prescribed zinc + multi vitamins and vitamin c. Continue for three days.

[T+7] With no relief from weakness. Namita drives me to the dispensary for the sake of safety I set in the back seat. The doctor suggests RT-PCT test and fills in two sheets of document. We take that and go to the hospital after a 90  minutes wait, the swab is collected one from the throat and the other through the nasal. "When the results come we will contact you. Do not move out. Stay indoors".  Namita, "When will the reports come?". Usually it takes 2 days. We get back home, managing the weakness and working with lavish amount of in between meetings rest!

 

{The wait | The smell} 

Two days of wait is not as short as one thinks! At the back of your mind you are constantly thinking what if I test positive. How are we going to manage? The newspaper (both paper and digital), the social media is full of noise amplifying the increase in the number of cases and this does not do any good when a swab test is going to decide what would be the next course of action. In midst of this "Sunil, can you smell?" asks Namita. I never thought of this test! I immediately pick up Madivala balm (pungent smell) and lo can not smell anything. I could see anxiousness around in the house. We reasoned out that it might be because the person collecting the swap might have hurt the nose and that the smell should be gone for just a while. However, I had mentally made up that the virus was in and started behaving like I was isolating myself sticking to one half of a room with clear cut boundaries and restricting the use of bathroom only when required. After each use soaping the bathroom and disinfecting it with a spray. As safe as you can isolate in a Mumbai 2BHK flat. The smell test became a part of the medical kit along with SPO2, BP measurements. I passed the smell test, may be, a day later with the intensity of smell being less. Frankly in that dull moments, the ability to smell seems to make me a little more confident that after all the virus had stayed away. It was elating (like a child learning to take her first steps) when I was able to smell "a little". It was quite non-uniform, I could smell sometime and I could not smell at times. But I know for sure that there is a mental image of smell hidden somewhere in my brain. Now the wait for the RT-PCR results. 

 

More Waiting. 

 

Needing to rest because that is what the body says, I look at my Aarogya Setu application and lo! What do I see indeed I did cross an individual exactly the same time that I was getting my vaccination! Now I am more certain that I am carrying the  virus. I do not disclose this to anyone in the house!
 

Now the wait for the RT-PCR results.

 

[T+9 | 1600] Ring. Ring. "I am calling from the hospital. Your name is Sunil? Your reports have come, you are positive. Please come to the hospital and you will be given further instructions". The news was not unexpected thanks to the Aarogiya Setu app. But the inability to smell followed by ability to smell again did not seem to have a say. 

 

Namita drives me again. She instructs me, "If they say quarantine we ask for home quarantine". I do not say anything. Wondering how did I get the virus back with me? I would like to think that I tend to be "careful" with the mask, social distance, washing hands. It suddenly feels  a little dull. How are we going to manage? Father and son (study from home) at home. Namita and I had managed the work with no external help for the last 13 months. With one wicket down how will we manage. With these thought we are in the hospital. There is a long queue, token 97 and all have been tested positive that day. Wow. Second Wave is for real. I feel weak standing and find a place to sit. All the time wondering how we are going to manage.

After measuring the temperature, SPO2, BP.  "Please go inside and take your chest x-ray and come back here with the report". Another 10 minutes and a doctor says you need to take antibiotics for 3 days along with other medicines for 7 days. "Will you be able to isolate your self at home?" Before I can answer "Yes, Yes" says Namita. We get a printout with a list of medicines to take (mostly vitamins) and a note to "home isolation -- 17 days". Please come to the causality if you get temperature or if your SPO2 drops... are the other instructions. 

First thing first. I send out a message to the building secretary about home isolation followed by a message to others in the society. I am assured help by almost everyone. That feels good. Now the difficult task is to stay confined to house and yet manage the house.

Two days into home isolation. Indeed a long journey.

{The isolation journey starts T+12 to T+29} 

 

We quickly decide the boundaries and turn out a set of verbal rules - what to do and what not to do. Mostly decided by Namita. Sumit moves into one of the bedroom and for the next 17 days that was his study, sleep, exercise, entertainment space. It was important for him to be as far from me as possible to have minimal contact with me. With his classes in full swing this was a priority. I would be 24x 7 masked and no one ventures into the hall. I restrict myself to one bathroom. I will sleep, eat in a small area. Namita will be the only person who comes to within 1-2 meters of where I am put up; always with a mask. Sunil, "No working. Take leave. Read books, Watch TV, Sleep". Ground rules set. Now to make it work.

 

It is not easy.

 

The intent is to stall the spread of the virus within the house plus to get me back to energies to fight the virus. This is Namita's war cry and I should say she fought like a hero. Tirelessly. 

 

Almost all of these days a sort of fixed time line. Morning a cup of milk  with turmeric, pepper powder, Horlicks (for some reason we stock this in the house!); breakfast (idli or poha or sandwitch or  upma ... + coffee); lunch (rice + protein rich  curry); bowl of fruits (Sunil, You should eat); Coffee; Dinner (Roti + protein rich curry); interlaced with kadha (warm water with ginger, pepper). Measuring SPO2, BP four times a day; eating everything that is served; taking rest; wearing mask were my only tasks!

I announce my isolation to my team and a few colleagues including HR. Luckily there is a special leave during home isolation and a lot of messages wishing speedy recovery. The leave part comes as a surprise but that eases things, I can still work if my body permits. I have one more restriction that I have to impose. Minimize talking during meetings to avoid any virus movements in the house. Interestingly, these 17 days have been the time when I have spoken the least!

All rules set. Sound easy. But your mind plays tricks. 

 

{The What If rules the mind. Especially the first two days of isolation}

What if things get worse and I have to go to the hospital? What if I don't survive the isolation? How will the family manage. Do they know my bank account numbers? Do they know the amounts in the bank? More importantly do they know the passwords. Mind goes all over the place especially when you look at the newspapers and social media speaking of all the negatives with a weak body it is impossible to not think of these! I quickly make notes, bank account number and balances and share it with Namita and Sumit. Should I talk to them as to what they should do if the worst happens. I try to raise these points but am quickly asked to forget these "irrational" things. But statistics? 

Having no one to listen. I put my thoughts to rest. Eternal Sleeping seems to be my major work. Reading occupied most of my waking hours. The weakness is significant. Taking bath is an effort. There is anxiety when you read a particular sensational news article. The weakness seems to amplify the degree of sensationalism!

The next 2 weeks of isolation we relatively easy on me (actually no work at home -all served in a plate literally into your mouth) but very harsh on Namita, who was single handledly doing the task of 2 morning to night,day after day for the complete duration of the isolation. To say that she managed it well is an under statement. I knew she was getting tired but there was nothing much I could do. The best I could do was to not  spread the virus!

[T+25] Twenty five days since vaccination, nearing the isolation period, I book another RT-PCR test to check if the virus is still in there. Feeling less weak gave a positive hope. Just to make sure all of us get the test done. We book a home visit for sample collection. The sample is picked up. "When will the results come?". "Sir there is a huge rush, it typically take 48 hours" you will get your results in your email.

[T+26] I get an SMS and finally land up on the report. Uh. The report says negative (no presence of virus). It is indeed a relief.

Subsequently we get the results of the test as also being negative. There is a general sense of relief. With the second wave going on, we tell ourselves that we were lucky and need to be thankful and pray this trend is seen in everyone who is going through the second wave.

 

Sunil, "Can you make a pizza?"

Sunil, "Can you bake a cake? " 

 

I am welcome back into the kitchen.

Endnote

 

Several thoughts go through you. What if I had not take the vaccination on that day (later we figured out that several people tested  positive when taking vaccination the day I took) would I have been spared of the virus? Another thought is it was a wise decision to take the vaccine, probably it was the vaccine that took the steam out of the virus making it possible to manage things at home. One can never say both have an equal chance! I will go with the  second. The vaccine helped. Now I am ready for my second dose.

When eligible, please get yourself vaccinated.