The virus that has by now spiralled the most unexpected places far from its origin, the time when death toll made the headlines; little did we imagine this tiny town would be a victim of this pandemic too. The cases started rising at the time when lockdown was lifted and I was scared for my dad as he had to go to office everyday due to emergency service.
The time becomes more crucial and terrifying when we see our loved ones in problems. To my utmost horror this happened to my family. Within a month the cases started rising. And my dad started showing mild symptoms. I still didn't think that it might be COVID because living in a tropical climate these mild symptoms were normal to us, still I would ask him everyday whether he developed any new symptoms or having any difficulty in breathing.
But since the virus was new and the thought that exceptions always had a chance of happening to your loved ones prevailed. So to avoid any sudden circumstances he decided to get himself tested and if positive to admit himself to the hospital. After the ambulance came he went and my mother broke down. I told her to keep herself together and be strong. He tested positive and soon got himself a bed in the Covid ward.
It was 1st August 2020 Eid-al-adha; a festive occasion that seems to have been replaced by a never ending fear and sadness of dry and dark horror. Soon the number of positive patients were rising in peak level and there was not sufficient place to accommodate such a large number of people and so was the heat temperature.
My dad developed slight difficulty in breathing and would require an external supply of oxygen for some time (the person doesn't become totally breathless at this point. It's just, the person has difficulty in breathing for which he has to take oxygen supply and it gets better). Hearing this we had no rest no sleep at all that day. We had no choice other than to keep researching about the virus, getting worried or waiting for the phone to ring and taking care of my mother and waiting for the next morning to arrive.
The second day my dad's mental health deteriorated, this was the most horrifying day of my life. He saw dead bodies of COVID patients in the ICU lay untouched and to his shock no one even informed about the dead bodies. The wards were starting to fill with more number of patients than the previous day. Kids, Women, men crying, screaming wanting to go home. The staff wasn't responsible enough, the infected patients had to help each other to fill the oxygen cylinders with protocols followed.
He was facing a near death situation due to which he thought he will never return back to us. This is the most fragile and crucial time of the infected patient. No matter how strong or weak the person is, he/she needs Motivation, love and positivity at this moment (with proper research and knowledge I came to know that this stage is common in almost all positive patients, since the virus is new the person gets scared and starts thinking a lot with all such negativities surrounding him).
The person needs to be reminded of why he has to live and that he will. The 3rd day he started recovering and so did the situation in our house. But the fear deep down remained active. The 4th day he was released from the hospital and was home isolated for 2 weeks. He got better with proper diet, sleep and a happy environment and after 14 days he tested negative and the joy in our house returned. Life was back to the way it should have been; had not my dad tested positive. Two months down since the pandemic hit us, today we are all safe and healthy and taking the necessary precautions and back to our virtual life. Thus leaving a week of apocalyptic phase behind that will have a forever impact in my life.
I sincerely wish for people to follow the protocols religiously and abide by the government rules and stay safe. We might get better after being infected or even see our loved ones die, there's both emotional and physical loss that will always have an impact on us forever. it's just three main rules to follow (i) wear a mask covering our mouth and nose (ii) maintain social distancing (iii) washing your hands frequently that will keep you safe.
SELF LOVE AND SPREAD LOVE.
The coronavirus (COVID-19) has made the world pretty different right now. If you’re feeling overwhelmed or stressed by it all, be assured that this is a normal response. But it does mean that you need to make sure you look after your mental health.
Here are some tips to take care of yourself, learn to navigate through tough times at home while you spend more time with family, and become problem solvers to overcome the challenges, big and small, that we all face in our lives.
