I can’t forget the Thursday, 8th of April 2021. As part of my morning rituals, I did my regular workout, prayed, and later had a hearty breakfast and was feeling all fresh, waiting for the day to start.
By the start of April, the country was already starting to experience the second wave, which was proving to be more drastic. The number of daily infected cases was increasing manifold. The Government rolled SOPs which mandated a night curfew from 20.00 hours to 6.00 hours and travel restricted to essential services during the day, which was until 30th April 2021. It is expected only that reopening of various sectors shall now happen in a staggered manner subject to the reduction in the number of daily infected cases, increase in recoveries and more and more vaccines being administered.
As a normal (not-so) day, I started with my work. In fear that the Government might impose a statewide lockdown (which seemed the only solution) in the very next few days, I had to finish some work. Later that noon, I started to feel a mild body ache, which I took for granted that it could be due to the intense workout I did on my shoulders. Shoulders did pain too. Later that noon, I started to get headaches and mild fever. Spoke to my doctor who asked me to quarantine immediately and consume paracetamol. Popped in paracetamol tab. Confident enough, that this all saga will subside with mere paracetamol, I was wrong. I did not want to give it any benefit of the doubt, so I quarantined myself completely from that evening onwards. The night was scarier because I could barely sleep due to the strong headache with mild fever and mild body ache. The night passed, I popped another paracetamol and this became like an unwanted daily routine for me. During all this while, I had been regularly, monitoring my temperature and oxygen, which was under control. Fever, body ache, and headache started to vanish from mild to almost zero in almost 3 days. I couldn’t be happier.
Come 6th day. That morning, as I had my breakfast in my room, all by myself, I felt something bizarre. I realized, there is no taste and no smell and I’m just eating the food for the sake of it. Alas! It was as if I lost everything. That feeling over time made it more and more difficult for me to live with it and wanted it in desperation to return back at the soonest. I read it online and prepared myself that this will take a few days. ‘Taste’ will be the first to reactivate slowly and ‘smell’ in the last.
I continued the 5-day ‘protective medicinal course’ prescribed by my doctor which is usually a standard protocol of 4-medicines, comprising 1 antibiotic, 1 stomach disorder medicine, 1 multivitamin, and 1 Vitamin-C. The doctor instructed me to continue the multivitamins and vitamin C supplements for some more time, at least for 30 days. Steam twice. I repeat steam twice. This is the most important of all. My doctor had been very empathetic and supportive all the time. Half of the treatment gets done there.
My 14-day quarantine period got over on Wednesday, 21st April, but as a more cautious person, I voluntarily increased my quarantine period for another 4 days. I freed myself after 18 days, to be precise.
Looking back at the conditions across the country, the second wave was disastrous and dangerous. There were acute shortages in the supply of oxygen, hospitals, beds, plasmas, and ventilators. The healthcare had been overburdened and there weren’t any signs of respite. The forecast suggested that the peak was expected to hit by mid-May. From 1 May, the Government had announced to administer vaccine doses to all in the 18-45 age group. The average age is 28 years and looking at the numbers vs the doses, it may take months to complete.
I’ve been fortunate enough that my symptoms were mild and I could recover. I’m grateful that my oxygen levels were normal.
Thankfully, I got vaccinated with the 1st dose early June 2021.
Image courtesy: Getty Images
