There must be millions of Covid stories in the world today and how each family coped. Unfortunately, there are also those that died of this strange, dreadful virus that causes clots, fever, hypoxia and a host of reactions.

My husband, Sanjaya, came down with fever and the very next day he was tested and the result was positive for Covid. His GP immediately started the treatment and within three days his fever went and he had no symptoms, Oxygen levels and blood test were fine, so we thought that he has escaped the worst.

Suddenly exactly seven days later his fever spiked, he was rushed for a CT scan, which showed he had developed pneumonia and would have to be hospitalized. This sudden deterioration between 7 and 10 days is a Covid effect that can happen to many and does, frighteningly suddenly. That is why taking action immediately can save lives.

Sanjaya was taken to Fortis Hospital in Vasant Kunj by an ambulance and the Covid Team started tests and treatment immediately. The fact that I could speak to the head of the Covid Team, Dr J C Suri and the way he spoke to me and answered all the questions that troubled me was perhaps the most reassuring. He was soft spoken, very kind and seemed to realise the distress this disease causes loved ones. There are so many unknowns, so much that can go wrong.

Covid is a very lonely disease. You can’t be with your partner; everyone is isolated from each other. You have to rely solely on phones and the doctors and the team that is taking care of the patient. Dr Ayush Gupta who saw my husband everyday made it a point to call me after he had checked him out to let me know the treatment, they were giving him and how he was responding to it and his parameters like fever, oxygen saturation etc. as well results of blood tests. Luckily, Sanjaya never needed oxygen and within 12 hours of the treatment his fever was gone.

Just as Doctor Suri had done, Dr Gupta would patiently answer all the questions I had. This must have been some effort as there would have been dozens of patients under his care whose families got similar treatment. Then there was Neha Sharma and Ruchika who would call me from Patient Experience to find out if the doctors had spoken to me and if I had any problems!

The fact that I have never met any of these caregivers and they know me as just the wife of a patient is all the more incredible and comforting. I felt I could depend on them and they were just a phone call away.

Within seven days my husband was home. Both Dr Suri and Dr Gupta assured me that if I ever wanted to talk to them, I was just a phone call away. I am not sure whether I will ever meet Sanjaya’s caregivers face to face but suffice it to say these first responders who fight everyday to cure Covid patients are putting their lives at risk every single day. For this we need to salute them.

Some medication will continue for a while. The Discharge Slip gives all that we need to do and to call if any adverse symptoms should occur from fever to a
drop in oxygen saturation. Covid tests will have be done after a week. One can only hope there are no side effects; no long-standing issues that many cured patients complain off.

I pray the vaccine comes fast not for myself but for the doctors, nurses and staff who work tirelessly to save lives. I feel I am lucky to be in India as our system responds quickly and we do have the lowest death rate in the world.