Tiredness, fatigue, headache and chills. Fever that did not go
away, as it kept coming back the moment the antipyretic effect of Ibuprofen
thinned out ! Must be flu, after all, it’s flu season.
Who would’ve thought this beast, SARS Cov-2, can sneakily invade our
home? Being in the highly vulnerable group, conscious cautious efforts were
always practiced to prevent from exposure to the virus. At the get go, the CDC
recommended safety practices were religiously observed in our household – masks, shields,
sanitizers, washing hands and grocery items, and most of all, the
sanity-breaking social isolation or lock down. We were just as paranoid as
anybody else!
What if it is COVID-19, considering some of the telltale
signs and symptoms? But anosmia (lose sense of smell) and dysgeusia (loss
of taste) never occurred. Loss of appetite, may be, as it naturally comes with being ill.
Even with the symptoms beginning to die down, COVID-19 testing was done in an
ER visit, the rapid antigen test turned out negative, 30 minutes or so, after
the painful and uncomfortable swabbing. Quite a relief, then! While negative,
the swab was sent to a Laboratory facility for PCR testing, while a 10-day
isolation was mandated!
Two days after the ER visit, a couple of calls, first from
the ER office, and then from the Department of Health, delivered the most unwanted
positive test result. This came when all the symptoms were almost gone. And so, it seemed, the worst was over, then!
Guess what the doctor prescribed for the treatment of
COVID-19? The controversial hydroxychloroquine, along with Azithromycin and
anti-inflammatory steroid! Just wondering why not Remdesivir?
There is a widespread misinformation that contracting
COVID-19 is akin to getting a death penalty, especially those who are at the highly
vulnerable demographic. In reality, the death rate is relatively low, all things
considered. But the fact that nobody knows how differently the body fight or respond
to the infection makes us think of our vulnerability. With our experience, the
response to the dreadful viral infection was beyond amazing. Mild symptoms, typical for viral infections. Me thinks about these questions. Has the recent flu
shot helped? Does taking megadose of Vitamin D supplement keep the immune
system better equipped to deal with the viral infection. Or was it just plain random ‘luck’ that the
less deadly strain of the virus invaded our home? Nobody knows!
The war against the COVID-19 coronavirus is like man against
beast! Ironically, the beast is the invisible and seemingly invincible
coronavirus which continues to pose a big threat to humanity. That’s how this
ferocious battle between science and nature can be aptly described, so to
speak. As it is right now, the coronavirus is still on the lead, leaving
humanity on the edge. More lives are still lost, logarithmic infection rate
still on the scale. And while science is inching closer to a step in curbing
down the infection rate, the mighty beast has evolved a variant strain with its
infectivity much higher than the ‘original’ strain.
Somehow, the natural infection made our bodies acquire active
immunity against the disease. But it’s not yet time to shed off that mask and
face shield, and being unmindful of social distancing. Not yet, even with millions of vaccines already dispensed. The risk of
reinfection is real, especially since the virus is rapidly evolving. This
coronavirus is here to stay, may be for a long time!
So, let’s keep safe everyone!
