Survived Covid-19 1st Wave
Well, It was August 2020. We all, at workplace, had worked relentlessly since Mar 20 till almost July 20 on various solutions to help nation during pandemic. Our run rate was one solution per 10–15 days using latest technologies like AI/ML, IoT. Along with it we were working on other important activities as well. Most important was launching of mentorship
program for 10 Bangladesh Startups which were chosen during a national level hackathon, running since 6 months and concluded in Feb 20. The launching of mentorship program happened on 9th Aug 20, Sunday. Before that we went to a college in my city for signing MoU with them on 6th Aug. From 10th Aug I started getting high fever, lost taste of food. Still I continued working till 18th Aug though fully exhausted. On 19th Aug I was completely down and not able to sit upright as well. On 20th we went to hospital in the evening where my Antigen test carried out and I was declared positive with recommendation of home quarantine as there was no bed in that hospital. Frankly speaking I had mixed reaction at that time. On one side I got relaxed that finally I was caught up by Covid, from whom I was trying to run away for so many days, so now no more running around. And at other side I was asking question to myself like what will happen to me now ? To my family ? What if I die ? So it was all confusion. My wife kept me giving assurance that nothing of this sort will happen. Till 23rd my fever reduced but cough started increasing. If I start coughing then it was like for 2–3 mins I kept on coughing. So we did chest XRay on 24th and Doctor said immediately get hospitalized. All my family members and friends started ringing in various hospitals. Finally got a bed in nearby hospital. From there on till 31st Aug I was hospitalized and were undergoing treatment which included many injections, tablets. My hand started paining with all those injections but they were must. Interestingly there was another person in my room as it was semi private room. And he was very talkative. I normally like to listen to anybody who talks sensibly. Though this guy was not always making me sense, but got to know a lot about his business and my favorite topic, Real estate in Pune.
Those were Ganpati festival days in Pune. Typically its a biggest festival in Pune. Families bring home Lord Ganesh idol and worshiped during these 10 days of festival. Housing Societies, Ganesh Mandals arrange lot of programs to entertain people. Genuinely these 10 days are my favorite period of the year. Such a joyful festival however this year I was hearing sad stories of no decoration, closure of pandals by 10 PM, restrictions on people movement etc. It was all painstaking and I personally was feeling very bad that I could not go out and visit Ganesh Mandals.
Everyday when Sr Doctor used to visit us, me and my room partner used to ask very optimistically one question to Dr, “When are we going to get discharge?” :) and her typical answer was once we feel that you are ready to go and will not infect other people. This last part was more like emotional blackmailing because I did not want to spread this virus to others in my family or my housing society. So we used to return back to respective beds consoling each other.
Finally on 30th evening Dr said that your reports looks fine and we shall discharge you tomorrow. WOW !! What a relief it was.
Suddenly I felt like I gained 3–4 KG of weight with those words. I informed my wife and she sighed long. Next day since morning we kept asking for discharge process and finally came out of hospital around 8 pm after completing insurance approvals and payment to hospital. Though they charged me exorbitantly, I ignored as I was happy to get out of hospital. I could relate my feeling to feelings of people of India when they got independence from colonial British on 15th Aug 1947. :)
When I came back home it was really feeling like I made it to Mt Everest. But could not hug my kids as I was told to go through quarantine for further 2–3 days. I was the first person tested positive in my housing society building so reactions were mixed :) . My friends helped my family very much while I was in hospital as my entire family was quarantine. My in-laws also helped a lot to me and I was banking on them as the hospital was close to their home. I got regular calls from colleagues who managed my work well in my absence.
It was my first hospitalization in my entire life. This experience was a good lesson for me and making me more fearless towards hospitalization :)
I am really grateful to Lord Ganesh and my family n friends who helped me to conquer Covid-19 and come back to home.