*This is their experience and it might not be the same for everyone*
Here is a story of a COVID survivor hailing from Azamnagar village in Jaishanker Bhupalpally district in Telangana.
I am Navya Yellanki, sharing my experience here with you, from testing positive for deadly coronavirus to winning the battle against it. I stay at a hostel in Hanmakonda and I attend a hospital as part of my internship. As cases rose in the state, the govt ordered all the educational institutes to shut and I left home (Azamnagar of Bhupalpally).
There, I suffered from mild fever and headache. Giving a thought that I had been infected with the virus, I got tested for that. I was accompanied by my younger brother to the testing centre (Primary Health Care Centre) in my village. I had undergone the COVID Rapid antigen test.
Unfortunately, the result turned out to be positive. The lab assistant gave me a medical kit. Having a fear that my brother got infected by the virus, immediately he underwent a test and tested negative and that was a big sigh of relief for us.
My younger sister and brother are attentive and hats off to their preparedness as they acted consciously. They have made a temporary wash area and bathroom where ventilation and sunlight were good. As I lived with my parents, I isolated myself from them and stayed in a separate room arranged by family members.
I took every precaution, disinfecting my surroundings at regular intervals and also followed a diet. My mother, sister and brother took much care of me, giving me vitamin-rich food, including fruits, nuts, etc. I had also medicated accordingly instructed by the doctor.
During my isolation, I also checked my oxygen saturation levels with an oximeter every hour for the first 3 days and at intervals of 3 hours for the remaining days.
The diet included two boiled eggs, two curries of one green leafy vegetable and a fresh vegetable, rice, curd, etc. Also, I had vapours of turmeric. I took the medicines as per my doctors prescription.
I washed my utensils and dried them under sunlight. I followed it throughout my isolation.
I started taking medicines handed over by the lab assistant at PHC after having lunch on the day I tested positive for the virus. After having dinner, I consumed every medicine prescribed to me. Due to intake of heavy food, within no time, I vomited. After this, my mother gave me coconut water. I had a sound sleep in the night.
My very next day began with drinking hot water with honey followed by vapours and milk and a few dry fruits (almonds, cashew, resins) and then sprouts. I vomited again.
I became anxious and contacted the doctor. The doctor recommended I take medicines at regular intervals and with some time gap. I followed the recommendations of the doctor. Then, all went well for the next 3 days.
After getting the medication prescribed by the doctor for 7 days, I underwent a rapid antigen test after 7 days of home isolation and tested negative. It was a big relief to me and even to my family members.
When we test positive for the virus, we should isolate ourselves and follow the protocols as instructed by the health officials. The foremost thing is to follow a diet rich in vitamins. The last thing I want to convey here is don’t fear the virus and don’t lose hope. You will be better as me.
I forgot to tell you that I had not lost sense of smell when I had gone to the testing. Later in the evening, I observed that I had lost smell. After 3 days, I regained my sense of smell and disinfected every belonging, including my room. We followed COVID rules and regulations at home during quarantine days, including wearing masks and maintaining social distance and sanitisation.