Interviews With Recovered Covid-19 Patients : The Gravity of the Situation.

As an Indian ,  I have only seen people following curfews and lockdowns for the first 3-4 months. Some people are yet to understand the solemnity , the seriousness of the pandemic , and some overthink it. I'm here to clear exactly that. I conducted interviews with 3 individuals of different age groups , so as to determine that the virus affects everybody ; not just people of a certain age. 

Though most teenagers nowadays think that the virus may not affect them , this discussion with 17-year old Ambarish Bakshi from Aurangabad proves them otherwise. 

 

Blogger : Hello! So ,  Ambarish , when did you start experiencing symptoms?

Ambarish : Hey . Approximately , 3-4 days before testing , and I started quarantining at the MIT Boys Hostel on 21st September till the 30th. 

B : What were the symptoms you were enduring? If you had to rate the intensity of your symptoms from a scale of 1-10 , what would it be?

A : I had a headache , a mild fever , had cough , and the constant feeling that I was going to faint . As for the rating , I would rate them 7. 

B : Were any of your family members infected? If yes , who is facing the most pain because of the virus?

A : Yes , my entire family , my mother , father and brother , was infected. I would say that my brother is suffering the most because of Covid.

B : What is your brother's age?

A : He is 22 years old. 

B : So , do you think that the virus can cause problems even in young people like you and your brother? 

A : Yes , definitely. We are the ones who mostly roam outside , and that can create many problems and put others in risk when you get in contact with someone. 

B : I agree . Were you always wearing a mask before you were diagnosed? Were you following social distancing norms? Do you think following these guidelines helps in controlling this pandemic?

A :  Yes , I was following most of the restrictions. And yes , a lot actually. These are the basic things which can prevent us from getting infected.

B : Were you meeting your friends before getting diagnosed? If yes , were all of your friends following the basic norms?

A : Yes , I was meeting friends but we all were following the basic protocol. 

B : Do you think they were not infected because you were following the regulations?

A : Yes , I think that as long as you wear a mask , and social distance and don't physically touch them , you are safe. 

B : I agree. What would be your advice to those educated teenagers or the people who are aware of the virus but refuse to follow simple guidelines?

A : I personally believe that they should think of the consequences they will face if they get infected. Think about the mental and financial trauma your family will suffer from. We are the ones who should follow these easy and basic guidelines as we are the future of the country. If you don't care about yourself , you should at least care for your family . 

B : Okay , thank you Ambarish for your time. It was good hearing about your experience. 

The second interview is with a highly dignified speaker and counsellor , she is the principal of J.K English School and has a teaching experience of over 25 years , let us know the story of Corona Warrior Jyoti Krishna Shrivastava Ma'am. 

Blogger : Welcome , Ma'am. I want to start by asking your age and when did your symptoms start showing?

Jyoti Ma'am : Hello . I am 45 years old , and I started experiencing symptoms on the 6th of September but I tried to avoid it until the 7th where it got even more severe. I , then , went to my family doctor and he told me that all the symptoms indicated the presence of Covid-19 , but it might be a viral fever too. So I was prescribed medicines for 2 days , and if the symptoms didn't subside , then I had to do a test. 

B : What were your symptoms ? And if you had to rate the symptoms on the scale of 1-10 , what would you give it?

J : I had a stuffy throat , my tonsils were hurting , I had a lot of weakness and headache , and while going to the loo , my legs kept shivering , my eyes were heavy and I wanted to sleep. Considering all these symptoms are severe  , I would rate it altogether a 8 or 9. 

B : Okay , where were you quarantined?

J : I was quarantined at Bharari Foundation , Sambhaji Raje Care Centre. I also want to add something , that I was actually out a few days ago , and I wasn't wearing a mask , I was wearing a dupatta ( cotton cloth ) and I was removing it every few minutes to wipe my sweat , and I realised how much of a mistake that was in the quarantine centre. 

B : It is a common mistake that a lot of people do , yet it could result in an infection. Here is a simple illustration of what you should not do with your mask. 

B : Do you think this virus doesn't affect young people or doesn't cause them much trouble?

J : I would say no , we're not so sure. This virus internally damages our body , we can't tell what it does to us . In my report , it was seen that my blood had gotten 100 times thicker . I should've gotten a fever because of the clotting , yet fortunately , I hadn't. Now , suppose if I thought that I don't have cough , cold or fever , I probably don't have Corona , and due to the clotting I would have had a stroke and passed away. So , we cannot say that it doesn't affect young people , it might be affecting them internally. 

B : Exactly. Now , were you always wearing a mask and adhering to the rules?

J  : I was always wearing a mask , but I wasn't following social distancing.

B : Just an incident , but a few days ago I had to go to stationary shop for an urgent job , and I decided to count how many people had not worn mask at all.  You'd be shocked to find out , that the number was as high as 106 in the span of about 1.5 km , I guess the only step that is left is to call them out publicly . 

J : Yeah , public doesn't listen. I had gone to the market a few days ago and the crowd there was unbelievable and if I was staying 6 feet away , they'd look at me as if I was an alien.

B : That's sad. Well , suppose if you were in contact with a covid - positive person , and if you both were following the guidelines and had no physical contact , do you think you will get infected?\

J : I can't say. I mean , there is always a chance. I would say there is a 60% chance of infection , even more if you have a weak immunity or a weak mind. The solution to this would be staying at home and not leaving unless unnecessary. After I was discharged from the care centre , I was told to be home quarantined for 14 days , but the people who were discharged with me , they immediately started to go back to their job. I mean , even after the discharge I had a lot of weakness , too much . Its still harmful for me to go out , and it applies to everyone , but the recklessness of the people discharged could put other people at risk , right? We should think for everyone . 

B : Correct. Were you admitted in a government or private hospital? and how much were you charged per day?

J : I was in a private hospital . And I was charged Rs. 1,200 per day . Since I was quarantined for about 10 days , the stay costed Rs. 12,000 , but the treatment totaled to around Rs. 26,000. 

B : Were you in contact with a person who wasn't following the rules? And do you think if that person had followed these basic guidelines maybe you wouldn't have suffered this physical and mental distress?

J : Yeah , I told you I was at the market and almost no one was wearing a mask. I do think I would have not gotten infected if the people around me had worn a mask . To be honest , the worst habit of many Indians is that they spit , and since this is a droplet virus , your spit not only harms the environment and cleanliness , it is also putting the lives of people at risk.

B : What would you advise to those who are well educated or are aware of the virus and still do not wear a mask or social distance? I mean , I've seen most my friends meeting in groups without masks. I think its irresponsible. 

J : I do not think that this is right , but a person is so influenced by someone else's thinking that they cannot stay firm on their own decision. I mean , if one friend says " Don't worry nothing happens " , the other person gets easily manipulated. Instead of following in their footsteps , we should try to convince them that they are wrong, Even uneducated people follow basic norms nowadays. We shouldn't always learn from our mistakes , we can learn from other's mistakes too. If there is a work that must be done , then try and do other chores in one visit. If the teenagers and the future of our country , think that they're very brave to not follow basic rules , then they're very wrong. They're putting their lives and the lives of the people around them at risk. In such times of a pandemic , the friend who is hugging you and not wearing a mask around you , it won't matter if you get infected , they won't be able to help or even bat an eye.

B : Okay , Thank you very much for your time. It's an honour. 

The third interview is with Mrs. Shubhada , a very charming personality who won the war with Covid-19 :

Blogger : Hello ! I am going to ask you a few questions regarding your journey. Let's start off with your age , please.

Mrs. Shubhada : Hello. Okay , I am 70 years old. 

B : When did you start experiencing symptoms ? What were they?

S : I started experiencing symptoms on the 4th or 5th of September . I did not really have a fever , but I had alot of weakness , I wanted to sleep all the time , also had acidity. I did not think it was COVID-19 because I was under alot of mental stress , so I thought the weakness was because of that. 

B : If you had to rate the severity of your symptoms from a scale of 1-10 , what would you rate it?

S : I would rate it a 8 or 9 , the weakness was unbearable . 

B : Where were you quarantined ? What was the approximate charge of your treatment there?
S : I was admitted to the LifeCare Hospital , it is a COVID-dedicated private hospital. Since everything was very top-notch , the food , the sanitation , the charges went upto approximately Rs. 1,00,000. 

B : Were any of your family members affected ? If yes , who was suffering the most because of it?

S : Yes , my son tested positive , I would say he suffered more than me , because he had a fever and also cough. 

B : So , would you say that this virus is very infectious and easily transferable? 

S : Yes , of course , I mean , we came in contact with a covid positive person , and even with a mask on we caught the virus. 

B : Do you think the virus affects youger people? 

S : Yes , there is no harm in saying that even younger people get affected. Take my son , for example , the treatment did not think it was necessary that remdesivir injection had to be given to him as he was younger , but the infection had spread and he had to be re-admitted. That is what the virus does to you. I mean , we both still have weakness , we were admitted on the 9th and it is 30th September today , considering the gap , I say it's a powerful virus and has long-term effects.

B : Were you always wearing a mask and social distancing? 

S : Yes , we were always following the guidelines , and did not go out at all except for the time we had to go out to the doctor's. 

B : Do you think wearing a mask and social distancing helps curb the spread of the pandemic?

S : I mean , everything is uncertain , but doesn't mean you shouldn't wear a mask , it helps lessen the spread alot. 

B : What do you think about the people who refuse to follow the instructions? What advice would you give them?

S : I mean , even if some don't follow social distancing or crowd somewhere , I see alot of people wearing mask. They should use their education , we are still wearing a mask at home , regularly use sanitiser and don't go out. We should be very careful as this pandemic is not a joke , one should always use mask in public , try not to go out , even if the death rate is less , the weakness is too much and the financial stress is also alot. 

B : Okay , thank you for your time and experience. It was great talking to a brave fighter. 

Listening to these Corona - warriors talk about their experiences must have given you the gist , that even if it is not fatal , it is also not to be taken lightly. In case , if you are experiencing any symptoms such as fever , dry cough , tiredness , aches , sore throat , headache , loss of taste or smell , rash or discolouration , difficulty breathing , chest pressure , etc. , please go consult a local COVID centre for the sake of yourself and your family. 

Thank you for reading !