'My whole family and I tested Covid positive, but we fought back'

New Delhi: We are living in difficult times, to say the least. The ongoing pandemic has changed our lives completely. The things we took for granted are now nothing short of luxury. It hasn’t been easy
for anyone. Hearing about the rising covid cases is one thing but experiencing it first hand is a totally different nightmare. However, people have survived the wrath of this virus and emerged as an inspiration for others.

Daksh Mehta, 24, a resident of Rajouri Garden, tested Covid positive with his entire family in mid-June last year. The family thinks the virus spread from Mehta's father as he initially had a sore throat and then a mild fever. A few days after, Mehta showed symptoms of a fever, and later, his mother and older sister also fell ill. Eventually, their fever went up. When they contacted their family doctor, they were told to immediately get tested for Covid-19. 

Mehta says, “The situation of health infrastructure was really bad in Delhi and we had to struggle to find a testing centre. Finally, we booked a drive-thru test and went to Dr Dang’s lab in Punjabi Bagh. Along with the Covid test, we also got some blood tests done. All tests cost us roughly 8,000-9,000 per person." Right after, the family was home quarantined after testing positive for Covid. 

Fortunately, when the family tested positive for Covid-19, both Mehta and his sister were done with their final exams. His parents took an off from work as they wanted to focus only on their and their kids' health. Mehta says, “Everyone was scared of Covid as no one was fully aware of this virus last year. People did not know how to react as the first lockdown created panic. Fortunately, we have kind neighbours who checked on us every day to know about our health and whether we needed anything."

Mehta says that he and his family had already started wearing masks much before the first case of covid was detected in India. The family started taking more precautions to avoid getting infected. The family experienced perpetual exhaustion, severe cough, difficulty in breathing, and above all, stress and tension due to the growing fatalities. 

He also said that there was no proper medicine of covid at the time he and his family were tested positive for Covid-19. They took hydroxychloroquine along with other medications as prescribed by their doctor. The family also consulted multiple doctors and got their prescription verified by each one of them. Along with medicines, they also took care of their diet, which was tough as the family had little appetite due to diarrhoea (a common symptom of Covid). But still, they made sure to eat a balanced diet. The family also resorted to ayurvedic 'kaadha' and tea from time to time, including homoeopathic doses or arsenic, according to Mehta.

Mehta recalls, “We were very scared about what will happen to us. Also, the disease was new and there were many assumptions and half-baked rumours about Covid. As the symptoms kept increasing, it took a toll on our mental health. We suffered sleepless nights feeling low and sad." However, the family started feeling better after one month of home isolation. After a month, they
stepped out individually to buy grocery, Mehta adds. 

There were many post-Covid symptoms that they experienced. He says, “We had extreme fatigue for 6 months. We also noticed that it affected our memory a little and we had difficulty in recalling even the simplest of things. Both my parents had joint pain after recovering from Covid. My father even broke his knee while just standing normally because his joints had become so
weak. We experienced breathlessness after simple tasks like walking from one room to another. We had body ache and headache very frequently for quite a long time." 

"To all the people who are in a similar situation, please stay in touch with doctors and follow their diet properly," Mehta adds.

CitySpidey urges its readers to stay home, stay safe, wear a mask and stay healthy!