Nurse from Kerala battles it out for 14 days, overcomes COVID-19 challenge

The woman, a nurse, used to work with a private hospital in the city, but had quit her job as she was set to get married. Two weeks before her wedding, she fell ill. “My wedding was on April 25, and I had quit my job just before that. There were no coronavirus patients in the hospital where I worked,” she said.

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On April 11, when she showed symtomps such as fever and cough, the nurse checked with a hospital. “My test report showed that I was positive and I was immediately admitted there,” she said.

Throughout her stay at the hospital, she suffered from vomiting, loose motions and even bouts of shivering. “I was given HCQ tablet, a heavy dose of antibiotics and vitamin pills,” she said.

“The HCQ pill was esepcially bad for me. The moment I took it, I started to vomit,” she said.

There was more shock in store for the nurse after a patient, who was in the bed next to her in the isolation ward, died. “She had been admitted just a day before. We chatted and she told me that she was not feeling well. But I saw her having dinner that evening, she looked fine… the next morning, the woman passed away. This came as a big shock for me. That day, I felt uneasy and was put on ventilator. I could not even sleep,” recalled the nurse.

She said she repeatedly complained to the doctors and nurses that the medicine they were giving her was too strong, which was making her vomit and suffer from loose motions. “I think they gave me at least 20 antibiotics and a HCQ table every day as I had bouts of shivering,” she said.

During her most difficult moments, her fiance and relatives called her up and comforted her. “I could forgot my troubles when I spoke to all of them and narrated my condition… They all comforted me and told me that everything will be okay,” she said.

“Though I was constantly worried, somehow my inner strength and determination to get well helped me overcome this torrid time,” she said. “My in-laws and my fiance were also very supportive”.

Six of her close relatives have also been quarantined. “My four-year-old nephew tested positive and I feel so sad,” she said.

While the medical bill for her treatment was as high as Rs 2 lakh, the Pune Malayalee Federation (PMF) came to her rescue. They took up her plight with the hospital. “The hospital has waived the entire bill,” said K Harinarayan of the PMF.

A day after she was discharged from a private hospital, the nurse continued to feel uneasy. She went to Naidu Hospital and again underwent a blod test. “In the evening, Naidu Hospital doctors told me that there was nothing to worry about. They said due to an overdose of medicine, I was feeling uneasy… it will take a few more days for full recovery. They have given me some medicines,” the nurse told The Indian Express