Our Journey To, Through & Return From Corona Infection - Part 3

 

Some of the medication completed their journey into us and a few others are left now. In the meanwhile, we have been progressing well on the recovery phase as we await further advice from the Doctor.

Our diet so far has been, only hot and cooked food, with a strict no-no to salads or fruits to mitigate any contamination with outside bacteria/virus. No fruit juices or any other stuff from the fridge. Lots of hydration (we resorted to warm water) as we almost gulped down around 2.5-3.5 liters a day. ORS was added to the water only if needed. Steam inhalation was almost a part of our diet - what with at least twice, if not thrice, a day.

One bright spot during our journey into and through Corona Infection, so far, has been decent levels of SpO₂, as it never dropped below 96 throughout the course of our medication, right from the day of our encounter with Covid. On the contrary, perhaps due to all the attention and nutrition we were getting, as ‘patients’, were helping in gradually improving our SpO₂ levels to 97-98%. We pray and hope to maintain these levels going forward.

Keep your mind calm and stress-free!

Huh! Easier said than done. 

With so many casualties around us, due to Covid, this was almost a Herculean task for us to accomplish. They say, if you want to eat an elephant, you can still do it! Eat it, bit by bit! This was exactly what we envisaged doing. The elephant, metaphorically, being the ‘Stress and Disturbed Mind’, had to be tamed somehow and what we did in the initial stages of our isolation, paved the way for the rest of the period.

In short;

-        We never switched on the TV sets, with all these umpteen channels repeatedly blaring negativity 24/7, showcasing graphical un-pleasant happenings around with no moral responsibility, sensitivity, or humanity to the ongoing saga of life and death. Media has become a mockery now as anyone armed with a smartphone, can become a reporter. I have lost my complete respect for this profession.

-        I have been deleting all those negative news and graphics on my social media account and have been sifting for news/information worth passing on to others.

-        Calls with my kith, kin and friends revolve around our resolve to beat the Virus at its own game.

-        Keeping ourselves engaged in chanting and learning new shlokas from an abundant library of Vedas, etc.

-        Physical exercises, albeit at home – Oh! We have a great runway of 20 steps one way, for a brisk walk and with this princely distance, we are able to clock a couple of km every day. 

-    Breathing Exercises to bring back the 'Lungs Power'. A variety of Pranayama to strengthen and revitalize the lungs.

One would wonder as to how I walked a distance of over 6 km in this constricted space, on a daily basis. Having done it successfully for a week now, I am in a position to dispel the views held by others on the need for a bigger space to exercise/walk.  

Well, in the end, it is Mind over Matter!

As we enter the last phase of our home isolation, I am feeling very lucky on able to write all these down and escaping unscathed from the clutches of the dreaded virus. That said, I still have a distance to traverse for complete recovery both physically and mentally.

Mentally – because, during this period of my illness from around 2^nd week of last month to date, there have been more than a couple of deaths amongst family and friends circle. Quite a few have contracted the virus and are battling to overcome this. My sincere and humble prayers for their speedy recovery. My only advice to them is ‘be strong mentally, this too will be gone soon and as far as possible – think positively on how you too can outlive this virus (if we can do it, so can you) and pray’.

We (my brother and I) survived the pandemic by God's Grace but I grieve for the ones who lost their battles and pray for those who are battling the dreadful virus. To those who are battling, ‘Be strong and in a positive bent of mind’.

I will fail in my duty, if I don’t express my gratitude to the Doctor and his support staff, who dragged us out of this Covid deluge, in particular. Similarly, to my family for their unstinted support to me and my brother during the testing times and to my friends who had me and my brother in their prayers; I bow down to you all, in deep gratitude!

In the wider world, I bow my head with great respects and with deep gratitude in my heart to; a huge battalion of Covid warriors; Doctors, Nurses, Path Lab & Radiology Personnel, Attendants, Other Hospital and Essential Staff, Bank and other Employees who, by nature of their jobs are required to render service to the public – come rain or shine, Police, enforcement and ancillary agencies, Defence Personnel, Transporters of foodstuff, perishables, critical medicines and equipment, umpteen number of volunteer agencies and volunteers, Hotels and other agencies providing food for those unlucky ones who can’t cook at home.

Any other section of people, to whom I have not expressed my gratitude is by oversight and not intentional. I profusely apologise for the slip-up.

This is not the time for just praying (though it does help in maintaining our semblance as human beings). Prayers have to be in tandem with the science of how to break the chain and alleviate the havoc of the pandemic. Scientific advisors have been advising the Governments (Central and States) but it has fallen on deaf ears so far. Can the people with powers take cognisance of this advises and do their job earnestly and honestly, at least now, so that the country can be saved?

Epilogue:

The authorities have been caught off guard and no matter whoever it is who tries to justify the stance taken by them, they can’t shift the blame for their apathetic attitude. Firstly, they could have put in more hospitals/beds in the long year of learning. We had a great head-up on the possible second wave (and now a third wave is predicted in the next half of the year) and we lost the arbitrage to various insensitive, un-prioritised, callous and absolutely unwanted exercises by all the State Governments including the Great Central Government. Bureaucracy and unnecessary Politics has stifled the enterprising Entrepreneurs who could have held the hands of authorities in waging a successful war against the virus.

Gross mismanagement and corruption (well, nothing new here) have brought the logistics of bed/supplies availability to its knees. Mudslinging and cheap politicking is the order of the day (Surprise!)! Policies regarding the Lockdown and directives to the enforcing authorities are formulated by bureaucrats (who may never be in their current position but for their selection due to some draconian reservation policies that the country is still following) with no proper vision and latitude of how these impact various sectors of the society. Stupid errors in drafting the directives give rise to addendums and corrigendum to confuse the hell out of the public and enforcers, alike.

It was pretty disgusting to see and hear about the nefarious activities by those who were entrusted to run the logistics and allocation of beds, etc., to those Covid patients who sought help. Corruption has raised its ugly head in an inhuman way as these patients had no option but to pay through their noses for just getting onto a hospital bed.

Healthcare has never been a priority of any government so far. It is high time that the Governments (Centre and States) prioritize this basic need for the public by taking necessary steps in augmenting the capacities across the country. The program can include training to set up mobile medical facilities in un-used government buildings, sports arenas, etc. in times of emergencies.

More importantly, cut the bureaucracy to the minimum if not ‘Nil’ so that actions can be taken at the right time and in the right place without much ado.

DMA (Disaster Management Act) must be invoked to take action against erring hospitals/bureaucrats and other officials causing impediments during such a pandemic emergency.  

Vaccinate, as this is the only way to defeat the virus! Indian Government must go all out for getting its population vaccinated, at whatever cost and in a minimum possible time.

Well, a lot of the above was for the authorities and the Governments (Centre and State). However, as citizens, are we doing what we are supposed to do in such pandemics. No. We have shown our callous nature (either out of ego, arrogance, or ignorance) by not adhering to the directives issued (compulsorily to wear a mask properly, to maintain physical distance, not to move out of our houses during the lockdown time, etc.) by the authorities. Our uncivilized mentality during the lockdown needs no special mention. We come out of our places in droves, out of curiosity to see what’s happening on the roads. Civic sense is undisputedly absent and we care two hoots about the others. Discipline is a non-existent vocabulary and so is personal hygiene.

What’s the use of our bureaucrats and politicians making umpteen foreign trips to other countries, when not a single lesson has been learnt by them or implemented across their jurisdictions, about the way civic sense operates in these foreign countries?

Somehow, thanks to the pandemic, a few of the above ills are getting corrected in a miniscule percentage of the population but as for the rest, Mera Bharat Mahaan!

Well, in the midst of all the melee, we have forgotten the Mother of this virus, China. Ironically, we have to remember this on Mother’s Day!

What has been done to rope in China with the responsibility of spreading this virus, so far? How can the country that orchestrated and was the epicenter of the global pandemic, go scotfree? Are there no provisions in the international laws to call for World-wide sanctions against this rogue country? Are there secret parleys going on behind the smokescreen between the powerful nations and the rogue nation, for concessions and counter-sanctions? Is the UN such a spine-less organization, not to penalize its permanent member with sanctions? 

Lots of questions but I wonder whether we can get all answers to the above.