By Dr Ajit Saxena

I spent the next 48 hours drifting in and out of sleep, eating the special protein rich diet designed to boost my energy levels under the watchful eyes of the duty nurses.  My biggest fear at that time was going into a deep slumber, from which I might never wake up again.

I was placed on oxygen therapy from the third day, to avoid a fatal dip in oxygen levels in my blood.

The procedure continued for the next 12 days, along with steroids in varying doses from low to high, as my condition began to deteriorate by the end of the first week.  I had difficulty taking deep breaths in the first two weeks, indicating that the virus had taken partial control over my lungs.

The days I spent at the hospital as a patient, gave me an entirely new perspective and understanding about the sacrifices made by the real heroes and heroines of the pandemic: the nurses and the housekeeping staff.

I came to realise that these selfless human beings work for something way beyond money. Both the nurses and housekeeping staff have to stay inside their sealed, sweltering protective gears for up to eight hours every day. Since wearing the gear can take up to 10 minutes, many are even reluctant to go to the bathroom to pee, holding urine for long hours, which in turn can lead to urinary tract infections.

It took over two weeks for my body to finally show some signs of recovery. In retrospect, I believe it is the vaccination that kept me alive and enabled my body to recover. I firmly believe that in the 10 days since my vaccination, my body would have produced antibodies thereby mitigating the impact of the virus. Had I not taken the vaccine I would have suffered the full impact of the virus and my recovery, if at all possible, would have been much more turbulent.