The COVID-19 Scare

So I had been hearing about the Corona Virus for quite a while now, but safely cocooned in my world of health, fitness, workouts, reps, weights, distance, stamina etc … place for a viral infection was zilch. So oblivious to the extent of the disaster that was unfolding around me, I made fabulous plans to close the Mumbai chapter with an epic trip – this time along the coast back to Bangalore.

I wanted to start my Bangalore chapter in the month of April, so just like that, out of the blue I decided that I would move out of Mumbai on the 19th which meant I had to send my stuff back to Bangalore through the Packers & Movers. So it was set, the packers came over on the 18th March around 12pm and by 4pm we were all packed and ready to go. One thing which was a surprise to me was that you are meant to pay 100% upfront and in advance – which seemed like a lesson on trust-building for me. In addition to that the hidden costs, the constant bickering & arguing was just an absolute headache.

I had first fallen ill around mid-feb and thereafter, I suppose I did not give my body enough time to recover which led to a lower immune system. With a hectic schedule and a hundred things to go, the exhaustion with the packers & movers was the last straw to break the proverbial camel’s i.e. mine, back. As We all moved over to my friend’s place, the tiredness, fever & cough started setting in and by 8:00pm, we suspected the worse. Things spiralled and how, – I popped in a paracetamol and went to bed – hoping for the best. The entire night went coughing, sneezing & i woke up in a cold sweat. With the current Corona Scare, I wanted to rule out the existence of the viral infection in me and found the centre for checking in Mumbai.

Meanwhile, we ensured that everyone I had been in contact with in the last 24 Hours was informed and advised of social isolation until we confirmed that I was virus-free. I walked a little bit in the sun to melt away the phlegm clogging up my entire ENT passage while sweating out the fever, carried a roll of tissue with me. Then hailed a cab to head to Kasturba Hospital 17K away. As I jumped in the cab, I requested the driver to turn the ac off and open up the windows and put on his mask. We drove to the closest medical store for me to grab sanitizer and a mask myself. Next Stop Kasturba Hospital.

As I walked in, I saw a long queue of people waiting to get diagnosed. I joined in, making small talk. And this is when I saw the extent of the damage that the virus was causing. I saw a lady who was unable to walk without the help of another individual. I saw the medical staff covered from head to toe in protective clothing – much like those scenes I have only witnessed in X Files previously. And this is when the severity of the situation started dawning on me. I waited in queue for about an hour before meeting with the doctors who spoke to me at length to get my medical details down – they ruled out corona, we had a few laughs and then sent me on my way with some antibiotics and other prescriptions.

I made my way back to my friends place, everyone finally stepped out to head back to their respective homes and move on with their lives. After coming back, we watched a few documentaries about the virus, its spread & the destruction it has been causing around the world. Quite a sombering and educative session I gotta say. Ive canned my backpacking plans and will fly back to Bengaluru post the completion of my course of antibiotics. I am on Day 3 and already feeling a lot better. The following are helping me:

1. Staying indoors & following the protocol of social distancing.

2. Keeping myself occupied with things around the house. Do your own chores – its impossible that the house is perfect – there is always work to be done.

3. Catching up on series/movies – absolute vegetation over the last couple of days.

BBMP has passed an order banning the movement of vehicles into and outside of fated communities – which led to further complications with unloading my things in Bangalore. To be very honest, It is eye-opening that even after you pay in full and extra, the packers & movers pass comments like, ” it is our humanity that we are assisting with your situation.”

Either way, all is well that ends well. Here is me hoping that we are able to extend our support to the doctors & the entire medical staff working 24/7 to assist in controlling the current situation and the government by following the basic instructions they are asking us to abide by. It’s easy to sit and pass judgement on the government or the system – but none of us have an idea of the scale of the problem and the level of threat we are under – sometimes, the bravest thing we can do is NOTHING.

Patience is a virtue.

#Corona #Panic #Patience #VirusScare