“A lot is spoken about the physical toll of covid but the mental toll is much greater than the physical toll. For me, it started with a mild fever and a cough and the fear of being a corona patient, set inside me, triggering a series of anxious reactions in my body. Approaching a nearby doctor, he suggested that I take tablets and get tested on the fourth day. By the fourth day, I was cured completely but I took the test anyway and it was negative.

And then, two days from then, I started developing severe body pain and fatigue. So I approached a hospital again and I was given an IV. I recovered once again and within a day’s time, my temperature spiked to 103 degrees. Things were getting scary by then and I went to an established hospital where I was suggested to take a CT scan. This scan eventually revealed that the virus was not in my nose or throat but directly in my lungs. Hence, despite having a test, they couldn’t confirm the diagnosis.

But the actual nightmare began once the CT scan came through. The way the people treated me and isolated me and made me feel like an outsider was quite unbearable. I was not allowed to speak to my immediate family members who were waiting downstairs for me. Instead they took me in an ambulance to another building 100 meters away from the main building and was made to lie down in a covid unit which was filled with about 160 beds in a 5 feet distance.

I spent close to 4 days in this unit but suffice it to say it was testing. People were taken to the ICU right in front of my own eyes and there was a constant coughing and wheezing sound all around me. But one of the best things about my hospital was that we were allowed our phones with us. So all through the days, I kept reading all the positive news I could get my hands on! I spoke to a lot of COVID survivors who kept sending all their positivity my way. And I took a strong stand against anything negative and kept feeding all the good things into my system. On the fourth day I was discharged and quarantining in the house with my parents, helped me recover completely.

Now when I come to think of it, I would say that I view the whole incident as an experience. It has made me realise how each and every moment is utmost precious and we keep thinking that the future is somewhere distant, removed from our vision. But the present is the future and that realisation has definitely helped me make more time for everything that matters the most to me.”