Scariest April Fool: Covid negative yet isolated

I tested positive for Covid-19 on 1 April. The day celebrated as “April Fool” actually made me a fool, but in a scary way. Working as a media professional, that too as a news reporter, has always made me stronger, but this time a tragedy happened and it all changed overnight. I was working on a crime story due to which I used to be at the Pedder Road in Mumbai outside the office of National Investigation Agency (NIA). Every day, getting up early and working under the hot sun is very tiring and on 31 March, my cameraman told me that he has got some ache in the body and had symptoms of Covid-19. The very next day, he got himself tested and the report came Covid-19 positive. I was immediately informed by my boss, my mentor, about the same. Though I was busy in a shoot, after completing my work, I went to Nair Hospital in Mumbai Central and then things happened.

I reached there along with my other cameraman present that day with me and there we met Dr Nishant Tripathi, Senior Resident, Department of Plastic Surgery. He guided me with the form and I was very surprised to see such a young doctor handling the entire department where tests were conducted with his team. By the time my test happened, I was fine and we went out to have our lunch. After returning, I found myself Covid positive in the antigen report. After seeing my report, I was not able to think about anything, as I was worried about my family. Dr Nishant met me and gave some instructions to follow. Take mentioned medicines, do quarantine yourself at home or rent a room or else shift to a hotel, but isolate yourself first, said Dr Nishant. After meeting him and seeing how young age doctors are handling everything brilliantly, I was amazed. Doctors between the age group of 23 to 30 were not only working as frontline workers, but it made me think of how strong their families are to support them in this work.

So now, I was confused what to do. Going home will put family members at risk. My father is a diabetic patient and my mother is also on medication for the past many years; along with that, I have a four-year-old kid at home. Thoughts were running in my mind, but then I came home. Nobody from the family was allowed to touch me. But they all kept cheering me up and entertaining me simultaneously. I was just facing the wall of the room and had covered my face with two layers of masks. I wore gloves and socks so that I don’t touch anything. I couldn’t step out of my bed.

Next day, on 2 April, I went to the nearest hospital to again do my tests, but here antigen test came negative. I immediately messaged Dr Nishant from Nair Hospital and informed him about the same, he very patiently told me to wait for the RT-PCR report since that will be definitive. But after sometime, I got a call from BMC saying that my reports are positive and I will have to shift to the quarantine center nearby. First, I sent my family members to do the test and then my sister packed my bags for those coming 14 days which eventually lasted for 47 hours.

Jokingly, three ambulances came to pick me and I went in the one which arrived first. I reached the quarantine centre and thought it’s a general ward or may be due to lack of beds, things are like this. Slowly and steadily I tried to adjust myself there. One old aunt helped me understand how this centre works. I decided not to eat or drink any food item from this place as it felt risky. Many people called me to ask about my health. I was shocked to see the system as patients were having their dinner together that too on stairs outside and no one was there to monitor them. Frightened, I couldn’t sleep well thinking about how I would spend the other 13 days here. I was feeling body ache, my body was in pain and I thought maybe these are the symptoms. Internet was also not working well. I tried to distract myself but I couldn’t watch anything and for the first time ever, I searched the option of radio in my phone. I realised how difficult it is to stay disconnected from people when you are a social animal always surrounded by people and these things disturbed me mentally.

The next day, I woke up and saw no facilities available for patients here. I went to the washroom and it was the worst thing I ever saw at such a place. Extremely dirty and super unhygienic toilets, there was no sanitization work. I informed the staff about lack of cleanliness, but they refused to listen. Then I told them that I’m a news reporter and I want to meet the authority person here. That’s when they took my complaint seriously and started working on it. I had also filed a complaint at the ward office and later I was called outside by the staff saying that doctors want to meet me. And then, a helper asked me why I complained to the ward office; things are “clean and good’ here to which a few ladies supported. I had to make those ladies understand that we will recover from coronavirus in 14 days, but what if we get any other disease by using such dirty toilets. Later, I was struggling to shift myself from this centre to some good place. Many calls for that took place, but later I got my RT-PCR test report and it was Covid negative. I was extremely happy, but I decided to stay back at the quarantine centre only. I decided that I’m going to expose the reality of such centres who are adding up the numbers in Covid cases.

The journalist in me was pushing me ahead to make changes there for the patients. Pooja Shinde, a young married girl, informed me that she is Covid negative and I was wondering if she knows her result, then why is she here? Then she said that she does not have her reports in hand on mail, that’s why she was forced to stay here. I pushed her to call the ward office again and again to get her reports. I was also waiting for my other RTPCR Test report which was awaited. I saw a huge change in the system, the entire centre was getting sanitized properly, toilets were clean, patients were not allowed to roam and meet any family member closely. In the night, I saw one more patient coming in and that lady was eight months pregnant and she kept on crying continuously. She was scared about her baby in her womb. A few other ladies at quarantine centre made her calm and that night again, I saw new case studies. The beds which were empty before were now filled with patients. The entire night one after another patient kept coming and time passed.

Finally, the last day arrived and I was just waiting for my other RT-PCR report. I kept calling the ward office to get my reports, but no response was made. I did record a few videos inside the centre, spoke to a few patients who informed me about the crisis they have gone through here. I made a few friends now here who also spoke about their life experience in general. Pooja finally got her reports on mail and called her husband and thanking me for this, she went home smiling. Later, many patients spoke to me about their reports. I understood how our municipal corporation is at the fault this time and is risking lives. Negative patients were living among positive patients and this made me rebellious. I also got my report which said I’m Covid negative; so I packed my bags, collected my books which I didn’t even read there.

Lastly, I made a small video on my handset with ladies in the quarantine centre, they were all blessing me with good wishes because I made a good change there using my authority not only as a reporter, but as a responsible citizen. And finally, my quarantine period was over and I left the centre. I was welcomed by my family with good food and broad smiling faces.