COVID-19 is no joke: Recovered doctor

The novel coronavirus (COVID-19) is not a joke, it can result in hospitalisation in intensive care unit (ICU) for weeks, warned Dr Anas bin Nasser al Kamyani, family and community physician at the Ministry of Health, who has recovered from the disease.

“I was hospitalised for five whole weeks, mostly in the ICU under anaesthesia,” Dr Kamyani told the press on Thursday.

He added, “I was in mechanical ventilation support with feeding tubes. The symptoms were distressing like breathing difficulty, high body temperature and acute pneumonia. We should be aware, careful and deal with everyone as if they were infected.”

He described his brush with the disease as terrible.

“The worst thing is that I had been lying in the ICU for a long time, unable to move. The general anaesthesia can cause terrible muscular atro

DR ANAS AL KAMYANI

phy (loss of muscle mass). In the beginning, it was hard for me to move. My voice also changed because of the mechanical ventilation. I got out of the situation by having physical therapy.”

He explained that the disease is new, so the world and healthcare workers have no prior experience and no treatment for it yet.

“It is never easy for anyone when their relative is on a ventilator. I am still suffering from some complications, such as difficulty in breathing and a change in my voice. There may be other complications that could last for months,” said Dr Kamyani.

He warned people not to underestimate the disease.

“It has been spreading beyond our expectations. I want to thank all my colleagues in the health sector as I know their enormous efforts in countering this pandemic. My advice to all is to never underestimate the severity of this virus. We don't have an option but to counter it by being careful and taking all precautions,” said Dr Kamyani.

I was hospitalised for five whole weeks, mostly in the ICU, under anaesthesia and ventilation support