Survivor recalls how he defeated corona with docs’ dedication
LUCKNOW: The taste of victory over the Covid-19 infection is sweet for Umashankar Pandey. At 52, he feels he has been born again after a 22-day battle against the deadly virus, which has caused a global pandemic.
Little wonder, he says, “I don’t carry any scar but many positives from my isolation in KGMU (King George’s Medical University) while recovering from the coronavirus.”
Pandey, a battery dealer from Maigalganj, a small town in Lakhimpur Kheri district, was discharged from hospital on April 10 after twice testing negative for the Sars-Cov-2 virus.
He picked up the infection during an overseas trip.
“I was happy when I was chosen by the company to visit Turkey (Istanbul) as a reward for good sales in my area. I left India on March 2 and came back on March 8 with the coronavirus infection before Holi.”
“After returning home, I had mild fever and a stomachache. I consulted a local physician, who gave me some medicines. But, the stomachache and fever persisted. Then, I consulted physicians at Sitapur district hospital. Eventually, I went to a private doctor in Sitapur who advised me to get myself examined at KGMU, Lucknow,” he says.
It was a bolt from the blue for Pandey when he tested positive for the coronavirus at KGMU on March 18.
“I was shocked, dejected and thought it’s all over. Scenes from my entire life flashed past my eyes, almost like a film. I wondered whether I would survive,” says Pandey as he turns emotional.
“I was a bit angry with myself for having gone to Istanbul. That day I was not able to eat as I had aches all over as well as fever.”
“The fever shot up to 104 degrees the first night but doctors at KGMU were very cooperative. They attended me in their PPE kits, telling me to be positive. They said most coronavirus patients went on to recover. This give me a lot of motivation,” he
› The fever shot up to 104 degrees the first night but doctors at KGMU were very cooperative. They attended me in their PPE kits, telling me to be positive. They said most coronavirus patients went on to recover. This give me a lot of motivation UMASHANKAR PANDEY, corona Survivor
says.
“Initially, I was given a room which had no TV or geyser. After a few days, the wards for patients were shifted to the third floor. There, things were much better,” he recalls.
Pandey also remembers “struggling with fever and stomachache till March 24”.
“But there was no breathlessness or cough. God was kind to me as my moderate diarrhoea reduced. The stomachache healed after doctors prescribed medicines. But, loneliness inside the isolation ward was killing me,” he says.
“Then, I received a call from a friend who told me to divert my mind by reading religious texts. That is what I did. On his advice, I stopped watching TV which was full of news about coronavirus. I started watching motivational stuff on YouTube. That was the game-changer. I started recovering and gaining my strength back. Doctors laid stress on taking a good diet which I was given during isolation. The medication was perfect and I recovered,” he says.
“I have lost count of how many times I thought about my beloved sons, my wife and her favourite saree. I also missed my friends and wept in isolation.”
“My story will not be complete without mentioning the support of the medical staff and doctors, who never told me whenever I tested positive. But the doctor called me on my cell phone at 11pm when I tested negative. When I was discharged, my doctors were happier than me. Without them, I would not have survived.”