Covid nightmare can never fade from her memory
Nerisa Rizvi, 53, a housewife, went through a nightmare wherein her three RT-PCR reports and a rapid antigen test were negative, yet it turned out that she was battling Covid-19 all through and had to undergo treatment in a private hospital here.
To make things worse, three family members were admitted in three different hospitals at the same time and one of them, her 90-year-old mother Sharafat Fatima, succumbed to the Covid-19 disease. Her husband Najmul Hasan Rizvi, former vice principal of Shia PG College, was admitted in a Covid-19 hospital.
In an attempt to shield Nerisa from bad news, her family did not initially inform her about her mother passing away.
“I came back home after 10 days, unaware of the emotional battle that awaited me. The family told me that my mother was hospitalised. Two days later, when I insisted on seeing her, my husband broke the news that she had passed away a few days ago. The horror that Covid brought along with
it for me can never fade away from my memory,” said Nerisa.
Nerisa was diagnosed with pre-diabetes a few months ago. By Marchend, she developed symptoms for Covid-19. She was taken to family physicians. On doctor’s advice, the family went for a typhoid test and urine test. A mild infection was detected in her urine culture. Although treatment began, the fever persisted.
On April 7, her family went for RT-PCR tests for Nerisa and her husband. Narisa’s report was negative. But she was admitted on April 9 to a private nursing home after her daughter Abeeha Rizvi made a video call to her mother and noticed swelling on her face. The next morning, they got an X-ray done and the report was very alarming as it indicated that 70% of her lungs were infected. At the same time, the antigen report turned out to be negative again.
On April 10, the family got Nerisa discharged from the first hospital and got her admitted to another hospital as a non-Covid patient.
“Another RT-PCR was carried out on April 10 night. It was negative again. The hospital started the treatment as per the procedures. Doctors advised to get X-ray and RT-PCR reports done for all senior members in family,” she said. On April 10, the condition of her mother Fatima started deteriorating and she was admitted to a nursing home. She died on April 12 at 12.30pm. The family did not inform Nerisa then.
Her husband was admitted to Charak Covid hospital on April 10. But he remained stable as did Nerisa though her blood sugar level was fluctuating due to high dosage of steroids.
After 10 days in hospital, she came home. Nerisa is now gradually coming to terms with the loss of her mother who had been staying with her. She urges all Covid-19 patients to stay positive in these “helpless times” and keep faith in God as this, too, shall pass.
ON APRIL 10, THE FAMILY GOT NERISA DISCHARGED FROM THE FIRST HOSPITAL AND GOT HER ADMITTED TO ANOTHER HOSPITAL AS A NON-COVID PATIENT.