My experience with Covid

It all happened like a dream. Few people near our house were diagnosed as covid positive. I even saw them getting into an ambulance while being taken for quarantine facility. I didn't give much thought into it.

People stopped playing in the street. One night while I played outside my house with my kids near my home people looked at me like an idiot. I even told my wife if I'm diagnosed as covid positive it will be blamed on this act.

Few days later I was told a few more people from the same family tested covid positive.

Then one day corporation officials came and told two people from each house must undergo testing. I was just getting ready for work that day. I volunteered to go for testing while my parents were not for it. But my dad and I went for testing.

I had a feeling I might be infected because I was having a mild cough and sometimes felt breathing was tough. But I didn't know if it was my imagination or real. I told my dad about these thoughts and he told me not to be afraid.

We went to the testing facility and came back and took head bath to wash away the Corona.

Sunday morning around 830 while I was sleeping I received a call from an unknown number. When I answered, after asking lot of questions I was told my results were positive. My daughter was lying near to me and I moved away from her immediately. They told me an ambulance is on its way to take me. Fear crept into me and I called out for my wife and told her I tested positive.

I felt sick to my stomach and started wearing a mask inside house. I had my breakfast and coffee. People from corporation came. Lot of discussion happened outside while I remained inside. Everyone advised me to tell them that I will home quarantine.

I started packing. I sent mails to office. Finally got a call from one Williams who said he was the ambulance driver and he was outside.

I took my bag and went out. There were many people outside. I waved to everyone and ambulance took off. There were already 2 people inside the ambulance. They were Hindi speaking and ambulance was stuffy and hot. The driver drove like a maniac.

So many things were going in my mind. I didn't know where I was being taken. I was thinking whether it was safe to be sitting with those people so close, Was it alright to touch the insides of the ambulance, what will happen to my family, what happened to my dad's result, will I ever come back etc.

The ambulance stopped at another place for picking one more person. It was getting very hot inside with no ventilation. When asked for fan, the driver told 'it will spread faster with fan'. I was like 'what the h?'. We picked the fourth guy and sped towards kk Nagar with siren blaring. The siren was a first for me.

The ambulance entered into an institute in Ekkatuthangal. There were chairs and we were asked to sit in shade. We were told that they will take xray, blood test, bp test etc and then we need to meet a doctor who will decide your fate. I'm famous for fainting during blood tests so that added to the anxiety. I could see few babies, who were just months old, to 70 years elders waiting for the test.

I went through all the tests. I asked the blood test lady to be kind while extracting blood but she acted like she didn't hear me. I could understand as she had so many people in queue. Luckily I didn't faint. I met the doctor and asked if I can home quarantine and he said institute would be better and allotted  a facility close by my home. They provided me lunch and I had it with mixed feelings as I still couldn't understand what was happening. After sometime we got into a tempo traveller and were on our way to the facility as the sun was setting.

It felt like prisoners being taken to the facility, like we have seen in many Hollywood movies. The ambulance entered the facility and finally came to an halt. After few minutes wait we were asked to go in. I was expecting that they will allot rooms but we weren't. It was tea time inside for the hall I entered was buzzing with activity. I immediately noticed people from my neighborhood. They asked me to take tea and snacks. The tea was horrible and the snack was a sprout I despised. Finally I ended up in a room.

It felt strange. I didn't know what's next. I sat there in the bed with weird thoughts. Many people called me relatives and friends. Dinner was roti and veg biryani. It was ok.

Life showed me how unpredictable it can be. One moment you are at home with your loved ones and then you are there in a place which you thought never existed.

There was a routine in the quarantine. At 07:30 you get Kabasura kudineer, 08:00 break fast, 08:15 tea, 13:00 lunch, 16:30 tea and snacks, 19:00 dinner, 19:15 turmeric milk.

Though the food was good it can can get repetitive. Restrooms were decent. No water problems. They cleaned the room daily.

People played cricket in the evening. They also played cards and ludo. There was a hall where television will run at least for 23 hours. There was a great camaraderie between everyone.

Everyday morning they will call the names of the people getting discharged that day. It will be good to see that and wait for our turn, counting the remaining days. I had two roommates. One always wanted to play something. The other one was a nice guy.

I had to take medicine everyday, vitamins mostly.

One of my roommate got discharged on a Monday, the other one on Tuesday while I got discharged on a Wednesday.

I had so many questions as I got discharged. Will I affect my loved ones? Is it right for me to go back home? AM I CURED? Was I even infected or was it all a huge conspiracy !!!!!!!

It’s been almost two weeks since I got discharged. Sometimes I miss the quarantine life where you just sit and do nothing.

Still have no clue what heck is this Virus.