Visakhapatnam: Keeping contingency plan in place saves one from trauma says Covid survivor Syamala Peesapati

Visakhapatnam: "Keep a contingency plan ready as it saves one from going through trauma. The preparation includes, which doctor to contact, whom to approach for help, what needs to be arranged and a contact list," suggests Syamala Peesapati, a Covid survivor.

After recovering from Covid-19, Madhapur-based homemaker says that she did not have any plan in place when she and her husband P Venkat were affected by the virus.

"My husband started showing signs of the virus the same day when he got his second dose of vaccine. When we consulted the doctor the next day, he suggested we wait for two days for the test because of the inoculation. But for the first five days, his body temperature was not less than 102 degree Fahrenheit.

Thankfully, though it took a few days to get the test results, my husband isolated himself as his fever did not subside. Later, when we along with our 19-year-old daughter got tested, Venkat's result showed positive, while the rest tested negative," narrates Syamala.

As a precautionary measure, Syamala and her daughter too went through the basic medication course prescribed for Covid-19. "Despite that, I got infected three days later. Since my husband and I had similar symptoms, the doctor suggested a CT scan through which mild pneumonia was spotted. Based on the doctor's suggestion, both of us got admitted to a hospital. Luckily, our oxygen saturation level did not drop.

The steroids and the medication, however, made us extremely weak after we got discharged from the hospital five days later," recalls the 50-year-old homemaker. Keeping their daughter's safety in view, the couple isolated her for 14 days at home.

In their month-long struggle with Covid-19, respite came to Syamala in the form of quarantined meals provided by the gated community she resides, video calls from her relatives, friends and their prayers. "All these helped us to recover from Covid-19. When someone prays for you, you certainly receive a positive vibe," she says.

Oil-less food, sufficient water, high protein and low carb vegetarian diet, fresh fruits and nuts became part of Syamala's menu. "When we were affected by the virus, we could not relish food much. This made us divide our meals into smaller portions to consume at frequent intervals," she explains.

The Covid survivor stresses the need to stay alert and be aware of the changes the body goes through to identify Covid-19 at the earliest. "Even a small sign should not be brushed aside.

As soon as you spot any symptom, isolate immediately rather than waiting for the test results to arrive. This way, the rest of the family will be protected from getting infected," emphasises Syamala.