A Nephrologist shares his story as both a COVID warrior, and a COVID patient.

I want to share this story to motivate frontline warriors to continue fighting COVID-19.

Humankind is currently fighting the third World War. It is Man vs. Microorganism, Homo sapiens vs. the COVID-19 virus. 

I too am fighting my own personal war against this virus. Initially, I was a frontline warrior (COV-warrior), a Nephrologist taking care of infected patients with kidney disease. Later, I became a patient infected by the virus (COV-ictim). Now, as a victor (COV-ictor), I am debunking the various myths and falsehoods on COVID -19 on social media.  

My story began on the 22nd of March, 2020, when Prime Minister Modi declared a nation-wide lockdown. Since I work as a full-time Nephrology consultant at Apollo Hospitals, I knew that I was soon going to be treating plenty of COVID -19 cases. Dialysis patients are more vulnerable to the virus, and 10 -30% of COVID-19 patients can develop new onset kidney disease. 

From March, 2020 until mid-June 2020 I continued to work daily, seeing COVID-19 patients. I followed all the precautions of social distancing, face masks, hand washing and PPE when indicated. In mid-June, 2020, I found that 9 of the 35 patients I was seeing at the time tested positive for COVID -19! 

On Monday, the 22nd June, 2020, I had high fever, body aches, sore throat, cough, red eyes, loose motions, and loss of taste and loss of smell…all classic symptoms of COVID-19 infection. By 25th June, 2020 I was confirmed to be COVID-19 positive and opted initially for home isolation.

By the 30th of June, 2020, I went into a cytokine storm with breathlessness and my oxygen levels dropped to 80%. I was rushed to the ICU and given oxygen, steroids, Remdesivir, Tocilizumab, antibiotics and enoxaparin. My sugars and blood pressure were optimised. 

It took 48 hours to recover. Just as I was getting better, my wife was also admitted in ICU with similar symptoms. She received the same treatment (except for Tocilizumab). Both of us were in the ICU for a week. After discharge, we went home to discover that our maid (who was taking care of our 16 year-old daughter while we were hospitalized) was also COVID -19 positive! 

We all isolated ourselves and have now recovered with a few sequelae. I will soon head back to work as a COV-warrior again, until I get infected again and become a COV-ictim and then recover as a COV-ictor! This cycle will continue and I will continue to fight this virus until we get a vaccine or validated treatment or herd immunity.

Think positively about the COVID crisis. Be brave and bold (but not foolhardy), strictly follow social distancing guidelines. Be empathetic with your fellow humans. Do not panic. Trust your frontline COVID- warrior colleagues and I guarantee you that Humankind will survive this crisis. 

Just hang in there until 2021, by which time we will get an effective vaccine and effective modes of treatment for COVID-19. 

Remember, the virus may be invisible but it is certainly not invincible!

— Ravi Andrews, Physician, Hyderabad, India