COVID-19: From Positive to Negative
It is been two years, this pandemic seems to be a long endless nightmare. I do not know how many lives have been lost and fallen, also many are taking refuge and fighting, even worse, some do not care about what is going on. Now every place out there feels so unsafe. Anxiety is a source of fear, such as whether you are worried about carrying the virus and then transmitting it or even worrying about being afraid of getting it. The longer, the closer. Many of them even the closest people have been affected, one of them is … me personally.
Seeing the news that never stops reporting about the pandemic makes the heart hurt even more. Not to mention the growing concern if it will be affected by this deadly virus. In addition to worrying and protecting yourself, there are closest family members who must also be protected. Had time to think for a long time until a question arose in my mind, “What if I get infected later considering the cases are increasing every day? “. Until the day really came.
On Monday June 28th 2021, I was still fine. My body did not show any symptoms. Until nightfall, I felt my body temperature began to rise to the point of shivering which made my sleep quite disturbed. The next day, I started to have a dry cough and runny nose, my head hurt with aches and pains that spread all over my body. I was still feverish and shivering, until it felt like I could not get out of bed and I lost my appetite completely. In other words, I have not eaten all day.
That evening, I immediately met the doctor, consulted all my complaints and got medicine to drink. “We will see how it progresses until this drug runs out, if it feels like it is still going on, come back here immediately,” said the doctor. I know that the provisional diagnosis is… I am a symptomatic patient of COVID-19, I thought. After seeing the doctor, I immediately cleaned up and forced myself to eat dinner because I had to take medicine. After that, I immediately rested myself because my condition felt weak. That evening, I decided I was not going anywhere and did not want any physical contact nor meet anyone. Besides preparing myself for the worst, my body was still weak to move freely. I started self-isolating at home.
On Friday, my medicine was gone and my body felt better. I no longer had a fever, dizziness or body aches, coughs and colds have also subsided. However, because at that time my mind was unstable until my appetite dropped drastically, so I just hydrated the body. I know it did not help with recovery but I really had no appetite. Since I was still quite prone to tears, I still had a cold. All day, I just hydrated the body.
On Saturday morning, I had some chats with my cousin, one of topics we discussed was she told me that she and her husband were confirmed positive for COVID-19 with one of the symptoms being anosmia, which is loss of smell. Her husband first contracted the virus where he worked until his wife was also infected. I realized I have not smelled anything that day. Immediately, I grabbed a few bottles of my perfume to make sure. Until finally I know, that I lost my sense of smell too. At first I thought it was a cold, but as far as I know, even though I used to have a stuffy nose, at least I can still smell the perfume. This time, I completely lost my sense of smell. Because it is not only perfume that I am trying to smell, from telon oil to facial wash with a strong fragrance, it did not help either. Everything is nil. The loss of the power of smell is also accompanied by the loss of the ability to taste the tongue or ageusia. All the food that came in had no taste, at all. Everything tasted bland. Yes, I experienced both. Complaints that previously gradually disappeared, now actually arise new complaints. It was enough to make my head dizzy just thinking about it.
That afternoon, I immediately contacted the hospital to check the swab schedule. Swab check off on weekends, so I had to wait until Monday. Then I called my grandma’s sister who works as a health worker who was currently self-isolating, at least I can get information on what to do if the worst happens. It appeared in her house, which was a positive confirmed she and her husband. Her son was confirmed negative but he had anosmia too. “You still have a hope of getting a negative result, because anosmia doesn’t always signify positive for COVID-19,” she said. However, my assumptions continued to contradict all the symptoms that have been and were currently appearing in my body condition. She advised me to go to the doctor immediately and do a swab check, sunbathe every day, eat a lot and maintain sleep pattern, train the sense of smell by diligently inhaling eucalyptus oil, and get plenty of rest. I said yes.
On Sunday, my sense of smell and tongue would still be the same as the day before. It was just that, when I tried a little spicy salty food, I can only taste the spiciness, not the slightest bit of saltiness. I also tried to eat the jam, the sweetness just a little bit. In fact, before I got ageusia, I felt the jam that I tasted was so sweet on the tongue. So at that time, I could only taste spicy and sweet while others feel nothing.
On Monday, July 5th, I went back to the doctor for a check-up. With the addition of a new complaint, the doctor immediately advised me to get a swab check, with the result… positive. I was right. In fact, on Friday July 9th 2021, I was scheduled to receive my first dose of vaccine. However, I had to put it off again and again. What was on my mind when I was confirmed positive for COVID-19 was the people around me. ‘I hope I do not infect, I hope I do not infect, I hope they are always fine’. Even though I was really dizzy and weak at that time. Not only that, I also have a history of lung spots. Luckily, I did not feel short of breath but I still want to monitor my body’s progress until the self-isolation is over because I was worried that one day I suddenly feel short of breath.
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After the results came out, I immediately got the medicine; cough medicine, inflammation medicine, vitamins. The doctor told as my grandma’s sister suggested above. In addition, he advised me to drink low-fat milk too. An important determining factor for recovery is… by not stressing. Fight the virus with a good mood, he said. Oh, one more thing, I was confirmed as a COVID-19 patient with mild symptoms because at that time, my complaints were cough, runny nose, dizziness, weakness, anosmia, and ageusia. So, I was advised to self-isolate at home.
The most contrasting thing I felt from the onset of the fever were the body aches, which felt like I had done very heavy physical activity, a headache in the head that when it hurt, it felt like being tied tightly. Felt an excruciating itching in the throat for the first time in life until the cough was non-stop. Also, a real cold was not that extreme but was capable of making sounds turn into a smack. It felt like there was a pile of phlegm buried in the throat area even though my cough was sometimes a little phlegm and sometimes not, and there was also weakness, until the energy in my whole body felt lost. Gets tired easily and did not want to do anything. All I wanted to do was sleep and sleep. Besides being weak, I also easily felt sleepy. Not to mention, quite a decreased appetite. So, you had to keep forcing yourself to eat for the sake of recovery, even if it was a little, even though everything that went into the mouth did not taste anything.
Since being tested positive for COVID-19, all the advice from the doctor I followed with discipline, including in using nasal spray to clean the nose twice a day.
A week passed, little by little I began to be able to inhale the fragrance as well as feel the taste on the tongue. Even if it was a little, it was still a progress. For a week anyway, it felt like being tortured, considering the paragraph above already explained how I felt every complaint in my body. After about 4 days of taking medicine from the doctor, I was able to slowly expel the phlegm that felt like it was being stored in my throat, and that was enough to make me relieved. Because by being able to expel phlegm, my voice gradually returned to normal. Because before, I remind you again, my voice had strangled for days even though my cold was not that bad. During the week too, I really refrained from eating noodles, drinking coffee and tea, eating spicy foods, and no longer staying up late because the drowsiness kept coming. In fact, at 7 PM I could fall asleep. All for the sake of recovery. After all, it seemed like it will feel sad if I eat and drink the above drinks while my tongue is still not 100% normal. So, stick to eating healthy foods and drinking lots of mineral water. Yes, although it still felt bland.
On the 10th day of self-isolation, the sense of smell and taste has returned to normal. Cough and dizziness gradually improved, the body was still weak but showed good progress than before. Finally got up the courage to drink coffee. Coffee in glass bottles that levels of sweetness is only about 40%, on my tongue. Tried it was only about 100ml. However, the next day I coughed again until my chest felt heavy. Either because of carelessness or indeed the cycle is up and down. The cough came back again, it felt non-stop.
During self-isolation, appetite was really difficult to predict because I tended to not really want to eat this and that. Though the recommendation is… ‘eat whatever you want’, they said. However, it turned out to be not that easy. Usually fruit was an alternative if I was stuck with no appetite.
On the 12th day, all symptoms began to disappear except for a mild cold, the body was still a bit weak, and coughing with phlegm still often appeared. Not only that, my body began to show new symptoms, namely some parts of the body began to itch until a rash appeared. Not so bad nor leave a mark. Not like hives but like prickly heat. It really itched, so I often smear it with telon oil or antiseptic powder. According to some studies, about 20% of COVID-19 patients show symptoms of itching until a rash appears. As long as I tested positive, I did not have a fever, I really took care of what I was eating, and I was diligent in changing the pillow-bolt-mattress sheets, taking baths every day. So, I came to the conclusion that I am not allergic. However, this includes people who have symptoms of this virus.
Monday, July 19th 2021, my self-isolation period was over, the itching and rash seemed to be spreading to other parts of my body. My sleep was even disturbed and I continued to apply telon oil or antiseptic powder because this was quite helpful to relieve the itching even though the after effects were like prickly heat and redness. Itching and prickly heat will usually improve after about an hour. So, it did not last long. However, the skin rash can still be there, seen, even if a little. In addition, I was quite relieved because I did not feel shortness of breath considering I have a history of disease, pulmonary spots. It is just that my chest feels heavy when I often cough. I think this is normal for the after-effects of coughing. So, to be sure, I planned to go back to the doctor for a check-up and another swab check. However, I postponed it until the Eid al-Adha holiday was over.
Wednesday morning, I went back to the doctor to consult my latest condition with new symptoms. We talked for a long time, one of the things we discussed was that the doctor shared his experience when he was also exposed to this virus. He became one of the patients with mild symptoms, just like me. The difference is, he had colds, dizziness, weakness, anosmia, and ageusia. His appetite did not decrease even though his sense of taste was lost, contrary to mine. “That means just swab check, right? To be sure again, also for your mental health. You must be down when you know it is positive, right? At least, if the results are negative, your heart will also be relieved,” said the doctor while laughing which I replied with a laugh too. Because it is true, the first week was tough after knowing I was confirmed positive. It is undeniable, physical and mental burdens were felt.
After the consultation, I received three types of medicine and vitamins to treat the remaining complaints. I went straight to the laboratory for a swab check. During the previous one, I assumed that I was indeed confirmed positive, so I was not so nervous. However, for this time, I felt nervous and clueless. I hope the result is negative but I will still accept if the bad thing happens. While holding the sting in the nose until coughing, the swab check was finished and all that was left was waiting for the results. After waiting, the result came out and… negative.
‘It may be short term but it feels like long term because I feel so miserable. Oh, finally .. thank God.’
Because some of my complaints still remain, I still have to be disciplined to take medicine, regulate my diet, and sleep patterns. I again give my body time to rest until I really feel better. Today , Friday, July 23rd 2021, it is been two days since I have been confirmed negative and it is been two days since I have taken medicine from the doctor, I am starting to feel better. Although the cough and itching are still there, it tends to decrease. In fact, I feel like I do not have a cold anymore. However, it is easy to feel weak still often felt. I once asked the doctor, this feeling of weakness is normal, the effect of having contracted the virus because he also felt the same way. What we need to do are not to forget sunbathe, keep nourishing the body, of course by eating healthy foods and drinking lots of mineral water. However, do not wait until you get sick to take care of your health, right? So, while you are still healthy, stay healthy, please. Especially with the condition and situation of this pandemic which is still unstable. Keep following the health protocols and get vaccinated immediately! Cases are spreading and getting closer. We will never know and will never guess where and when the people closest to us or even ourselves will be affected. Do not be indifferent. Many have fallen and many have left forever because of this virus. Do not experience it before you believe it. Once again, do not forget to follow the health protocols. For those who are eligible to be vaccinated, get vaccinated right away!
