My COVID-19 ordeal and deaths I saw – Tosin Shaba, Esq.

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I am grateful to God for the opportunity to communicate with you today, especially after the last two months since I was last on any of the social media.

My reason for being grateful is because i recovered from the dreaded Corona virus disease aptly dubbed Covid19.

I fell ill with malaria-like symptoms sometimes on or about 23rd December 2020 and immediately used some popular (amatem) medicine to get better. After three days of little relief, i went into a hospital to complain. My wife was a constant pillar in my ensuing journey.

In the hospital, my blood sample was taken and several tests (widal, malaria etc) were undertaken to ascertain what exactly was going on. Results came in to indicate that i was malaria positive.

Another bout of more rigorous malaria treatment regime commenced but after two days of more complaints than results, the doctors decided on a Covid screening (not the proper Covid pcr test) in order to absolutely rule out Covid19 that had already become a suspicion. It came back positive.

I was practically chased out of the hospital. That i needed to go to the Infectious Diseases Hospital (IDH) in Yaba. No address. Nothing. We (my wife and I) were actually rushed out of the hospital.

Google should have served adequately in directing us to the IDH, yaba but it failed us that night. A friend from the Ikeja Golf Club came out almost close to midnight to assist and lead us to the IDH in Yaba. That was another experience. Remember, there’s a curfew beginning at midnight in Lagos State.

My admission was hurriedly processed into IDH that fateful night and for good reason. My breathing was already coming in huge gasps of air. It was a sign of what i later got to know as the debilitating effect Covid has on an individual. I was immediately put on oxygen.

I was really sickly and on top of that was on oxygen for three weeks. Imagine, being on oxygen for three straight weeks, twenty four seven. The only times I took off the mask was to use the bathroom.

I saw death aplenty in IDH. Many died from Covid-19. On a particular night, not less than sixteen deaths were recorded. And that was in the male section of ward c alone. I literally walked the valley of the shadow of death.

I was discharged to go home on the 18th January 2021. There was palpable relief from my family. I was too overjoyed by the outpouring of emotions from fellow patients for at the time, i was the longest inmate of the yard. My discharge was long overdue but i had to be weaned off the oxygen. That took an extra three days.

People, Covid19 is real and killing people in hoards. It is most certainly not a disease of the rich. Many poor people are similarly suffering from its ravaging killer effect. I saw them all at the IDH. Protect yourselves. Observe the use of face masks at all times. It protects you. Wash and or sanitize your hands at every opportunity. It’s that simple.

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