The way to beat COVID-19 from home: Mumbai woman narrates how she overcame the viral infection

With so much attention on hospitalisation and bed availability there hasnrsquot been much focus on a large section of Covid patients who are treated by their trusted general physicians and recover at home While a patient in the hospital is in the complete care of doctors home patients need all the support they need Chartered Accountant Saleha Asim Khan 40 is just one of the thousands who overcame the virus while being at homeSaleha with hubby Asim Khan after she recovered from the infectionldquoKeep unwanted advices at bay judge your symptoms and trust your GP who knows you and your symptoms wellrdquorsquo said Saleha who lives in an apartment in Mumbai Centralrsquos Belasis Road with her husband Asim Khan 40 daughter Amrah 12 and son Arham 6 Dar who works remotely for a British company also runs an ACCA Education centreAn Asthmatic patient since she was a child she her husband and daughter tested positive in April ldquoMy husband took a test as he had a flight When the report was positive it was shocking He had no symptoms He had a flu and fever a week before that He took medicines from our family physician and was fine But then later when his report came positive I realised even I had cough cold fever and asthma for three days We immediately booked a home test for me my husband my kids and our maid By then labs were taking two days for testing But as I am asthmatic I couldnrsquot wait I called my doctor Wiqar Shaikh He told me to immediately go for CT Scan and to get admitted if I had pneumoniardquo said SalehaThe Mumbai Central resident with Dr Wiqar Shaikh who has been treating her asthma for the past three yearsShe got her scan on April 21 which showed atypical viral pneumonitis The CORAD classification was 5 CT severity score was 525 and lung involvement was 10 per cent to 15 percent When she sent her reports to Dr Shaikh he told her not to worry gave her the complete line of treatment and encouraged her that she will be fine at home Since their son was negative they sent him to his grandparentsldquoFighting with COVID was not easyrdquo said Saleha ldquoI had a lot of cough cold and asthma I was facing a lot of breathing difficulty My oxygen saturation was 93 or 94 But I decided to take treatment at home as the situation was already bad in hospitals Being treated at home could be traumatic especially when three people are positive My motherinlaw Feroza Junaid Khan played a huge role taking care of my son and sending us daily meals even as the family was fasting for Ramzan My husband who was asymptomatic also supported merdquo To others like her Saleha said the key is to not panic and get tested on time ldquoStress will make it worse I started thinking I will not survive when I saw the reality in the country on the news I worried what will happen to my kids if I needed oxygen and did not get itMy paternal family who are not in India offered their moral support and prayers on phone Today it is 14 days from the time my symptoms started and by the grace of Allah my condition is stablerdquo As a homemaker working professional and mother Saleha said those getting treated at home should keep negative thoughts away ldquoDonrsquot watch too much suffering videos as it gives you undue stress Follow what your doctor says If me a childhood asthmatic person can win this you can also win thisrdquo she concludedDr Subhash Hira Professor of Global Health at the University of WashingtonSeattleLancet study on inhaled steroidsDarrsquos physician Dr Wiqar Shaikh Professor Grant Medical College and Sir JJ Group of Hospitals said a Lancet report shows the effectiveness of an inhaled corticosteroid Budesonide in the treatment of Covid19 Dr Shaikh recalled a case from April 2020 lsquoHow I was cured at homersquo midday April 27 when he prescribed a patient the inhaled Budesonide which is an effective and safe steroid for the lung The patient was also prescribed three different bronchodilators and two higher antibiotics An oxygen cylinder was arranged for him at home and the patient was quarantined in a separate room The patient improved within a few days and was off medications Dr Subhash Hira Professor of Global Health at the University of WashingtonSeattle and health advisor to several UN and Indian health agencies said ldquoThere are over 100 repurposed drugs belonging to antiviral and immune modulators that are being tested for treating Covidrelated symptoms Interim findings from the principal trial suggest that Budesonide shortens recovery time in nonhospitalised patients by a median of three days It further suggested early administration of inhaled budesonide reduced the likelihood of needing urgent medical care This longacting steroid coats and blocks ACE2 receptors in the nose throat and lungs from binding with incoming SARSCOV2 and through antiinflammatory action it reduces the fibrotic process in lung parenchyma through local actionrdquo