I remember how it all started about 5 weeks ago. It was at night and I had this feeling my people call “otutu n mu mi latinuwa” (Feeling cold from inside). It was bedtime so I was under the blanket already but I just couldn’t stop shivering. My husband got me some Ibuprofen and tucked the blanket more tightly around me with some body warmth. I finally slept off after about 20 minutes of shaking like a leaf that was about to fall off its stem..
The next few days were spent with this splitting headache that responded poorly to analgesics. I went to my mum’s place for dinner on my way home from work. I had asked her to make amala for me previously which I thoroughly enjoyed. You know you always want a repeat episode when you enjoy something? So I asked her to make the same thing for me the next day. The stew tasted so funny; almost like I was eating boiled pepper with a metallic taste. I had to ask her if it was the same one I ate the previous day.
After that came the muscle pain associated with weakness. It was like a tractor ran on top of me. I kept on wondering what was happening to me. I went to the laboratory to run a full blood count (to check for my blood levels and see if there was an infection) and a blood film for malaria test. The full blood count showed a moderate anaemia (low blood levels) a low white cell count and the malaria test was negative.
I went home still feeling dreadful. I sent a message to our infectious disease consultant Dr. Adekanmbi and Dr. Fowotade, our clinical virologist if they thought I needed a COVID-19 screening test. They were both not convinced that I needed one although Dr. Adekanmbi said she was going to send the team later. I called her back not to worry as I also did not think it was COVID-19.
By evening that day, I had gotten even worse. Note that I never had any cough. I called my mum to come over as I was feeling dreadful. I vomited that night and finally slept after eating little. I woke up a little better and I told my mum to go back home. It was after having my bath and using my body spray and perfume that I knew that temi ti bami!!(I was in for it!) I COULD NOT smell a thing. My perfumes are usually really strong and I didn’t smell anything. I tried smelling ginger and garlic – nothing.
I called Dr. Fowotade at that point and told her my symptoms. She jokes a lot normally so the first thing she said was, “aburo Coro ti wa e debi, o ti gba Coro l’alejo” (My dear, Coro has finally come to visit you). I thought she was joking. In the next hour, the COVID-19 team was in my house and they had come to test me. The test is uncomfortable to take as they have to push in the swab deep into your nostrils and roll it around. A similar thing is done in the mouth that makes you feel like gagging. Just imagine them doing this 4 times for me during the course of this illness
I was still feeling weak with the headache and body pain. Dr. Fowotade monitored my results and we were on night vigil together till it came out. When the phone rang for her to tell me, she was like “Coro gan na lo ni o. Wa sara giri ni” (it is COVID you have and you just have to be strong). Several thoughts were running amok in my mind. Although I knew up to 90% of people will recover, how did I know which group I’ll fall into? Coupled with the fact that I’m an asthmatic patient.
I made the call to my husband and my sister who had to tell my mum. Those two calls have been the most difficult I’ve ever had to make. I told myself this was an opportunity to write to my loved ones just in case I didn’t make it so I started writing letters (COVID-19 messes with your mind like that). My isolation was done at home since I was home alone.
By the next day when Dr. Fowotade called and I told her I was writing letters, she said and I quote, “eni to ko letter iya na lo ma ka, to ma ya, o je lo ya letter radarada yen nisin kiakia, you’re going nowhere” (it is the person that has written nonsense letters that will read it by herself and tear them when she’s done). She encouraged me to be strong and speak positively.
I was given the recommended treatment as per the management protocol in Oyo state. I started steam inhalation with all the dogonyaro leaves my mum insisted on (or she’ll disown me..lol). I took lots of water with fruits and vegetables. I had to stop Zinc by third day because it was making me nauseous and I was throwing up (now I know what my patients on high doses of Zinc go through). Note that your management outline will be determined by the COVID-19 team in your state/hospital if you have confirmed COVID-19 infection. They will let you know what management protocol to follow and which drugs to use. So don’t go popping any unnecessary pills as a means of prevention if you have not been confirmed to have COVID-19 infection. You will be exposing yourself to the risk of side effects/adverse drug reactions without any protection cover against COVID-19 as there are no drugs for prevention of COVID-19.
By the third day, diarrhea started. Shortly after that, I developed hemorrhoids (what non healthcare workers call piles) The headache, muscle pain and malaise were still persisted. By the end of the first week, I had a mild sore throat. I was in isolation all alone at home with my mom bringing food and all I needed. By the second week, the symptoms started to improve. I left social media the first week but came back close to the end of the second week. I decided to spend the time writing all my educative posts and working on the books I’m writing. So if you have seen me frequently on SM these last weeks, it is because of COVID-19 and isolation.
The psychological aspect of COVID-19 is not discussed enough. I’m a health worker and I know how much this affected me and my family even though I knew the likelihood of recovery was high. I was not able to see my family for weeks. My children could not understand why they could not see mummy and why she was locked in because of ‘just’ headache. I could not tell them because my first child would just announce it in his online class. There were sometimes I burst out crying but I quickly wiped my tears because I knew it could have been worse. I did not want to be ungrateful to Allah.
By the third week, I was much better and I had a 3rd test done (I did one at the end of the second week too) but it was still positive! Frustration was beginning to set in. One funny thing with COVID-19 is that you feel better one minute and a few days later, it feels like symptoms are reappearing again. I was having new unexplainable symptoms like palpitations (undue awareness of heartbeat) and chest pain when lying down which I did not have earlier in the disease.
If there was one thing getting sick showed me, it is that my social capital is extremely strong and I am such a wealthy person. My mum cooked for me to the point that I was spoilt for choice. I just couldn’t eat much because the food had no taste. She was phenomenal and only God knows what I would have done without her. My husband was there supporting me all through and praying for me. He came home after the initial two weeks of isolation despite that I was still positive though he had to be extra careful and he wore face mask all through (na real in sickness and in health o)
My siblings, aunties and uncles (Aunty Amudat, Silifat, Nusrat, Alh Musa, Bro Kehinde, Tunji and Tunde) were in the prayer room throughout. Aunty Nusi sent me ‘obe dindin’ (fried stew) all the way from Ilorin. Khadijah made sure my children were well taken care of and Abass bought me something to look forward to post COVID-19. Ahmad and Aisha Ademola – my siblings from other parents were there all through.
My fathers and mothers never left me. My inlaws (Daddy, Bro Mus, Nas, Mikhail, Sis Ayo and their spouses) called and prayed for me everyday. My brother in law (Nas) and father (Alh Ibrahim Gold) sent me ‘Coro relief funds’. My fathers Alhaji Aliyu Shehu kept doing personal research on the next possible cure for Coro…lol and Alhaji Munir Ademola who kept boosting my immune system with all the fruits he was bringing for me that I could almost open a fruit shop (even though he didn’t believe I needed isolation as he did not like his daughter all alone). Barrister Fatai kept praying for me and sending words of encouragement. Alhaja Aisha Lawal, Bolanle Jaji, Bilikis Saidu, Sikirat Agbab, Khairah Gwadabe, Hafsah Lawal, Muslimat Ademola, Sali Balogun, Hawa Nasir and all my mothers.
My HOD Prof. Ogunbiyi, Prof George our head of unit, Drs. Adekambi and Orunmuyi, Drs. Adeleye, Raji, Ogah, Enigbokan, Dedeke and Edun, Dr. Abdussalam and all members of UCH medicine department, Dr Taiwo and Aunty Busola my big sisters and friend, I thank you for all the love and care. Dr. Alimi and Foluke Abdulrazaq, Mr and Mrs Peter Oni, Dr. Gafar, I am immensely grateful for all the love.
My friends both online and offline: Moyeni, Omolabake, Lamide, Ayobami, Femi Afolayan and Femi Ajayi, Sade, Kafayah, Rasheedah, Busola, Buchi, Bukky, Azeezah, Jibola, Fadeke, Ola, Jude, Dr. CJ, Dr. Debo, Gboyega, Kudirat, Kafayat, Tee Mode, Shola, Dami, Soji, Isoken, Eniola, Sis Kemi, Folake, Bola, Tayo, Dr. Moore, Tomi, Dr. Femi Longus, members of XVIII till checkout group and everyone that kept reading all the posts I was churning out this period. There was a day I kept on telling Femi Afolayan my friend, “Femi, I still can’t smell anything”. This yeye boy told me that, “you dey breathe abi? Na the koko be that. Forget that smelling anything”.
Prof. Femi Ogunbiyi, Prof. Buhari, Dr. Bello (my daddy), Dr. Erere Otrofanowei my MM, Dr. Akinkugbe and Ayanlowo…I thank you for all the support. The Oyo state COVID-19 team was so supportive! They called me at least every 3 days initially for the first two weeks and later weekly to check up on me. My neighbor Mrs Omolola checked on me everyday! This is an inexhaustive list….too numerous to mention! My husband jocularly told his brother’s wife (who called me everyday) that my phone was a call center and they all had to wait turns to speak with the ‘celeb’ when she was constantly on call waiting when she tried getting through to me.
I was in isolation but never alone. I was surrounded by love and kindness which made everything bearable. The thought of how loved I was kept me company and made my heart so full all through my isolation. Truly, eniyan l’aso mi! I’m back to work now and although I still feel tired occasionally with headaches, each day keeps getting better than the previous and I know it is only a matter of time before I’m back to my previous strong and bubbly self by God’s grace. My sense of smell and taste returned two weeks after I tested positive.
Special thanks to Dr. Abike Fowotade, our virologist in UCH for all the support she gave me during this period.
This post is both an educational and appreciative post.
If I was ever told I could get COVID-19, I would have argued vehemently. My HOD kept making fun of me that “Shaki, I’m sure you thought you could never get it” because she heard the incredulity in my voice when I told her I got COVID. I was practicing hand hygiene, wearing facemask and practicing physical distancing. Thankfully, everyone in my family was negative including my close colleagues at work. I think one of the fear of healthworkers apart from getting infected is infecting their family and loved ones inadvertently. Who knows where I got it from?
Dr. Fowotade has told me that “ma so ibi timo rin irin gberegbere lo, ti mo fi lo ko Coro wale” (I’ll tell her where I gallivanted to that I got Coro from). Lol. She said I deserve to be questioned and put through a lie detector test.
Points to note – You can have COVID-19 without having a cough.
This disease is like a hydra headed disease and can present with almost anything.
After you recover, you may still have some of those symptoms you had when you were still positive (Post COVID-19 viral syndrome). I’ve read that up to 70 to 80% of people may have it even after recovery.
You can recover and get re-infected again. Previous infection does NOT confer immunity, so ensure you continue all the protective measures against COVID-19. I know of someone who had recovered with a negative test and has been re-infected again. And yes, the person has new symptoms. Don’t be careless.
If you do get it, don’t panic and do all you are told to do by the healthcare workers managing you. The likelihood of recovery is much higher than severe infection or dying especially if you don’t have any underlying long term illness.
On a lighter note, don’t go fighting anyone if your food starts tasting funny with a metallic taste (it may just be COVID-19). I will miss all the peppered snails and gizzard that Alhaja Gold was whipping out every other day. My tastebuds are cooperating better now (We’ll beg her to continue)
Coro is a what? Coro is a real bastard walahi.
I decided to write this as a healthcare worker for the doubting thomases who still feel that COVID-19 does not exist. I also was encouraged to write by my husband and friend Fadeke who believed that as a health care worker, people will be enlightened if I write it.
Keep safe people. Practice all the protective measures. It costs you nothing and the consequences of not protecting yourselves might be grave if care is not taken. Although most people will recover, who knows where you’ll fall into within the spectrum? Better to be safe than sorry please. Mortality in one person, is 100% for that family. Don’t be added to the statistics.
P.S…If you’ve had COVID-19 and you recovered, can you let me know in the comments section if you’re still feeling unwell at times and the kind of symptoms you’re having? Thank you!