My Covid experience in Karnataka

I had to travel from EU to my home town in Karnataka in April of 2021. This was the time when the Covid-19 situation in India was at its scariest. The second wave was about to peak, and the media was full of doomsday images (people dying on the streets for lack of oxygen cylinders, no beds in hospitals etc).

And, then, 3 people in my family tested positive for Covid-19. This post is about our experience with the virus and how Karnataka's healthcare system helped us deal with it.

Severity

I should start off by mentioning that I had very mild symptoms. The only real noticeable symptom was the loss of smell (not loss of taste, mind you; only smell).
 
Only our 2 year old had any noticeable symptoms (including fever)

Testing

Since there are no labs in the town that I hail from, our only option was to go to the Government General Hospital to get the RT-PCR tests. We were concerned about the hygiene at the testing location but all our fears were unfounded.
  • It took 5 minutes to get ourselves tested
  • The staff were efficient and professional
  • The tests were free.
  • We got the results in less than 48 hours.

Post-Positive procedures

Once our results were out, and it was known that we tested positive, the Standard Operating Procedure machinery kicked in. We received the SMS around 5 a.m., and then:
  1. By 9 a.m., an ASHA healthcare workers team came to our doorstep to deliver medication for a course of 5 days. For Free. We were advised home quarantine for 14 days.
  2. The medication was also age-appropriate. For our 2 year old they provided syrups instead of tablets. We were also recommended to take the advise of the pediatrician before administering the child doses.
  3. By 11 a.m., another team from ASHA came to our doorstep, this time to collect the samples for other people in the household.
  4. Meanwhile, I got a call from yet another team, to ensure that we are in quarantine. They actually come to your doorstep and take photos as proof.
  5. For the first 2 days we got follow up calls from the ASHA team enquiring about our symptoms.
  6. From day 3, there was an automated IVR system to check on our symptoms.

Conclusion

In conclusion, our experience was vastly different from the narrative that had been presented to us all these months. However, our own experience was that
  • The testing process was crisp and the results were quick
  • Once we tested positive, the procedures were followed to the dot
  • Medications and tests for primary contacts were done at home and free of cost
Admittedly, things might have taken a turn for the worse had any of us required hospitalization. But all in all, my take away was:
If you do get Covid-19, don't panic. Don't believe everything media tells you (in fact don't believe anything media tells you). Have faith in the system and follow the protocol

Disclaimer: This is my personal blog. All the views and opinions expressed on this blog are entirely my own and do not reflect the views of my employer, organization, relatives, friends, acquaintances or any other person/entity.