Road to Recovery / Conquering Coronavirus
Westborough Sikh Sangat members Meher Kaur and her father Navdeep Singh, were diagnosed with the corona virus. They had a long and difficult journey from self quarantining to recovering from Corona virus. Nishkam TV kids interviewed Meher to get to know more about her first hand and real experience with this deadly virus and her road to recovery.
1.What was going through your mind when you first found out that you had the corona virus?
When my Father was first diagnosed, it was definitely frightening. I had been keeping up with the news up until that point and I watched as the death rates climbed and how the condition continuously got worse for people. There is no cure, so my family and I were pretty much left to deal with it by ourselves.
2. How did you stay hopeful and strong in such a tough situation?
We stayed hopeful by making sure to Face time and reciting Rehraas Sahib every day. Doing Simran and having a Chardi-Kalaa state of mind provided stability and re-centered our minds. Having a half-glass full nature and cracking jokes was definitely beneficial and made the dark times less lonely.
3. Did you self isolate as soon as you felt sick? What precautions did you take during self isolation?
I started showing symptoms 1 week before my dad got tested. It wasn’t until after my dad tested positive that I immediately self isolated because I knew for sure that it was something I could have caught easily. My symptoms were also mild, so I did not think much of it before my dad’s diagnosis. I lost my sense of smell and taste, experienced exhaustion and developed a cold. My dad however quarantined himself immediately when he started showing symptoms because they were a bit more severe, and he did not want to take any chances. He had a fever and was showing signs of the flu.
I took precautions such as:
-Not leaving my designated quarantine area, the basement. My dad took a room on the top floor
-My mom would leave food and water outside our doors to limit contact with the rest of the house. My dad and I when finished with our dishes, would leave it there as well.
-We used bathrooms nearest to us which we did not share with anyone else
-My dad and my dishes were washed in the dishwasher with the highest temperature setting to destroy the virus
-Our laundry was separated from my mom and my brother’s laundry, and was washed in sanitize mode. Sanitize mode is a high temperature, long cleaning cycle wash
-I made sure to sanitize the basement when my quarantine time was up. I used Lysol wipes and mopped the floor
-Our family ordered groceries online to prevent the spreading of the virus to anyone else in the community
-Even after quarantine, my dad and I tried to maintain a distance from my mom and brother for a couple days
4. How long was your recovery period after you weren’t sick anymore (as in, how long did it take you to get back to normal)?
It took about 3 weeks in total for my symptoms to go away. I did not self-isolate until I was 1 week into my symptoms, and therefore was in quarantine for 2 weeks.
5. How did you get the idea for writing a blog?
I got the idea to write my blog because there was difficulty within my family for how to navigate the virus. This was very much an unprecedented situation for us and it was time consuming to sit and read through dozens of articles online. I thought writing an article and giving advice, coming from someone who dealt with the Corona virus firsthand, would be more useful. That way I can offer others information and how my family and I were so successful, but also emotional support, and that they are not alone. Emotional support and hope is lacking in the media, and it is important that others know there is a light at the end of the tunnel. Additionally, this was my form of Seva, my contribution to the community.
As the next steps, with the help from United Sikhs, the blog is being translated to Punjabi. We are going to publish it soon and contact media establishments in Punjab to spread the message. Sikh Coalition is helping spread the message as well.
6. Are you or your dad looking into helping out by donating plasma or participating in studies?
Yes, my dad is going through the process and I will follow with it soon.
Additionally, I am working on a project where I will be connecting families who have beaten Covid-19 with those who are fighting it, because the topmost need of patients and their families are – emotional and navigation support. Making sure that those affected by Covid-19 have a support system will uplift their spirits and hopefully ease some of the stress.