Thread by @sidcoins

Nearly 3 weeks ago my mum and sister both tested +ve for #Covid19. I am sharing the whole experience here bcoz I think it might be of some help to others, especially those living in #MiraBhayandar. 1/n

Firstly, both of them are fine now & back at home but the entire ordeal was mentally and physically taxing for me and my family. 2/n

It started with my mum. She first had a fever and no other symptoms. Since it was raining incessantly we thought it might be the usual flu and gave her a paracetamol post which her fever was gone but nearly 2 days later she started coughing and complained about chest pain. 3/n

Since in Mumbai you don’t need a prescription anymore for a #covid test, we immediately called a pvt diagnostic center and got her tested at home. 4/n
mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/coronavirus/ne…

The result came a day later. Mum tested +ve and in the meanwhile, my sister had started showing symptoms as well. She had a mild fever and lost her sense of taste and smell. 5/n

While waiting for the results we consulted our doctor and started the basic medication for #covid for mum and while the fever had completely gone by now the dry cough and chest pain won’t stop. 6/n

Now here’s what happened after mum’s result came. I called up the #covid helpline number for #MiraBhayandar municipal corporation (022-28117102). No one picked up despite multiple attempts. 7/n

I was worried about mum as she has comorbidities and I wanted her to get some medical attention asap. I had bought a pulse oximeter (you can get a reliable one for around Rs1000) and it showed mum’s O2 saturation to be around 91-93%. 8/n

I then called up the #COVID19 Control Room/ War Room for MBMC (022-28042738). This was the only number which was of help during the whole thing. I was briefed on what the procedure would be and was given the number of the govt Dr for MBMC for any assistance I required. 9/n

The Dr said that they’ll come in a day or two and test me and my sister. Upon inquiring whether it’ll be an antigen or RT-PCR, she told me it’ll be an antigen test. I requested her for an RT-PCR to which she agreed. 10/n

*PLEASE* don’t get an antigen test, it’s not reliable. As per a govt official I had a word with, the municipal corporation guys insist on antigen bcoz they have those in abundance and want to finish them out. 11/n

Here's another one on antigen tests. 12/n

timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/indore/le…

The Dr told me that in MBMC, Pt. Bhimsen Joshi Hospital in Bhayander is providing completely free treatment for #Covid patients. They send an ambulance to pick you up as well but as the hospital is far from where I live and had no vacant ICU beds.... 13/n

....I decided to admit mum to a Pvt hospital. I have insurance so I wasn’t too much worried about the cost and wanted to make sure that she gets proper care. One can figure out the bed availability and #Covid hospitals in MBMC on this website - 14/n
covidbedmbmc.in/HospitalInfo/s…

As her O2 saturation was low, I got mum admitted to the hospital the same day. Her x-ray showed that there was pneumonia but it hadn’t spread much. The treatment started immediately. 15/n

I get back home after admitting her and I see that my sister wasn’t holding too well. Mum testing +ve was bad enough but while I was in the hospital an acquaintance of my sister had bombarded her with misinformation on Covid & pleaded her to not admit her in the hospital.... 16/n

....as ‘covid is a grand conspiracy’ and ‘everyone is in it to profit and might even make matters worse for my mum on purpose.’ This gentleman was getting his information from a moron called Biswaroop Roy Chowdhury who should have been behind bars years ago. 17/n

This gave my sis a really bad migraine, the fever was back but as soon as I read his name I recalled that @NilChristopher had done a story exposing this quack. I sent it to my sister. She calms down but the anxiety attack had done the damage by then. 18/n
restofworld.org/2020/the-docto…

The next day MBMC nurses came and tested me and my sister. It was an RT-PCR test and it took 2 days for the results to come. I got a call from MBMC saying that my sister tested +ve and I was –ve. 19/n

She wasn’t allowed to quarantine at home bcoz we don’t have two separate bathrooms, a luxury very few have in the tiny apartments of Mumbai. Had I also tested +ve then they would’ve allowed both of us to quarantine at home. 20/n

My sis was taken to Delta Gardens, a govt quarantine facility for asymptomatic patients not too far away from my house the same day. We were not comfortable with this as I was worried about her safety and care at the place and I tried hard to search for other options but... 21/n

....it turns out that the only option left for us was to get her admitted to a private hospital as the MBMC are not readily taking asymptomatic patients to the govt hospital either. 22/n

I dug up all the information I could on this quarantine facility and I got to know that the place was safe. Every patient there was getting a separate studio apartment. Women were on a separate floor and there were doctors & nurses 24x7 at the facility. 23/n

Patients are being observed here for 10 days and if all the vitals are normal then they are discharged without another #Covid test and asked to quarantine for another 7 days. Bedding, a water heater & food was provided. 24/n

This is the place:

If anyone is being taken to one of these facilities then I would suggest taking your own bed sheet, medicines, pillow, mosquito spray, hot water bag, a steamer & some food. Food here was way too spicy & not healthy for a sick person as per my sister. 25/n

Mum was given O2 for 4 days. Soon her vitals stabilized, she started recovering. The cough and chest pain was gone by the 6th day. By the 10th day she started walking on her own and I got her discharged on the 13th day. She has been recovering well since then. 26/n

My sister got discharged after 10 days & has only the mild after-effects of Covid like occasional headache and tiredness. 27/n

Coming to the cost part. If one opts for being admitted to the govt facilities then not a single penny would be charged but in the case of Pvt hospitals one has to keep in mind a few things. 28/n

Hospitals came up with creative ways to inflate bills but with many complaints from patients and now auditors being appointed for each hospital things aren’t as bad as how they were 2-3 months ago. 29/n

mumbaimirror.indiatimes.com/coronavirus/ne…

The bed & daily PPE kit charges are fixed by the govt. In Mumbai the PPE kit charges are at Rs1250 for the general ward and Rs1750 for ICU, it’s fixed at Rs3000 & Rs 4000 respectively in MBMC. On 31 Aug these charges have been again revised but haven’t been implemented yet. 30/n

In MBMC, if anyone wants to dispute their bill then they can ask for an audit. Call the #COVID19 Control Room/ War Room for MBMC (022-28042738) and they will give you the number for the auditor assigned for your hospital. 31/n

The lockdown is over but the virus is still spreading strong. We nearly have a lakh cases a day & people still haven’t figured out how to wear a mask properly. Honestly, there is no need for you to visit your friend or relative or neighbor right now. 32/n

In #MiraBhayandar the number of cases was dropping but it has gone up significantly in the last 2 weeks. We again have 150-200 cases daily here. For comparison, Portugal is seeing cases in the same range. 33/n
freepressjournal.in/mumbai/dip-in-…

In the last week, I’ve got calls from friends and relatives from across India who have tested +ve for Covid. A childhood friend and her family in Raipur, my mum’s extended family in Lucknow & a friend from Kolkata and his family. This crisis is far from over. 34/n

Stop worrying about a second wave when the first one is still going strong. Don’t get complacent just bcoz the economy is opening. An already overburdened healthcare system won’t be able to handle the sudden surge in cases. 35/n

Also, please get insurance and be proactive when it comes to this disease. It can be scary if it’s left unchecked for long, if treated early then the recovery will be swift as well. 36/n

Also, please don’t fall for conspiracy theories and quacks like Biswaroop Roy Chowdhary. There were many who were quick to suggest to us that this can be treated with Patanjali’s overpriced hajmola Coronil. 37/n

Honestly, not punishing folks like Biswaroop and Ramdev for spreading such gross misinformation during a global pandemic is a failure of the authorities. 38/n

Patanjali was quick to spread the lie that Coronil is a Covid vaccine and as it’s still available in the market as a ‘Covid-19 Immunity Booster’ as per their website, people are buying that crap thinking of it as a cure and risking their own lives. 39/n