Thread by @ManikandaNesan

Do vaccines really work? Does the benefit outweigh adverse effects? - A thread on how effective is the COVID-19 vaccine. I am not going to speak numbers or statistics. If you are here to listen to stories beyond numbers, hear me out
#vaccinestories #vaccinechain

I am going to tell you four stories - mine and three of my close friends
Scenario at family of Friend 1:
Parents denied vaccination after repeated requests. His mother developed symptoms, but she denied and delayed testing for more than a week. But he was monitoring O2 saturation

Thankfully he picked up desaturation early. We searched for O2 bed, and found one in a casualty for a single night, so that next day she could be shifted. Again this time, she denied hospital admission, but we forcefully admitted her. Now she is maintaining her saturation with

(contd) 4L of O2. She is being treated in the same casualty bed as we couldn't find any no other O2 bed. Money spent in Lakhs
Points to remember: No vaccine, delayed testing resulted in hospitalization, but saturation monitoring helped to pick up desaturation early. No Remdesivir

Family of Friend 2:
My friend, being a doctor, got vaccinated (2 doses). Parents denied vaccination after repeated requests. His mother developed symptoms, but she denied and delayed testing for more than a week. Friend devloped symptom, tested immediately - turned to be positive

Then he started monitoring saturation of parents. There was a drop in saturation for his dad, despite being asymptomatic. Next day mother also had drop in saturation. Admitted both and put on O2. Mom weaned off O2, but dad is still in ICU in ventilator. Spent >6 lakhs in 5 days.

Remdesivir given for both parents. My friend recovered with mild symptoms with symptomatic treatment. Points to remember: Remdesivir did not help in reducing severity, Decision not to take vaccine (free of cost) resulted in admission, and costing us immense stress and expenditure

Vaccination can help to recover with mild symptoms, as with the case of my friend. If you feel it's only because of his younger age, hear me out the next two stories as well.
Family of friend 3:
Entire family (parents, grandmother and 2 sisters who are doctors) got vaccinated.

All received one dose. While waiting for second dose, entire family developed symptoms, got tested immediately, all recovered with mild symptoms. Friend's uncle also got infected during same time. He was unvaccinated, developed desaturation, admitted in ICU, then recovered

Points to remember: Even one dose of vaccine helps in reducing severity, despite age (His grandmother, over 80 years, recovered with mild symptoms but uncle had to be ICU).

Scenario in my family:
My parents went to my sister's place, to help her in taking care of 4 months baby

There were 8 in the house (parents, in-laws, sister, brother in law, maid & baby). Parents and in-laws vaccinated with one dose. All 8 developed symptoms, tested positive. Brother in law, 30 years, not vaccinated, developed moderate disease, admitted at hospital and recovered.

All others recovered in home isolation. But it was a nightmare for those 14 days. In between, sister's mother in law had saturation drop one time, but prone position helped increasing it. Brother in law recovered without Remdesivir, given only steroids

Points to remember: Even without Remdesivir, steroids might help in recovery from moderate disease. Vaccination helps reducing severity, irrespective of age. Prone position helps increasing oxygen level

These are not statistics, but are stories beyond numbers.

I might have been wrong in interpretation. But my personal experiences make me strongly believe vaccine benefits outweigh side effects (physically, mentally, economically).

End of story. #GetVaccinated share your stories as well #vaccinechain @kprabhdeep @scientistganesh

@sharanmurali @drrubesh @Toi_pushpa_n @priyankathiru @GunasekaranMu @kmathan
#vaccinestories #vaccinechain

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