Dubai, September 07: An H1N1 patient in Dubai who has completely recovered says the message of “precaution not panic” should be spread among the public.
Sathya (name changed on request), works with a television company in Dubai Media City and was treated for H1N1 in August. Though he had worked for a few hours after the infection started, none of his colleagues, including his roommates, contracted the virus.
“Swine flu is creating a lot of panic because what mostly people hear is about deaths due to the infection. So, people have started associating it with death,” says Sathya who is now leading a normal life.
“I am yet to see a news report which talks about patients who have recovered and whose examples show that not all H1N1 patient will die. It is important for people to know that only those with underlying health conditions are at high risk and prompt measures can cure it like any other disease,” he told Khaleej Times.
Aged 30, the Indian national does not know how or where he contracted the virus. “It was almost a month after I returned from India that I got the infection. So, it has to be from some public place here.”
His symptoms started off with bodyache and severe cold, and mild fever. Thinking that it was his regular tonsillitis, he took Tylenol.
“I thought it will go off the next day. But it didn’t and I started coughing and sneezing also.”
When he went to a clinic in DMC, the doctor initially prescribed an antibiotic and took his nasal swabs for tests. “I didn’t go to office the next day as I was waiting for the results. The day after, I went to office and by evening got the call from the clinic saying that I had tested positive.” The doctor asked him to stay home and prescribed Tamiflu. “I had taken my roommates along with me when I was informed the test was positive. Tests were done on them also, though they did not have any symptoms. Luckily, their tests were negative.”
Some of his colleagues stayed home for a day, watching out for any symptoms. “Naturally, many people in office were bothered… and some of them started wearing masks. Office put up my roommates separately and allowed me to be quarantined at home.”
When he was free of all the symptoms, Sathya wanted to reconfirm that he had completely recovered. “I went to a clinic near my house and got the rapid test done.
The result came out negative. But, I was still weak… So, the doctor there advised me to stay home for two more days and I did so.”
Back in office from last week, Sathya says now he is more careful about social distancing, cough etiquette and the golden rule of washing hands often. “These are things that everyone can do to prevent the spread of infection. Whoever is catching an infection must isolate himself and feel responsible about the ways to prevent infection, not causing panic.”
–Agencies