A Covid Yatra

Ever since the Pandemic struck, we have been extremely cautious taking all precautions, avoiding all personal contact with strangers, not allowing anyone from outside including maids for the past 8 months, ensuring that only one person visits outside once a week to buy provisions. So much so that we cancelled our yearly trip to our hometown in Kerala. Our son who is at Dehradun luckily had come home just before the lockdown and we all survived happily the past many months.

In early November I got a call that my aunt was very unwell due to an old illness and she was in ICU. I had no option but to rush home. I booked my return flight tickets, (A stay of less than 7 days did not mandate quarantine), got the required E-Pass from Govt of Kerala portal and went to the airport armed with the mask and sanitizer. I asked my son to drive me to the airport so that I avoid public transport. We were checked for temperature and allowed to enter the airport. The Airport authorities and the airlines have done their best to keep social distancing, however our people still are ages away from developing a sense of Social Responsibility. Masks are still being worn over the chin and people not bothering about 6 feet distances were milling all around the place, in check-in counters, security lines, boarding area etc. The airline provided plastic Full-Face masks too, but many of the passengers just took them as souvenirs and kept them in their handbags instead of using it as PPE, till such time they were not allowed to board the flight without it. Only then they reluctantly wore the Full-Face Masks.

I had to tell many people to behave themselves and maintain the distance during the boarding. As I boarded, the Airhostess announced that the seats were sanitized, but to my horror I found someone else already in my seat. So much for sanitization. My flight was uneventful, and I did not even venture out to the toilet. On landing in Kochi Airport, apart from collecting the E Pass there were no other checks. One could just walk out. I travelled in a car that was sent from my home, but the driver refused to switch on the AC due to fear of COVID.

Now came the next shock of my life. All people who were otherwise eager to meet me, all asked me to keep away from them including avoiding a visit to their house. Barring one odd relative, rest all were happy when I said I will not visit them. This kind of untouchability hurt me most. I was wondering, why did I ever travel in the first place.  I was afraid for my old mother and met her from far and after a wash and change in my sister’s house, I left for the hospital in our car. The next few days I stayed in a Hotel Room to avoid contact with anyone. This is the first time I stayed in a Hotel in my own hometown. Strange are the times. My travel was restricted to the hospital, and back to the Hotel room for a restful night’s sleep. Even in Hospital I stayed in the room, without venturing outside much. I always wore N95 Masks which I changed regularly and kept the sanitizer as a pocket content (Only Ex NDAs will understand this word).

The N95 Mask restricted the supply of air while breathing and every now and then I was forced to inhale fresh air in some place which was free of people. When the Nurse came to check the Oxygen level of the patient and the reading was not displaying correctly, I offered my finger to test the oximeter. To my horror I found I was having less O2 than the patient. That’s because I was wearing the N95 masks for long. In four days, I was fed up with the masks and was longing to get out of it. I salute the Covid Warrior Doctors and Medical Staff who have been wearing this for months now. I can’t imagine myself doing it. Just imagine if some one contracts COVID and he is unable to breathe how worse the feeling could be. I have heard firsthand accounts of those who yearned for some oxygen.

I am writing this after I have returned and completed my 7 days self-home quarantine, to ask you to please take precautions. Its better to be paranoid rather than contract Corona inadvertently. Accidents happen on roads not because you do not know how to drive but because of other’s mistakes. So you need to be doubly safe here. Wear Masks, Sanitize your hands often and do not interact with family members till the time you have taken a complete bath after coming from outside. Try and avoid all travels, gatherings in public as far as possible. The feeling of being shunned hurts a lot, so it is better to be Safe than Sorry. The only silver lining in the whole travel of mine was that my Aunt is on the road to recovery.