Cape Town - The youngest patient inside a Covid-19 ward at the time of her admission told of her arduous, yet inspiring, road to recovery.
Kouthar Davids, 26, from the Southern Suburbs, said she started experiencing body aches and headaches around December 7 and decided to get tested after a consultation with her doctor.
“I got my results but I also told my mom that I know I'm going to test positive because this did not feel like an ordinary flu. It felt so much worse and based on all the symptoms that I had matched with what the doctor had pointed out.”
Some of the symptoms she experienced were migraines, body aches, cough, diarrhoea, mild confusion. After having breathing difficulties, she used a nebuliser.
She went to Melomed Gatesville Private Hospital after some hesitancy.
“They did a lot of tests, they did an X-ray and saw that I had pneumonia. I had Covid-19 on my lungs and my oxygen (level) was low.”
She was given the option to medicate at home or to be admitted. She chose to be admitted and was placed on oxygen treatment immediately. Her stay at hospital lasted 10-11 days.
She said that this was the first time she was admitted to a hospital and that she was the youngest person in the Covid-19 wards at the time.
“A lot of people deteriorate because they have anxiety, they don't have family visiting them.
“The elderly people don't have phones to make contact with their loved ones so that's where I came in, because I did all of that (being) the youngest. I had access to social media. I created videos with myself and the patients and I remained positive in my ward. We prayed if there was someone who was really ill.”
The videos she said, helped create awareness especially among young people, that the virus was not a hoax.
She would also distribute black seed and samak and honey to other Covid-19 patients and said honey had soothed and cleared her throat of phlegm.
Even though she still displayed some symptoms a week after her discharge from hospital, she said she was feeling wonderful now.
“I am fully recovered, the only thing that has not recovered as yet is my lungs because of the pneumonia. Covid-19 pneumonia has actually destroyed my lungs so I'm doing a lot of breathing exercises and steaming with eucalyptus and Vicks.”
She had created a psychological phobia for the outside world after contracting the virus, but said she was slowly starting to regain her confidence back.
“The journey has changed my life and brought me closer to the Almighty.”
Meanwhile, on a quest to lift the spirits of health-care workers and boost morale, local running group Hiit Squad held a placard demonstration outside the Life Kingsbury Hospital in Claremont on Monday evening.
Through its Be the Change campaign, the energetic group aims to visit most health-care facilities, three times a week, and to distribute gift packs.
They will visit Victoria Hospital this evening (Wed), and Groote Schuur Hospital on Friday.
Founder Neezaam Mohamed said around 40 runners were present for the first of many of the demonstrations.
“Patients were listening and sending song requests. The response was amazing. Nurses were dancing in the street and from the Covid-19 ward while hanging out the windows. The feedback was that it was appreciated and made their tough day so much better.”
Cape Argus