Durban: Overport resident Mohamed Jhazbhai, who had been battling Covid-19 complications for almost five months in hospital, has recovered.
The 42-year-old father of two was discharged last week.
He was admitted to Shifa Private Hospital on December 29 last year with Covid-19-related respiratory distress.
He said he did not think he would get very sick because his wife, Faahima, who also had the virus, was never hospitalised.
“When I tested positive for Covid-19, I had a few symptoms; fever, nasal congestion, and coughing. I thought it would pass and I did not expect to get so sick. The day I was admitted, I went to hospital walking and I was in a general ward hence I didn’t think it was going to get worse. My wife had Covid before me and she didn’t get very sick, so I had hope,” said Jhazbhai.
“But after three days in hospital things took a turn for the worse, I got really sick and I was rushed to the ICU. I was then put on to the Cpap (continuous positive airway pressure ventilation). At the same time I suffered severe anxiety. I missed my family and I was not able to see them and I think that made things worse. After about two months, my wife was allowed to visit me and that made a huge difference. I believe that God will never burden you with what you can’t handle. No matter what I went through, I never gave up,” he said.
Jhazbhai said he still receives physio and occupational therapy because he is unable to walk on his own. He is also still oxygen-dependent
“But I am thankful to all my doctors and the hospital staff for everything that they did to save me.”
Faahima said prayer was what kept them hopeful: “We are very close, it was difficult for me but I always stayed positive and I prayed a lot. My family was always there for me. When I finally got a chance to see him, it was very hard to see him in that condition, but we made it out and I am grateful he is still here with us.”
Abdool Amod, manager of Shifa Private Hospital, said Jhazbhai’s strong and positive mindset also helped him.
“He was able to keep in touch with his loved ones through our Kopano project, which allows patients to connect to their loved ones via an electronic platform. When he was critically ill, we also arranged visits with his wife. In that way, he received spiritual support which greatly assisted his recovery. A combination of support, care and the treatment he received from out doctor, nursing, caregiver, and physiotherapist team assisted in helping him fully recover.”
Meanwhile, President Cyril Ramaphosa addressed the nation on Sunday night and placed the country on adjusted Level 2.
Ramaphosa said: “According to health experts the recent surge in new infections is due to the increasing number of social gatherings where people are not observing essential health protocols…”
He said an increase in the proportion of positive Covid-19 tests has more than doubled in the past month from 4% to 11%.
According to the Department of Health, as at May 30, the cumulative number of Covid-19 cases in South Africa are more than 1 662 000, with more than 3 750 new cases reported over the past 24 hours.
KwaZulu-Natal has more than 339 800 cases.
In the eThekwini region more than 159 700 cases have been reported in total, with more than 3 800 deaths.
The Post