London: “I almost died,” recalls Indian-origin woman Ria Lakhani, still struggling to breath normally, days after surviving a severe case of coronavirus that has so far killed over 6,000 people in the United Kingdom (UK).
“It (breathing) used to be such a natural action but now I have to remember how to inhale and exhale,” the BBC quoted Ria Lakhani as saying from her home in north-west London. In self-isolation, she still cannot hug her husband, or see her parents and siblings. Lakhani still wakes up at night struggling to breathe.
Lakhani, a sales executive, started to show symptoms of coronavirus while in hospital, where she was admitted for an operation. Seven years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare condition which makes swallowing difficult. The surgery was designed to help her manage this oesophageal disease, called ‘achalasia’.
Though her surgery was supposed to be a routine one, the situation became serious very soon. She began to struggle with her breathing and then developed a temperature. While everyone hoped it was just a side-effect of her surgery, a coronavirus swab test was taken as a precaution. But to the surprise of all, it turned positive for coronavirus.
Soon Ria Lakhani’s room was cordoned off and the rest of the ward evacuated. As her condition deteriorated, she required more oxygen. Lakhani was then shifted to one of the major COVID-19 treatment centres here.
“Things went from bad to worse – taking a breath became as hard as climbing a mountain,” Lakhani wrote on Facebook. “I almost died. I almost didn’t come out of there. There was a point when I actually started to write difficult messages to my family. I almost died now I’m alive. How can life go back to normal after that,” Lakhani added.
Lakhani is still not clear whether she developed pneumonia but said even now, from her recovery bed at home in Harrow she can hear a ‘crackling sound in her lungs’.
According to the World Health Organisation (WHO), most people (about 80 per cent) recover from the disease without needing special treatment. Around one out of every six people who gets COVID-19 becomes seriously ill and develops difficulty breathing.
Lakhani praised the medical staff who treated her. They are ‘true heroes’, she said. “It was the small wins and things like the nurses making sure I had a constant supply of hot tea and a sneaky extra slice of cake that made me smile,” informed Lakhani.
At home, she has to maintain a distance from her husband and continues to be besieged by coughing fits. But Ria Lakhani’s relieved that she was able to fight the virus, especially considering how many people have died.
UK’s toll in the coronavirus pandemic continues to rise and hit 6,159 after a record increase of 786 deaths in a single day on Tuesday.
Agencies
