Covid-19 related news is usually bad.
I mean, what’s nice to say about a fast-spreading virus that could possibly kill you?
The ever-increasing cases, panic buying and sweeping of supermarkets are just a few more to that list of negatives.
However, we want to bring a more hopeful story instead of all the doom and gloom.
While there are deaths, there are also those who live to tell their tale.
Through The Pain
Unless you experienced it yourself, it’s hard to imagine how the entire ordeal would be like.
According to The Straits Times, a 55-year-old man, who had no travel history to any affected country spent 13 days in the intensive care unit (ICU) of Alexandra Hospital (AH).
The man, known as Ben, was one of the rare five per cent whose infection had taken a severe turn for the worst.
Like, breathing through a tube and hallucinating kind of bad.
When he recovered, he was so consumed with happiness that he went back to AH on 27 March to personally thank the staff.
His journey, though, felt painful to even read.
From Sick To Suffering
It all starts with the mildest of fevers.
However, on 29 February, Ben’s fever 38 deg C fever had not calmed down and went to AH the next day.
At this point, there were no breathing difficulties.
However, these minor inconveniences would not last as Ben was diagnosed with Covid-19 on 5 March.
His oxygen levels became low and doctors had to give him an oxygen mask to breathe.
Dr Liew Mei Fong, the head of the ICU, had to transfer him to said unit in order to monitor him closely.
By 6 pm the same day, Ben’s fever was fluctuating and his lungs became increasingly inflamed and starved of oxygen.
He even had to be put on life support.
Naturally, he freaked out and texted his parents about it and even informed his best friend where to find his will should the worst happen.
Hallucination Hell
If you didn’t think it got even worse from there…I got bad news.
Following the next few days, Ben experienced strong hallucinations.
He described his first hallucination as waking up to an office space while his second one had unfamiliar Korean words flashing at him.
Dr Liew explained that it was not uncommon for patients to experience such things under strong sedation.
Something I hope to never experience.
Thankfully, after four to five days, Dr Liew could ease Ben off the breathing support provided by the ventilator as well as the sedation.
By 12 March, Ben had the breathing tube removed and didn’t need as much sedative drugs.
However, he was told that his vocal cords were damaged when he attempted to thank the staff.
Over the next few days, he would experience hallucinations of ‘extraterrestrial species’ while also becoming more aware of his surroundings.
He was extremely grateful to the nurses who continuously cared for him despite the difficulty of his condition describing that one even helped him get a shaver when he needed it.
Isolation To Discharge
When he could finally breathe without assistance, Ben was then transferred to the isolation ward on 17 March.
After a few more days of swab tests, he was finally tested negative for Covid-19 and discharged on 21 March.
At the end of the experience, Ben was just thankful to be alive and felt that the continuous support of the medical staff had been a key to his recovery.
“I felt that without them, I wouldn’t get well so fast.”
We are pleased to hear that Ben has made a full recovery! Credit is also given to the amazing medical personnel who persevere during these tough times.
Here’s a simplified summary of the South Korea martial law that even a 5-year-old would understand:
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