14/04/2023
**Second time with Covid**
Last Saturday evening was a fun filled one with a massive family get together filled with fun dance and frolics. At the end of the evening everyone had a cone of ice cream with glee. Although many senior members were complaining of bad throat none of them refrained from having a lick. Next day 4 of them were down with high fever, cough running nose and I as a family physician was happily telling them it is usual seasonal flu and not to worry. My confidence was shattered when I myself was down with high fever, running nose and a sore throat on the fourth day. My throat was so painful that I can swear it was the worst of my life.
For two days and three nights I could not sleep because of the fever, headache and painful throat. When the fever didn’t subside on the fourth day, I gave a throat swab for Covid RT-PCR. And low and behold, I was positive. It was then I remembered again the party, the crowd and the celebration without mask.
Although we have been saying since last year that Covid has become endemic like the common cold. But there is definitely subtle difference between the two.
In late 2020, after circulating for almost a year in the human population, severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) exhibited a major step change in its adaptation to humans. These highly mutated forms of SARS-CoV-2 had enhanced rates of transmission relative to previous variants and were termed 'variants of concern' (VOCs). Designated Alpha, Beta, Gamma, Delta and Omicron, the VOCs emerged independently from one another, and in turn each rapidly became dominant, regionally or globally, outcompeting previous variants. The success of each VOC relative to the previously dominant variant was enabled by altered intrinsic functional properties of the virus and, to various degrees, changes to virus antigenicity conferring the ability to evade a primed immune response. The increased virus fitness associated with VOCs is the result of a complex interplay of virus biology in the context of changing human immunity due to both vaccination and prior infection.
The variant that caught me is XBB.1.16 of omicron. It caught me without a hint and I was confident it was usual cold. Only when I started to have high grade fever for four consecutive days and also most severe sore throat of my life did I suspect.
This was my second encounter with covid. But I must say this time I was more tired, fatigued and had repeated leg cramps. I was coughing relentlessly and was wheezing. I took a full ten days to be fully alright.
Hence I want to every one to continue personal protection like mask and hand wash. As of now
two people have lost their life to covid and it is still a threat to humans endemic or not. As this Omicron variant is very contagious it will rapidly pe*****te a lot of population. More spread, more chance of mutation and development of severe disease causing strains. Although vaccination is helping to prevent severe disease boosters have to be taken every 6 to 12 months.
How much it is feasible for us is a big question. Hence prevention, personal protection and preventing spread by isolation is the clue. I want to request all to read this and implement.
Also, wishing you all a happy, healthy and prosperous New Year. Take care, mask up. Stay safe, keep others safe. 🙏
