Bukky George
A
prominent Nigerian and CEO of Healthplus and CasaBella International
has revealed how she and her family survived coronavirus.
Mrs Bukky George the CEO of Healthplus and CasaBella International
has shared her coronavirus isolation centre experience after surviving
the deadly virus.
The pharmacist and 10 other family members were discharged from the
Infectious Diseases Hospital, IDH, Yaba. She shared her experience on
social media, saying there are lessons for everyone.
In the post entitled: “When the unthinkable happens”,
Bukky said: “What I did not bargain for was the very slow
process of recovery post-discharge. The two of us who had respiratory
illness remained weak for at least 4 to 6 weeks. I coughed throughout
this period.
“For me, the biggest takeaways are the mercy and grace of God
on my family and me, listening to experts, leveraging networks, no man
is an island – you need your family and friends, and acting with GREAT
SPEED!”
Below is her story:
I am the least likely person to be infected by COVID-19. Why?
Because I am strict and particular about hygiene, health matters and
maintaining standards.
As the pandemic trended in Asia, Europe and the Americas, I
stayed on top of authentic news & information, and swiftly put in
place processes and procedures at home and at work. For example, I
coordinated the return of my children from their schools back to
Nigeria, ensuring proper decontamination on arrival and 14-day
self-quarantine for each.
We initiated working from home before the Lagos State lockdown.
My home too was on lockdown before the Lagos State lockdown. “No one
in, no one out” was our mantra! All packages coming into the house were
sanitized with bleach solution in a spray bottle, disinfecting wipes,
hot ironing or washing with soap and water, depending on the item.
All members of the household religiously took their nutritional
supplements and had their stash of masks, gloves, hand sanitizers, etc.
The beginning
One weekend in April, a member of the family started coughing.
It was a chesty cough and I did not initially pay attention, after all,
dry cough was the symptom associated with COVID-19. After a few days of
constant coughing, it was necessary for a visit to be made to the
hospital and COVID-19 antibody test was carried out. The result came
back positive.
Antibody tests have about a 70% degree of accuracy. I was
trembling like a leaf when I got the news. I was in total shock. How did
this virus get into our fortress? I will never know for sure! I
immediately reached out to a friend who facilitated swift PCR tests the
very next morning. Every member of the household including the drivers
were tested (nose & throat swabs and sputum tests). I asked the
doctors about the timing of the results. I was told 48 hours.
A call came through in 24 hours and the doctor said ‘’Is this a
good time? Well, there is never a good time for news like this. We have
a lot of positives’’. I grabbed a piece of paper and started
scribbling. 11 out of 12 of us were positive. We had several vulnerable
persons with underlying conditions in our family. From cardiovascular
disease, asthma, allergies to the elderly. My life flashed before me!
Yes, I am aware that COVID-19 infection is not a death sentence
but according to statistics, about 3% – 4% of infected persons will
die. What are the odds that all of us will be spared? I was frightened. I
was even more gutted by the fact that I had made a comment before the
lockdown that if I get COVID-19 infection, I will die because of my
underlying health conditions. Now my result was positive! My first
action was to fall on my knees, join hands with one of my family members
to pray and cancel my earlier confession. I learnt a lesson of a life
time – never ever will I confess negatively again, as there is power in
the tongue. I asked God to forgive my careless words.
I carefully broke the news of the positive test results to each
person, managing emotions. My son researched information on what COVID
survivors did and he shared the details with me. One of his findings is
that they ate and drank alkaline foods and beverages and took a lot of
hot fluids. We therefore shopped for alkaline foods such as lemon,
watermelon, pawpaw, kiwi, pineapple, cucumber, kale and other green
leafy vegetables. Other alkaline foods include broccoli, cauliflower,
onion, garlic, root vegetables (sweet potatoes) and nuts. We avoided
acidic foods such as sugar, dairy, processed foods, apples, grape fruit
and drinks. We ordered a lot of juices from a popular local brand as
some of their combinations ticked the alkaline box. We were determined
to deal with this virus that was susceptible to heat and an alkaline
environment.
Quarantine
The next day, we all packed our clothes and personal items for 7
days. We checked into the Infectious Disease Hospital (IDH) Yaba for
isolation. The testimonial of Mrs Eyamba Dafinone on Arise News was
reassuring as we journeyed to Yaba. There were 5 of us in the female
ward and 6 in the male ward. Therapy started immediately. We were placed
on Antiretrovirals (Lopinavir and Ritonavir aka Aluvia), Antibiotics
(Azithromycin), Calcium, and Vitamin C. We continued our own
prescription medicines (where relevant) and nutritional supplements. The
supplements included our usual Multivitamin & Mineral Complex,
Immune Boosters, Zinc, Black Seed Oil, Vitamin D etc.
The hospital was clean. The beds were new and the building had
been obviously renovated from the Ebola times. This was comforting. The
mattress was however covered by a disposable fitted sheet. There were no
bedsheets, no pillow cases and no blankets. For the first two nights,
we slept without these. The day after admission, my good friend helped
us shop for bedsheets, pillow cases, blankets, cartons of bottled water,
mentholated balm, Aboniki, electric kettles, plastic buckets and bowls,
healthy snacks, honey, toilet paper, liquid hand soaps, detergent,
disinfecting wipes, air freshener, disposable plates and cutlery, mugs,
body cream, shower gel, toothpaste, toothbrushes etc. These were split
between both wards. We tried to stay positive, determined to make the
most of our stay. Food was ok but we augmented on most days.
All was well on Day 1 after admission. No one had symptoms. On
Day 2, I was coordinating our affairs when I suddenly felt my lungs fill
with fluid, like I was drowning. It was very uncomfortable and I felt
some pain under my rib cage. It appeared like my chest was being pumped
with fluid using a bicycle tyre pump. I raised an alarm. Luckily, our
ward mate was a registered nurse who contracted COVID-19 in the course
of duty. She swiftly grabbed a bucket, boiled water in a kettle, poured
the boiling water in the bucket, put in a scoop of mentholated balm, sat
me on a chair, I bent over the bucket and covered my head with a
blanket. She coached me to breathe in and hold for 10 seconds, then
breathe out and in again. I repeated these for 10 minutes. When I stood
up, I felt better. Next was chest physiotherapy. She patted my back for
some minutes.
I was then offered a very hot cup of tea. I felt much better.
Finally, I went online for information on breathing techniques that help
COVID-19 patients. I had heard about these and found one. The relief
lasted 3-4 hours and the fluid/mucus started building up again. I
quickly figured that I had to repeat this process of steam inhalation,
chest physiotherapy, breathing technique and hot fluids 3-4x a day. I
was really afraid to sleep that first night. I told my folks to check on
me periodically. When I completed my last routine and slept on my
tummy, I surprisingly slept like a baby that night. In the morning when I
woke up, before opening my eyes, I whispered ‘’Thank you, Lord’’.
The cough started a day after the respiratory illness. It was a
raspy, productive cough with white sputum. My good friend shopped and
made us two bowls of herbal paste made by chopping, blending and boiling
5 ingredients – Ginger, Garlic, whole Lemon, whole Orange and
Pineapple. A heaped teaspoon of this paste in boiling water, in a mug,
sweetened with honey became our mainstay. We shared with our fellow
inmates.
Over the next 5 days, I got progressively worse. No fever, no
loss of smell, no loss of taste, no headaches, just this horrible
respiratory illness! Breathing was laboured. There was a fullness in my
throat, like I had extra flesh inside the base of my throat. There was a
tugging sensation across my throat and chest. There was a perpetual
painful turbulence in my chest. I felt awful. The symptoms, which were
sometimes indescribable, were worse at night.
I recalled the animated documentary on CNN that described the
damage that COVID-19 causes as it ravages the lungs. This bothered me. I
have hyper inflammation on a good day, so I wasn’t surprised I was
suffering so much. Apart from the respiratory symptoms, my legs ached. I
also had back pain. It felt like I was permanently wearing a lead
jacket. I walked slightly bent over. I was weak on several occasions.
The wave of weakness made me feel like a doughnut, hollow on the inside.
My symptoms were very similar to that of my girlfriend who lives in the
UK. When she came down with the virus, I was in touch with her almost
everyday and was very aware of how she suffered. She did not receive any
medication beyond paracetamol and home remedies. I told myself that if
she made it, I had a better chance of coming through.
The medicines gave me diarrhoea at first but this soon settled.
Imodium was the remedy for this. We were advised to drink at least 3
liters of water daily to flush the kidneys. COVID-19 is known to pack up
the kidneys. It was important to rest, at the same time movement was
key. The good nurse/fellow patient said to me “You need a lot of both
rest and exercise”.
Lying on my back was not advisable as breathing became
difficult. Lying on the tummy was advised but I found this position
uncomfortable. My compromise position was on my side. I did not sleep
well most nights. Exercise was walking within and in front of the wards.
This good nurse made my entire family one spirometer each (aka blow
glove). She requested for 11 latex examination gloves, 11 10ml syringes
and cellotape. This DIY device was used to measure the movement of air
into and out of the lungs. We all used it to exercise the lungs by
blowing hard into the glove 10x back to back, once a day. She advised
escalating to the doctors if anyone was unable to blow properly.
I made friends with the other ladies in the ward. We came from
all walks of life, across all ages. Some were infected by their
husbands. It appears many men don’t listen to advice, feel they know
all, feel invincible! Small wonder COVID-19 infection statistics show a
70% to 30% split between male and female patients. Quite a few on
admission were doctors and nurses who caught the virus on the job. We
had pregnant patients too. Every morning and evening, we praised and
worshiped God. We read the Bible and prayed. This kept us going. We kept
hope alive. We developed a special bond. By His grace, we did not lose
anyone in our section of the ward.
Three of us in the ward however had the respiratory illness. My
SPO2 monitor (aka Pulse Oximeter) was my companion. As long as the
oxygen saturation in my blood was equal to or greater than 95, all was
well. So I tracked this measurement periodically each day. I dipped to
92 on a few occasions but the breathing technique I found on Youtube and
my other routines bumped my numbers back up. Apart from that done by
the nurses, we still checked our temperature daily. Hot water salt
gargle was recommended, so we did this 2x a day.
Hot water bottle was suggested and we bought two. I filled both
with hot water and placed them on my back. The back ache disappeared by
the next day. We all had to wear our 3 ply surgical masks all the time
while on admission. My guess is that it was to minimize further exposure
to the virus which may increase viral load and delay recovery. I
purchased a steamer, usually intended for a DIY facial. I preferred the
steamer to boiling water in a bucket. I would set up the steamer, add 6
drops of eucalyptus or another relevant essential oil. The steamer
provided a constant stream of steam for 15-20 minutes and this helped to
break down the mucus in my lungs. Very effective!
I set up a WhatsApp group called ‘’Male Isolation’’ for my
family in the male ward and posted on it all we were learning and
practicing in the female ward. The duties were shared. Someone tracked
temperature, SPO2 and pulse rates. We had Captains for praise &
worship, prayers, exercise, chest physiotherapy, breathing technique,
for producing hot tea and setting up steam inhalation. Keeping busy and
active was great for the mind. The children had online school, so they
were occupied. They just needed adequate data.
‘I saw many depressed’
I saw many depressed and anxious people. Many cried. The burden
of looking out for so many of my family members and domestic staff got
to me. I was anxious. My pulse rate was high on many occasions. Through
our ward windows, we watched the increasing numbers of people come for
testing. A young lady was rushed in but unfortunately died. Her kids
were so young. This was heartbreaking. While exercising one day, we met a
young lad whose dad passed away due to COVID-19 infection. His mum and
sister were also on admission. A grandpa was on admission, unaware his
wife did not make it. Although mortality rate at 3% seems low, when you
know a casualty, it hits home hard. These are not just numbers, but real
people with family, friends, and aspirations, cut down in their prime.
A sense of humour was needed to stay positive and as happy as
can be. I was grateful for some WhatsApp groups I belong to that were
intentionally declared COVID-Free zones. I stopped my obsession for news
on the pandemic. I cancelled my daily pilgrimage to worldometers.info
for latest data. I only wanted to hear God’s promises and joyful news!
The doctors, nurses and cleaners at IDH tried their best. Their
garb of jumpsuit, face shield, masks, gloves, boots, shoe covers, head
cover etc must have been very uncomfortable, but each day, they visited
the wards and did their jobs. One main complaint I had was the
inadequate monitoring of the patients’ health…chest X-rays and blood
tests were not carried out. Just food and medicines were given. Oxygen
was available when required. Bottled water was grossly inadequate.
Every 3 days, our samples (nose swabs) were taken and by Day 7,
most of my family members and I had tested negative twice. We were
discharged. Such joy! We packed up our belongings and said our very
emotional goodbyes. We met some folks there and we were now leaving them
behind. One lady had been on admission for 30+ days.
Upon discharge, the staff of IDH decontaminated our bodies,
bags and suitcases with their contents with bleach solution. We stayed
at a friend‘s apartment which was empty while our home was fumigated and
cleaned. We cleaned professionally each day for 5 days to remove all
traces of the fumigation chemicals. We couldn’t afford to add further
distress of any kind to our respiratory system. A 14-day isolation
period was required of us after discharge.
I am grateful to NCDC, the Governor of Lagos State and the
Commissioner for Health for Lagos State who are at the forefront of this
fight. Given our limited resources and poor healthcare infrastructure,
they have been excellent. I appreciate the medical corp and other
workers at IDH, LUTH and other Isolation Centres.
I am grateful to my family and friends who prayed us through
this ordeal, who reached out with encouraging phone calls, cheering
videos and even monetary gifts. Above all, I am grateful to our merciful
God for saving all of us. Each of us recognise we have another chance
at life. We know it is a miracle that all of us survived. We have
recommitted our walk with God and the service of others. We are
determined to live life more purposefully.
When we stepped back into our home 14 days after we left, we
held a praise, worship and prayer session. Each of us spoke. My son said
“This is a miracle I will remember for the rest of my life. I will
share it with my children and grandchildren”.
What I did not bargain for was the vvveeerrryyy slow process of
recovery post discharge. The two of us who had the respiratory illness
remained weak for at least 4 to 6 weeks. I coughed throughout this
period. Since no tests were carried out at IDH, we visited a nearby Lab
for chest X-ray and full blood work. They questioned us on the reason
for the test requests and we said we were COVID positive, but now
negative. We just wanted to be sure all was well beneath the surface.
The Manager could not look at us in the face. I produced my negative
certificate, still we were refused. I pointed out that the refusal was
stigmatization. The Manager said we were a first for them. We waited for
90 minutes for escalation to their top management before we were
attended to. I couldn’t understand the hesitation, afterall, a Lab
should assume all clients could be COVID positive and therefore apply
their standard procedures for protection of all parties.
We continued with the admission routines. We were advised by a
doctor to get a mucolytic cough syrup to speed up the breakdown of the
mucus; Loratadine, an anti-itch medicine helped; Prednisone tablets to
reduce the inflammation in the lungs and baby Aspirin (75mg) once a day
to prevent clots, especially with all the unsubstantiated news of clots
being a major cause of death. All these were carried out with a doctor’s
guidance!
For me, the biggest takeaways are the mercy and grace of God on
my family & I, listening to experts, leveraging networks, no man is
an island – you need your family & friends, and acting with GREAT
SPEED!
I am now 100%. We hope the antibodies we have will protect us but this disease is novel and there are a lot of uncertainties.
The rate of infection is very much on the rise. We are
beginning to know people whose lives have been lost. I will therefore
like to encourage you all not to let your guard down. Continue to “DO
THE FIVE” as recommended by WHO. These are:
1. Wash your hands frequently with soap and water or use an alcohol-based hand sanitiser.
2. Cough or sneeze into your bent elbow or tissue. Dispose of the tissue immediately and wash your hands.
3. Avoid touching your face, particularly your eyes, nose and mouth.
4. Adhere to social distancing rules. Stay at least 1 meter away from others.
5. If you feel unwell, stay at home. Please follow all the instructions provided by your local health authorities.
I will add that wearing a face shield in addition to a good
quality face mask when you leave your home is very important, especially
so when you visit crowded places like the market. It is safer to go the
extra mile.
I know the above will help someone. Please share. Thank you.
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