#NextStopZero: UAE expat was perfectly healthy until Covid gave him a heart attack

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Sharjah - Soon after Mohanan was admitted, his wife and their four-year-old daughter tested positive.

By Saman Haziq

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Published: Sat 19 Sep 2020, 1:51 AM

Last updated: Sat 19 Sep 2020, 9:26 AM

The Covid-19 pandemic has affected all of us in one way or another. Some of us are mourning the loss of a loved one, while others are trying to make ends meet after losing their jobs or taking a pay cut. The UAE is gradually restoring normalcy even as it reminds residents that the threat is far from over. Through this two-week series, Khaleej Times will feature residents who have endured a loss due to the virus, to remind you that the alarming surge in daily cases is more than just a number. #NextStopZero is a rallying call to get the community to adopt safe practices so as to bring down the infection rate.
Sharjah resident Anu Mohanan couldn't thank God and his doctors enough for giving him what he calls 'a new lease of life'. From being a perfectly fit 40-year-old - with no pre-existing health conditions - Mohanan became a 'severely critical' Covid-19 patient.
He had to be put on a ventilator and suffered a heart attack. It was a narrow escape from death, he said. With all the bravery he could muster, the Indian expatriate soldiered on, fought the virus for 40 long days, and won.
Mohanan's ordeal started with recurring fever and some slight irritation in the chest, which was dismissed as bronchitis when he got checked at a hospital. His Covid tests repeatedly came out negative.
"My fever began on April 26 when I came back from work and started feeling a bit dizzy. I soon got fever that continued for two days. After getting an X-ray and a check-up done, I was told it was a mild case of bronchitis which would go away after some rest and medication. However, the next day, I began coughing vehemently and vomited. I rushed to the hospital where I was admitted and tested. My Covid tests came out negative but, because of my deteriorating condition, I remained at the hospital," he recalled.
He tested negative five times, but the sixth Covid-19 test confirmed that he was positive, said the accountant, who is still recuperating.
He was put on deep sleep
When he was admitted to NMC Speciality Hospital in Al Nahda, Dubai, on April 28, he was tagged as a "critical patient in the highest risk category".

His Covid-19 symptoms didn't stop at cough, fever and tiredness. On May 9, he had to be put on a ventilator and under a deep sleep. He stayed in the ICU for another two weeks.

Mohanan said he couldn't forget that certain day - while he was heavily sedated - when he suffered a major heart attack.

Nurses and doctors were calling out his name to wake him up. "I wanted to say 'yes I am here'. But I couldn't speak," he said.
Family infected
Soon after Mohanan was admitted, his wife Smitha, a nurse at the same hospital, and their four-year-old daughter tested positive.

It was the toughest time, he thought. Half of him was fighting hard for his life, while the other was deeply worried about his family. Thankfully, his wife and daughter recovered quickly and had to spend only seven days at the hospital.

"Since my wife was also admitted and then quarantined, I was worried about my recovery. But I am extremely grateful to the doctors and nurses at NMC Hospital. I received a very personal care," said a thankful Mohanan.

Recuperating from the virus at his home in Sharjah for a month now, the expat plans to get back to work in a month.

Dr Srinivas Rao, internal medicine specialist at NMC Speciality Hospital, said: "Mohanan's infection was serious, and the monitoring of his vital parameters required a constant watch.

"The interesting part in the case is that there weren't any co-morbid conditions putting him at high risk: No diabetes or hypertension or history of smoking, while the other angle is he remained negative for about 15 days while his symptoms kept mounting all the time. It is generally the other way around."

saman@khaleejtimes.com


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