It's been difficult to start this write-up about my covid experience because, really really, its a lot to talk about and to think that some of my experiences are somewhat hard to describe, because, the part of the world I write from, the funniest of things abound especially when it comes to Health and practising as a medical doctor.
The COVID started in 2019, November, by February it was recorded in Nigeria, but I was just becoming A Certified Doctor just a day after the first case in Nigeria was reported. It was like we were being recruited to tackle the COVID Virus. We headed out with some form of "ginger", enthusiasm to go and save the world, happy and full of stuff to deliver hehe, little did we know that the system we found ourselves in was ill-prepared for this sort of pandemic.
FRESH OUTTA MEDSCHOOL
With all that readiness, the search for a house job {A compulsory one-year internship program} had begun and I had sent out my application to several teaching hospitals, and federal and State Hospitals all over the Country, I was ready to go where ever life sent me really and this didn't deter me, COVID or NO COVID. But to my greatest surprise, after sending my 9th application and waiting for the responses, the announcement of the LOCKDown was made and 'like play' how we say funnily, we had doubted it to be possible.
Nigerians are known to be a very stubborn set of people and difficult to control, especially in Nigeria, they seem to learn when they are out of the country, this may apply to other natives of other countries too, but we found it hard to believe that such a lockdown or sit-at-home would be possible.
The aim of the lockdown was too quiet movement and spread of the virus which was found to be airborne. However, little knowledge made a lot of people err and this went on to spread the virus.
Even Hospitals were locked down and there was no way for even the common community diseases we had before to be treated, every fever suddenly became COVID. Yes, I could even at point voucher that I was infected, not just me, my siblings, but this was never confirmed as we couldn't find an easy way to get tested. At that time, if you made a call to the authority that you had certain symptoms as advertised in the media, we had the idea that they ll first say to isolate in your house and use some home remedies, and then when they come they pick up everyone and send into isolation for another 14 days, while testing would also be done.
My first infection
Here I was playing Heroism as a fresh doctor but I had no form of protection against the terrible Virus. I either attended to a sick person or got too close to one and I got symptoms similar to the virus, I had to apply the necessary remedies I could see, having treated malaria and my symptoms persisted, Lol, I was in between submitting myself to be infected, it looked like a movie to me, but this happened. That was when I knew Doctors in this part of the world were suffering.
I remember enrolling on several COVID Seminars where treatment options were considered and research was also discussed, this broadened my understanding of the virus and I immediately started treating myself and I did get better.
To cut the long story short, I was infected 4 times, once before the house Job, twice during House Job and once after House Job, while working as an MO.
I had also worked at a big hospital probono during the Lockdown 1 phase, rather than sit at home, I figured I could give my little skills in a Hospital not far from my house. This time I had protective gears and I was more conscious
The Surprise I got when I arrived in Ibadan for Housejob was a shocker, I saw that a lot of measures put in place for the lockdown were so lax.
This virus I must say went beyond just the human body, it infected the mind and that probably made its impact more terrible. Many people could not go out to see things for themselves they happened to use social media more frequently and their TVs and radio stations as well got more use.
This gave more room for different false theories to spread concerning the virus which lead to confirmation of what was the truth.
Some said the virus was a plan by the China government to eradicate overpopulation.
Others said it was a plan to kill people who were old.
Most people believed that the virus was bioengineered for some target.
A whole lot of people held on to the fact that some people wanted to show the world some lessons and probably make some money from the scare.
All of this did not help situations at all because with the theories none of which could be proven, many people are still dying and sadly so most of us lost friends and loved ones.
I lost two very close friends they were very good people and did not deserve to die from COVID.
It said that some health workers lost their lives and the families received poor remuneration for the work and service they gave even until their death.
The hazard allowance in Nigeria remained at 5,000 Naira which is less than $10 in the current Nigerian exchange rate which is not enough to run some tests and talk less of treating hazards that may arise and they do arise.
Several of my colleagues were popping in and out of isolation because they kept getting reinfected each time they came back to work. And I must say that this increased the workload for the rest of us who were still active on duty. Reduced workforce, increased patient load, accumulating work, poor remuneration and the cycle goes on.
Did some people benefit from this?
Yes, there are quite a lot of people who could have benefited from this.
Take for instance those who started making liquid soap, liquid hand washes, hand sanitiser, and face masks, what of those who headed into buying and selling the kits for testing, how about those who started making those kits and began to make research and win proposals for possible donations for treatments and vaccine of the money went down into coverage and sadly a lot of life.
We are grateful to God being alive.
Moving on - LIFE GOES ON
Have you moved on from COVID?
HAVE WE ADAPTED?
I learnt the necessary lessons and can we say that we are prepared for any of such again?
I hope we see this, but please let's not stop keeping the COVID precautions.
I think we should keep washing our hands, and covering our nose if we have a cough or a flu.
I think we should also regulate distancing and make new laws governing our society to prevent a spread.
We should not go to sleep lest something worse comes up and gets us unawares again.
SURVIVAL
Currently most doctors have embarked on every means possible to migrate away from Nigeria to countries where their services are better appreciated and understood. Most of the countries equipping their health care system to be able to hold and prepare for the unforeseen, the Nigerian government seems to be satisfied with the current state of things and we see them begging for the doctors to stay without changing to necessary things required for them to work with or claiming to have enough doctors to handle cases like that here in Nigeria which we all know is a lie.
Not sure how other countries are coping in preparing but I know the UK has been adding up more doctors lately due to the work of health care system. How is it in your country?
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