Think Positive, Test Negative: Surviving Covid Infection

Personally, Covid 19 has been mere a matter of news to my ear and eyes, be it in the Brisbane city of Australia where I reside or the Delhi city of India, where I was stuck. I never expected it would one day become a matter of my nose and throat. 

Infecting Covid 19: 

 

It is hard to exact how and when I caught Covid-19 in India. Two days prior to my departure on one fine Sunday, I had had RTPCR test conducted at Delek Hospital on the Friday morning though I didn’t wait for result as a test to be conducted at ITC hotel in Delhi would be the primary consideration for my flight to Australia on Qantas airline. However, when I was tested positive in Delhi two days later, I sought the result of the RTPCR tested on Friday at Delek Hospital, which returned as negative. I was certain that I wasn’t infected till 15th October.  

On the 17th of October, I boarded a bus against my own premonition to Delhi. Dharamsala doesn’t then appear to be living in Covid-19 environment except for the ubiquitously masked locals and tourists crowding around. They were in abundance and the buses plying between Delhi and Dharamsala were in full occupancy with no vacancy in place for Covid safety measures except for the only cinema theatre perched near a petrol pump. The high rate of vaccination has injected enough confidence in the passage of interstate tourist that propelled frequent and full occupancy in buses. I later deeply regretted taking bus to Delhi. I must admit that I have had very few coughs in the night-long bus travel, but neither myself nor my mate occupying the seat next suspected.  

The next day on 18th of October, I arrived at ITC hotel where I was quarantined for three days. RAT test was being conducted upon arrival, which happened to be negative evidently from the room allocation that followed. Those testing positive from RAT test wouldn't be allowed to check-in the hotel. The next day RTPCR was conducted, and the result arrived positive on 20th of October, a day ahead of proposed flight to Australia. My dream of flying home early was shattered, and before I could cease to be shocked by the unexpected and worrisome tidings, a call was received immediately from Australian government' (DFAT) categorically ruling out the feasibility of me boarding the 21st of October flight from Delhi-Darwin and while directing me to the adhere to the local government's guidelines on isolation requirement. 

Though it is known that I won’t be making for the flight, the circumstance I was under drove me near to depression. ITC Hotel informed me I would have to leave the hotel immediately, but to where certainly wasn’t their business. After hectic calls to different Tibetan officials in and around Delhi and Dharamsala, I decided to head straight off to Dharamsala, where the best abode to isolation lies. 

Post-Covid Infection and Medication: 

The initial three days of the 14 days long isolation at the Tibetan Reception Centre were hard to pass by. I hadn’t yet escaped from the shock of falling victim to this Wuhan product, nor I was able to be oblivious to the anxiety of my family. Sporadic coughs and breathing issues also surfaced during the initial two days of night-time. However, the daily visits by nurses undertaking medical monitoring had emotionally and mentally healed me. They said my temperatures and blood pressures were normal as any healthy person, and I don’t appear to be defeated by Covid-19 virus though infected by it. The occasional visit of twin doctors of traditional and modern western also corroborated nurses' statement. Since there isn’t western medication to cure virus, Tibetan traditional doctors as per Men-Tsee-Khang direction provided me with herbal medication intake for two weeks. The first week was to challenge and eliminate the virus, the second week to boost the immune system.  

Unfortunately, there isn’t a way to know I was negative until proven with RTPCR which is a technical-clinical matter. However, an intermittent examination a week later by a traditional Tibetan doctor could suggest that the Wuhan virus has been dealt with justice and sent to heavenly abode for a sinful meet with Yamantaka, while also stating that temperature is getting much normal by examining the urine colour. The visit by concerned Tibetan health officials and help from others deeply assisted in mental stability and serenity, not to mention the location of the centre that provides open view to Himalaya mountains which made me emotionally remember my mother behind the mountain. Even it snowed a bit on the tip of the mountains on one overcasting and stormy day, compensating my remote occasion for snow in Brisbane.

As days passed, I began to recall my discovery of a line in ChoJuk (Shantideva's Engaging in Bodhisattva Conduct) “If something can be heed to, no need to worry, if something can’t be heed to, its futile to worry”. Two weeks passed mostly in positive thinking and praying for those infected to soon be healed and those free from infection to be prevented from, in addition to accumulating Tara mantra which I have been a firm believer in. In between reading the book ‘Healthy Body and Mind, provided immense relieve to the deeply stressing mind.  

The clinical infection has been dealt with herbal medicine while mental trauma has been dealt with prayers, positive thought and vibe. It is said that virus gets more active if your immune system is impotent. Prayers and positive thinking do have bearing on the immune system. It is also lightly said ‘Think positive, and test negative’ at this stage. I must also categorically mention in view of the anti-vaccination atmosphere and protest in Australia and elsewhere that had I not been vaccinated; the virus would have got better of me and dealt blow to my life. To All and sundry including doctors and nurses are unanimous in their admission that I wasn’t in danger despite infection chiefly on account of the double dose vaccination administered. 

On day 14 of quarantine, the 2nd November, RTPCR tested was conducted by Delek Hospital in association with TANDA hospital and it surprisingly returned negative. Because I was tested positive prior to isolation, I had to fill a medical clearance form with my new test result development to the Qantas which was duly accepted. Fortunately, my wife had booked a DFAT flight for 9th November without considering the wait for test result. 

We must leave isolation centre after proving negative, but I sought 4 days of of extension to my stay for isolation until 6th November to catch flight from Dharamsala-Delhi from where I would be flying Delhi-Darwin. The request was accepted given my situation and the condition imposed upon me from Qantas and Australian government in remaining isolation ahead of the international flight. After arriving in Darwin on 10th of November, another 14 days quarantine followed for all international arrivals, where 3 RTPCR test were conducted as per health direction which all returned negative and finally left for Brisbane on 24th November with new certificate on my personal history as “Quarantine Completion Certificate”. In total, I had undertaken 28 days of quarantine but all for my and our safety and the safety of all of us.  

In a nutshell, a belief in science and tradition of treatment, positive thinking and compassionate thought of prayer for others suffering more than self are best way to get out of the Covid infection while not denying the adoption of precautionary measures as necessity in avoiding infection. 

A file photo of staff in the backdrop of mandatory hotel quarantine centre where Tenzin spent 14 days at room C3 3A, Howard Spring Facility, Darwin

By: 

Tenzin Doring alias TPD

Brisbane, Australia