Sonal

Age at interview: 53

Brief Outline:

Gender: Female
Ethnicity: Indian
Background: Sonal is 53 years old and is Indian. She works as an Ayurvedic doctor and lives with her husband, sons and niece. Sonal was infected with Covid after taking care of her niece, who had come down with a fever. She treated herself with Aryuvedic remedies like herbs and steam. Sonal had problems with infection and breaking out into a rash, and she was admitted to the hospital several times.

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Sonal felt very worries when she first heard about the pandemic. She was shocked that the disease was spreading all over the world so quickly When people in her community became infected, she became even more worried. However, Sonal was confident she would not become infected because she believed her immunity was strong from practicing Ayurveda. When the guidelines for lockdown were first introduced, Sonal felt like they were a good way to prevent Covid. She also was happy to spend some more time at home. 
 
One of Sonal’s sons was the first in her family to be infected. A few years before, this son had suffered a lung collapse, which caused her and the family to worry. Sonal made sure that her son stayed in his room to avoid contact with the rest of the family. She left food outside of his door, and treated him with Ayurveda methods including using herbal tea, steam machines, and oils. Sonal’s son’s isolation lasted for nearly six weeks because he kept testing positive for Covid. At that time, nobody else in the family caught Covid.
 
Sonal first noticed that something was wrong when she developed a fever and felt like her head was spinning. A few days earlier, her niece who lives with them, had developed some symptoms. Instead of isolating, she had continued to help Sonal in household tasks, and Sonal thinks this is how she caught it. In the coming days, Sonal’s other son and husband also tested positive.
 
Sonal was very ill with Covid and had to make several trips to hospital due to repeated episodes of serious symptoms. Her experience of Covid was made worse by the fact that she lives with type 2 diabetes, and Covid affected her blood sugar levels. Sonal experienced terrible rashes and extreme headaches that made her family feel very worried for her. She also noticed that her hair was falling out, which was upsetting. Sonal has now mostly recovered from Covid, but still suffers from lingering symptoms including brain fog and fatigue. 

 

When Sonal’s son became ill with Covid he used a different toilet and she left his meals outside his bedroom on a tray.

Yeah, so we kept the table outside his bedroom and I was leaving the food. I was going away and then he used to open the door and take things like food. That’s how we kept the distance and stuff like that. When he leaves the plates or anything, I wasn’t taking it straight away, and leaving it out for long and all that. So, all these things we did and I make sure that I am not gonna get affected. But it was for nearly six weeks because his test kept coming positive.

A practising Ayurvedic doctor, Sonal found it difficult to access herbs since the pandemic, and was suffering from prolonged Covid symptoms.

With some of the herbs, I cannot get it, cannot access. Some of the things I cannot practice the way I want to. So, I feel sometimes, frustrated in all. I, I’m adjusting and I have adjusted like everyone else. But that’s something that I want to do and I could do it. That’s not there. And I get ever so tired with physically and mentally, I get ever so tired by the midday or end, end of the day like five o'clock around that time. I guess I get so tired. And that’s something I am not understanding. All I’m thinking I’m getting old, or is it because of that or because of Covid that happen, I don't know. So, I don't know, something, something is.

Sonal’s husband called 111 because she had pain all over her body and ‘tons of pressure’ in her head.

I couldn't talk. I was coughing continuously, pain in my chest, pain in my stomach, pain in back, back of my shoulder and middle part and everywhere. And I couldn't talk. And like lots of pressure on my head. Tons of pressure on my head. I started putting like a towel around really tight. I used to stay like that all the time, even in hospital. Yeah and then my husband goes, “You got something wrong and I need to call ambulance.”

Sonal’s opinion of vaccines turned ‘upside down’ after she got Covid.

Before Covid I was like my son was asking me whether “mum, if the vaccine comes, would we take it?” and I said, “No, I wouldn't take it.” He goes, “Why? You should take it.” And I said, “No, but, if I’m healthy, why should I take it?” And the whole thing change upside down since I got this type of symptoms from Covid.
 
So, you mean you weren’t sure you were going to take it until you got Covid?
 
I wasn’t going to take it, that I was sure for. I wouldn't have taken if, if I didn't have Covid. I was sure that if I’m okay, why should I take it, at that time? But when I got Covid, I experienced the worst thing. So, I took it.