Testimony: COVID-19 and My Family | Roy E. Joy

The devastating second wave of covid-19 in our country has been affecting people with more lethal power and fatalities than the first wave. So we were wary of the virus and tried our level best to keep away from it by keeping social distance, using sanitizers, mask, etc. But what happened? Our calculations went wrong. Unavoidable errands had to be made. And covid-19 surreptitiously entered our household, caught all of us and sent us immediately into isolation or quarantine within the walls of our own house, for two weeks.

It started with a normal cold like symptom, very harmless. But one by one it affected everybody in the house.

On April 14th evening symptoms for one person appears, and on 15th he took a paracetamol and rested for the whole day. April 16th evening everyone has symptoms of fever with body pain. So we decide for Covid-19 test next day. But by 17th morning I almost collapsed due to high temperature, dehydration and low BP. (Nobody else had this condition.) I was unable to stand on my feet (I already had weak knees). My sons rushed to help me from falling. SOS was sent. Dr. Beryl gave particular attention, arranged a bed for me at Good Shepherd Clinic, soon I was on a saline drip. Meanwhile antigen tests were done for everyone in the family and the result came: all covid-19 positive. When I regained consciousness and a little strength to stand we were sent home with medicines, advice to drink 3 litres of water every day, rest and good food and a strict warning for isolation for two weeks, until we get covid negative result.

17th, 18th and 19th were extremely tiresome days with body pain and heavy head. No strength to do anything but somehow we managed. It affects different people differently, I think. 20th onwards we slowly regained strength but still tired and also cough started. Cough and tiredness continued for the rest of the days. It looked like our energy was zapped just like that! With tyres deflated you can’t drive forward, but we slowly moved about inside the house. Is this virus a new variant? I don’t know. But something or somebody like Goliath hit us hard!! We felt so. However, the hand of God with us was greater than any Goliath or pandemic.

Taste was affected and olfactory senses too. We have my 81 yrs old father with us. His oxygen level was consistently low which gave us some moments of concern but he is ok now. We’ve been spared from sorrow. However, he is very weak among all of us, please do pray for him.

Realization and reflection
Covid is a devastating disease. One way to overcome the sickness is to be courageous. After giving us medicines that’s what exactly our doctor told us. Several friends too advised us to be courageous. You maybe covid positive but to have a positive attitude to face the disease is very important.

“…the one you love is sick” (John 11:3).
When the word was sent to Jesus that Lazarus was very sick, he stayed two more days where he was, for he knew what he was going to do after two days. But my friends and colleagues did not stay like that, they swung into action, for they knew that they cannot play Jesus!
As our news about covid went out we were floored by the fact that more friends and dear ones cared for us and prayed for us than we have ever done for anybody.

One brother bought a new oximeter to replace a faulty one to help us monitor our oxygen level, which was very vital. Oximeter looks small but costly. When we feebly asked him, why did you do this? He just said, life is costlier than the machine.
Then in the next days, person one brought us dinner, person two brought lunch, person three dinner, person four lunch, person five curries for dinner, another drops fruits at door and rings the calling bell, yet another one rings the bell and we find eatables! And whatever we asked them to buy or get for us, they brought it to us at the earliest. Everyone in the apartment where we reside now has been very helpful. I didn’t name anybody here, for they may not like it because they didn’t do it for appreciation but out of Christian love. Yet others who were not in a position to physically reach us made regular enquiries about our health and ensured us that they were for us and prayed for us. Let me tell you that none of these dear ones ISOLATED us in word and deed. If it was not for them we would not have made it. They were like salt for us in a literally tasteless situation.

What shall I do to them in return, simply will send a ‘BIG THANK YOU’ and wash my hands with sanitizer and keep maximum social distance, for that’s a standard covid protocol, isn’t it? …ha! I thank God for them. I won’t be able to repay them easily.

Negative
We have been tested negative for Covid-19 on 28th April but our bodies have not yet recovered fully. Even as I type this letter, I feel tired. Younger members of the family are ok, but the older members may take weeks to regain the lost strength, I think. People who had covid-19 testify so. I have resumed my ministry slowly.

 Dear and esteemed friend, thanks very much for your prayers, enquiries and love for us. Many did not make it and we were not any better than them but we made it because God was so gracious to us and spared us and you cared to pray for us. God bless you abundantly.

Take care. Stay safe. God is with us. Hallelujah!

Yours because of John 3:16
Roy E. Joy

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