Jab gave my wife and I fighting chance, says Covid-19 survivor

On July 18, Douglas Mbuvi Kithyaka (46), his wife Susan Muthoni (41) and their two children aged 17 and nine woke up as usual.

Since it was Sunday, the family prepared, then set off for church. The government had then lifted the ban on congregational worship, allowing church services across the country, albeit strictly under Covid-19 protocols. 

The family then proceeded to lunch at a restaurant, but upon returning home that evening, something strange happened.

Delta variant

Douglas speaks to the Nation about surviving the Delta variant of Covid-19.

“That evening my wife complained of a mild fever and sore throat. I told her to take some ginger, lemon and honey.

When the Ministry of Health (MoH) announced the first Covid-19 case in the country in March 2020, I panicked, and so did my family.

We have strictly adhered to the containment measures and protocols laid down by the Health ministry and because of that, it never crossed my mind that the monster we all dreaded would come knocking on our door.

For more than a year, we had avoided public gatherings, wore our masks at all times, washed our hands with soap and water, and even in the house, we tried out best to keep a good distance among ourselves.

At 9pm, my wife's fever worsened, she was having a terrible headache.

We left the house for Lang’ata Hospital. The doctors conducted a blood test and gave her some medication. We were then advised to take a Covid-19 test.

We went back home the same night and after discussions we agreed to take the test the following day.

On July 19, we went to Meridian Hospital in Nairobi West.

Positive

The tests confirmed that we both had Covid-19.

We had both received our first dose of the AstraZeneca vaccine and we were waiting for our second.

The shock hits you different and get it from me, the Delta variant is no joke.

It pained more to see the fear and shock in my lovely wife’s eyes.

Little did we know of the burden of medical bills that awaited us. The bill would accumulate to Sh2.5 million and continue to rise as we fought to stay alive. 

On July 21, Susan’s condition worsened to a point where she had to be admitted to Meridian Hospital. Her oxygen level was at 85, while mine was 93.

The next day when I went to see her, my oxygen level was down to 90, after which it dropped to 84 the next day.

The doctors declared that they would only allow me outside that hospital if I was going to check myself into another hospital, but to be honest, I was not worried since I knew had been inoculated with the first jab.

My wife was discharged on July 24 after fully recovering and her bill was Sh475,000 for the five days she was in hospital. 

I was still in hospital under medication and monitoring. The doctors treated me using remdesivir, Clexane, dexamethasone, Vitamin C and zinc.

I got better, but then tests revealed 65 per cent of my lungs were damaged. Doctors recommended I be transferred to another hospital with an ICU or HDU. Nairobi West Hospital had one ICU/HDU bed available, and I was immediately put in an ambulance and taken there.

I had a series of mixed emotions but tried to convince myself I was going to be okay.

Mental torture 

It is painful at the HDU. I remember conversing with fellow patients in there and in two to three hours I would hear they had succumbed to the virus.

The mental torture is nothing one would wish on their worst enemy. It comes with hallucinations and nightmares.

I knew I was next, and was so keen on my breathing patterns to a point that I would be so scared that I was dying any time I felt a change.

This went on for some time but listening to music helped as it was some sort of therapy for me. I would pray then wander away, lost in my favourite tunes by Jonathan Nelson, such as “I Believe”.

On August 1, I was so relieved when my results came back negative, which meant that I was being transferred to the Covid-19 ward, but there was one major problem -- the hospital management told me that my medical insurance would not cover my hospital bill, which had accumulated to Sh1.4 million.  

For medical oxygen, I was charged Sh350 per hour and a patient is barred from taking off the mask, even if they feel good enough to breathe on their own, which means they will continue charging you for it.

I was highly per dose of the medication. One was up to Sh116,000 per dose.

As a result, my blood pressure went up due to stress.

It was more devastating that the hospital did not accept title deeds or car logbooks as security.

By the time I was being discharged, the bill had shot to Sh2.2 million, but with the help of family and friends, I was able to raise 1.7 million then get a loan of 500,000 to offset the bill and finally, I was allowed to go home.

I am so thankful to everyone who came through for me.

I still hallucinate and see strange things, shiver and tremble.

After being discharged, there is a Covid-19 clinic, where the doctors follow up and monitor our healing, as well as how our lungs respond.

The clinic also uses CT scans to monitor my lungs and see how the damage has been repaired.

Two months down the line, my lungs are at 50 per cent as per the results of the latest scan and the drugs I am using for this treatment cost Sh34,000 a month.

I was told by the doctors that the lungs will take between six months to one year to get to 80 per cent.

Our experience has made me embark on educating and creating more awareness in health matters.

This is the best way I can serve humanity to realise that Covid-19 is real and vaccines do save lives. My wife and I would not be alive today were it not for the first jab we received. That vaccine really gave us a fighting chance.