The young and healthy politician admitted: I did not expect to be so sick

Some people believe that COVID-19 is only dangerous for the elderly or those with chronic illnesses. Hello, people think that they get sick easily, so to entertain themselves they visit stores, do not wear masks, receive guests, etc.

Arūnas Ščerbavičius, a healthy young member of the Municipal Council of Elektrėnai (Union of Peasants and Greens of Lithuania), dispels with his example the myth that the disease is not dangerous for young people: in early December, a man was diagnosed with coronavirus, which caused serious complications. The politician, who returned home from the hospital before Christmas, says that doubts about the presence of the virus have never arisen, but he did not expect to get so sick.

A. Ščerbavičius agreed to share his experience with readers, believing that his experience would encourage people to be more protective of themselves and others.

At the beginning of the disease – temperature

A. Ščerbavičius spent 12 days in the hospital, breathing through an oxygen device and tried to use the bathroom as little as possible, because he simply lacked the strength to go to it. After such a difficult time, the opportunity to dine with the family at Christmas turned into one of the greatest wonders of life.

The first signs of illness were felt by the interlocutor on December 6, when the temperature rose slightly at night. That day he was working in the village, cleaning the pond and thinking it was frozen, but because of all the anger, he signed up for the COVID-19 test. Temperatures were still slightly elevated on Monday and returned to normal on Tuesday.

A. Ščerbavičius was tested for COVID-19 at the operating point in Elektrėnai that day. “I would like to be happy that the COVID-19 point at Elektrėnai works perfectly, the process is convenient, clear, fast and safe,” thanked A. Ščerbavičius.

After the test, the test was sent to the laboratory and the interlocutor with the family had to be isolated at home. On Wednesday, the man’s temperature rose to 38.5 degrees, on Friday it reached 39-40 degrees, and paracetamol did not help reduce the heat. In the afternoon, the interviewee received a positive COVID-19 test. The doctors who provided the consultation warned that it was necessary to go to the hospital if the temperature did not drop.

On Friday night, when the temperature exceeded 39.5 degrees, an ambulance took the man to the COVID-19 Reception Department in Santariškės. A. Ščerbavičius was surprised to see how many infected people are at the reception, he had to wait a long time for blood tests and a photo of his lungs. I had to wait 8 hours for answers. After diagnosing mutual pneumonia, the electrician was transferred to the COVID-19 unit in Antakalnio str.

Worsened

A. Ščerbavičius says that when he saw the doctors armed with protective equipment in the hospital, he was overwhelmed with anxiety, and by observing the patients lying down with oxygen masks, it became increasingly clear how serious the situation is due to the coronavirus. After two days of feeling unwell at first, the electrician also began to have difficulty breathing, necessitating an oxygen mask.

The interlocutor said that the disease was getting more complicated every day: the temperature was kept high for 10 days, no medicine helped to reduce the heat and breathing was facilitated for 8 days. What were the first days in the hospital, we asked the interlocutor.

“You could say that I was unlucky enough to be hospitalized for the weekend. There were very few doctors, mostly served by residents who felt they didn’t know much about how to treat, which was alarming. All patients in the ward were treated in the same way: with antibiotics. They gave me 3 types of antibiotics that did not give the desired results, the blood was liquefied to prevent clots. With each passing day it got worse and worse, my limbs, shoulders, head, my whole body ached, so there was no way to calm down and at least rest a little. After the first three days in the hospital, additional tests were performed, which were 50 times worse than normal, the indicators reminded of an infection in the blood, ”said A. Ščerbavičius.

The politician says that after getting stuck in the bathroom, he tried to suffer as long as possible, because walking required a lot of strength, and when he had a coughing fit, he even had to kneel.

In the hospital, the interlocutor lost 10 kg of weight. “I had no appetite all the time, and after ten days I was very hungry, then I realized that everything would be fine. Dad had added salty drops. They really lifted my spirits. My mother is a doctor, so she recommended taking vitamin C, good bacteria, drink kefir, ”said the electrician about the improvement.

There is a lack of doctors

When asked what the environment is like in hospitals, A. Ščerbavičius said that doctors are heavily burdened due to lack of staff.

“I was not treated by an infectious disease doctor, but by a surgeon who has little to do with the hospital. The nurses were also from the Operations Department. Some of them did not know how to insert the catheters correctly. The nurses worked and studied in the field. Imagine what it means to pierce a vein when you wear protective shields, double gloves. At first, these situations affected me a lot, but I saw that the medical staff were trying and I am very grateful for that, ”said A. Ščerbavičius.

Seeing that the doctors could barely rotate, the patients took care of each other, accompanied the elderly to the bathroom, gave them drinks, reminded them when it was time to take their medication. According to the interviewee, rumors that the virus is dangerous only to the elderly are just a myth, and many young people have been treated in the wards. Together with the interlocutor, another resident of Elektrėnai Municipality was treated, suffering from a milder form of the disease.

In COVID-19 units, the situation worsens every day. When A. Ščerbavičius went to bed in the hospital, there was only one 30-bed ward, and when he was discharged from the hospital, all the wards (340 beds) were assigned to coronavirus patients. As soon as the patient is discharged, in a few hours his place is replaced by another.

Information overload

A. Ščerbavičius says that those who think they will get along easily are wrong. He himself did not expect to find himself in such a severe form. There was also concern for family members who also fell ill, but fortunately the signs of illness were not significant.

Elektrėniškis believes that people get a lot of redundant information about the coronavirus, making it difficult to choose and draw the correct conclusions. “The media write about the coronavirus on a daily basis, but nobody knows what the real situation is. Some people who are tired of information lose their vigilance and may be less secure. You need to see and write what is happening in hospitals, then people would be more aware, there would be no desire to criticize doctors. While they were in the hospital, it seemed that the nurses needed at least two more hands, ”Elektrėniškis said.

A. Ščerbavičius returned home on December 22, but he still doesn’t feel healthy, his lungs are still weak, and he can’t breathe much air. Doctors say it will take at least 8 months for the lungs to recover.

A. Ščerbavičius, who has contracted a severe form of the COVID-19 disease, advises not to delay the rise in temperature, to register for a coronavirus test as soon as possible.

“The doctor told me that I should be glad I applied on time. Each day of delay prolongs the treatment time and can end sadly. When the temperature rises, register for the test as soon as possible, because only after receiving the results will you have access to the hospital. Protect yourself, protect your loved ones and stay healthy ”, wishes A. Ščerbavičius, member of the municipal council.

Not everything is bad

Agota, who lives in the Vievis nursing home, said she wanted to tell people that the medical system is not as bad as various media outlets often advertise. He had to experience this on New Year’s Eve with a heart attack. Agota told the editorial staff:

“January 1 She had to seek emergency medical attention due to a heart rhythm disturbance. Elektrėnai’s ambulance arrived urgently and took her to the reception department of Elektrėnai hospital, where assistance was promptly started. However, the medication was not It restored my heart rate and the Resuscitation Unit was not working, so I was taken by ambulance to the emergency department at Hospital Santara.

I was very lucky. They quickly checked my oxygen, measured my temperature, checked my lungs and after about 15 minutes. They took me to the Monitoring Department. Many beds, not always available. They interviewed me quickly, informed me about the treatment. They warned me to wait. While waiting, I watched as all the doctors patiently attended to the patients, helping them use the bathroom. Doctors spoke all three languages ​​with different patients: Lithuanian, Polish, Russian.

When help is needed, patients raise their hands and service volunteers are quickly spotted. When it was my turn, they took me to resuscitation for an electric shock, the doctor jokingly took me, lifting my mood. It quickly made my heart beat normally.

I want to thank all the doctors who are so patient and professional in their work. I would also like to thank the Elektrėnai ambulance nurse, I did not ask about the last name that worked that day, even though I had a day off, and I want to tell people: do not be afraid to see a doctor not only for COVID -19, but also from other diseases. Doctors are doing everything they can to live. “