Road To Recovery: 'We Fought Against COVID-19 As A Family,' Naqvi Sisters Share Isolation Experience

"Family comes first" is a saying that everyone is familiar with. In a scenario where the world is battling with a pandemic, family and friends become our utmost priority, and we look up to them for anything we want. The Naqvi sisters from Gurgaon believe that their family was one of the most important reasons why they recovered from COVID-19 smoothly.

Ayesha Naqvi and Aliza Naqvi come from the city of Gurgaon, and they tested positive for COVID-19 on May 3, 2021. Ayesha is an undergraduate student from Christ (Deemed to be University), Bengaluru and her younger sister Aliza is a student at Delhi Public School (DPS), Gurgaon. Being each other's support system made it easier for the Naqvi sisters to recover from the illness.

"I got my symptoms on May 1, 2021. My sister started showing her symptoms three days before me. We both thought that it was a normal viral fever. Nevertheless, we got ourselves tested and on May 3, we tested positive. We told our parents to start wearing masks inside our home and told them to avoid coming to our room, unless and until it was for medicines," said Ayesha to The Logical Indian.

The sisters started quarantining themselves in their room and used disposable cutlery throughout their isolation. In addition to this, they also had a weakness for about one week. Ayesha also lost her smell and taste which made it difficult to eat food. Insomnia had also become a part and parcel of their lives. Nevertheless, by constantly video calling her parents, Ayesha and Aliza were relieved and better than ever before.

When the sisters tested positive, they were shocked initially. "We never went out and still got it. There was a lot of anxiety in the beginning. My sister was panicky, particularly because I am the younger one and she was worried for me. Our parents were there for this all throughout our journey. They also Facetimed us close to 20 times a day and we were always happy when that happened," said Aliza.

Daily Routine

When asked about their daily routine, they always had coconut water and almonds before their breakfast. In addition to this, their parents made them follow a strict diet. Eggs and vegetables were a constant for breakfast. They also had chicken and meat at least once a day. "We never had a fixed routine. There were days when we slept throughout the day and on other days, we just spoke to each other and binged something on Netflix. It was different each day. However, we always followed a strict schedule for our food and medicines," added Ayesha.

The sisters also made their period of isolation a time to bond with each other. Busy in online classes along with assignments from both school and college, they weren't getting enough time to talk to each other. However, they took it upon them to make time for themselves and for their family. Ayesha and Aliza's parents made a routine that could fit the routine of their kids. They had breakfast at the same time, however, in separate rooms. The sisters also followed a specific cleaning schedule where both cleaned their room every day on a "shift basis".

Vaccine Efficacy

In addition to this, their parents were vaccinated in the month of April. They received the Covishield vaccine and tested negative a day after their children tested positive. "I think it is necessary for everyone to take the vaccine. As you know, India's cases have been going down day-by-day. I believe vaccines have a significant role to play in this. My sister and I will surely get vaccinated once the slots open again," mentioned Ayesha.

To distract themselves, Aliza indulged in the habit of reading books. She re-read the books she had and watched a lot of series. On the other hand, Ayesha did a lot of online courses to pass her time.

Home Remedies- The go-to solution

Ayesha and Aliza's family have been following a lot of home remedies that helped them gain energy and aided them in their road to recovery. Their mother is a believer of home remedies and hence the family follows a lot of such practices. Kaadha, a traditional Indian drink is often consumed by all the family members. An ayurvedic herb called giloy was added to the Kaadha to make it nutritious. Being a bitter drink, a spoon of honey was also added to the Kaadha. Apart from this, they also had turmeric milk that helps prevent inflammation, boosts immunity, and reduces the chance of any other diseases. Chicken soup also helped in soothing their throat and gave them a lot of relief. In addition to these, Zinc and Vitamin C tablets were consumed by everyone in the family since the beginning of the second wave. Every day steam for 20-30 minutes helped them get rid of the cold.

"It is extremely important to keep track of all your medicines and have your vitamins regularly. If you started having vitamins just 10 days before you contract the virus, it wouldn't be helpful. This must be done from day 1 to develop immunity against the virus," said Ayesha.

A rough beginning

The first five days were tough for the sisters. Anxiety was all around them and it was difficult initially. They also had breathing issues in between for which they used a nebulizer every day. Nevertheless, even though her parents were negative, they fought against COVID along with their daughters. Their father also used to stay up on calls with both till 3 a.m. to do breathing exercises. As claimed by the sisters, it would have been difficult for them to do it without their family.

They also disconnected from the internet for quite some time. Ayesha was inactive on her social media handles, and both used to avoid listening to news stories that brought about tension and anxiety. "I personally think it is important to disconnect from social media and give time to your family during this period. We spend majority of our time on social media, and it is going to be there for a long time. However, family time is what we will miss the most in the future. Therefore, we made it a rule that no matter what happens, we will keep video calling our parents to feel better," added the sisters.

Eid was special this year for her family. Instead of going out for a family dinner, they were all at home. The sisters made a to-do-list to organize their daily medicines and what they would do the entire day. They dressed up for Eid and clicked a bunch of pictures in their room.

Recovered, strong and powerful!

"COVID is tough! When you go through a tough time, there are very few people who check up on you. Nevertheless, my parents were there with me 24/7. Nobody can suffer and be with you other than your family. I am also very spiritual, and I thanked the almighty each day for making me better. Health is Wealth and it's extremely important to be safe during this period. I am proud to say that we fought against COVID as a family," said Ayesha.

Also Read: "People Should Remind Themselves That Is Just A Phase": 19-Year-Old COVID Survivor Shares Her Road To Recovery