in-cyprus 1 April 2020 - Bouli Hadjioannou
A Paphos doctor discharged from hospital where he was treated for Covid-19 has recounted his ordeal to Phileleftheros.
With his harrowing testimony came an appeal to the public to comply with stay at home decrees.
Adonis Eleftheriou, head of the pulmonology clinic at Paphos General Hospital does not belong to the high risk group. He has no underlying medical conditions, keeps fit and is not elderly.
Yet as he told the paper, he had to be admitted into the ICU after developing problems with his breathing.
“This virus is very devious. I went through some very difficult days. The symptoms were quite heavy with fever of 39-40 C, aches to the point that my whole body hurt and I couldn’t move, exhaustion, loss of appetite,” he said.
Around the fourth day, he got a dry cough and on the fifth started having difficulty breathing and had to be taken to the ICU of Limassol General Hospital and then to Famagusta General Hospital.
“The symptoms are painful. I particularly suffered from high fever and the aches. My fever stopped around the eight or ninth day. And other than the physical side, there was a lot of psychological stress for myself and my family,” he said.
This virus can take a turn to the worse very quickly. “Your condition may be steady and then suddenly it deteriorates. It is very important to be under constant medical supervision. At the hospital they give some medication which boosts the system but the basic thing is that you are somewhere where they can give you the help you may need.”
He does not hesitate to acknowledge that there were times he feared for the worst.
“I am a doctor and pulmonoligst and I am aware of the issue. When I started having great difficulty breathing, yes I became concerned I may not make it,” he said
He thanked the doctors and nurses who had cared for him in both hospitals. “Many of them have not gone home for days. They are working nonstop. They are staying at hotels. They are heroes and they deserve the best,” he said.
And he added: “This virus is very devious. It does not hold that it only seriously affects the elderly and vulnerable. I am a typical example. It can infect anyone. I have no health issues, I keep fit, I eat healthy. This virus does not discriminate. For God’s sake, stay home and we will get through it.”
