This archive report was first published on 9 May 2021.
On March 28, 2021, my mother, Ann Arunga, a 77-year-old retired clinical officer, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) at Kakamega Referral Hospital, struggling to breathe due to low oxygen levels.
As an experienced clinician, she initially suspected dysentery, but after a series of tests, including malaria, typhoid, and brucellosis, all turned negative. It was only when she began experiencing memory loss and severe vomiting that Dr. Steve Ouko, the county's head of Covid-19 response unit, took a coronavirus test and prescribed oral drugs to stop the vomiting.
However, the test results took three days to arrive, and by then, my mother's condition had worsened. She was rushed to a private hospital, where further tests revealed very low oxygen levels and the need for immediate life support. We were fortunate to have a private hospital nearby, but the stigma of being a suspected Covid-19 case was evident even there.
Despite working at the hospital, the staff was uncomfortable handling her, and she was placed in a corner of the casualty department for over three hours before being wheeled into the Covid ICU facility and placed on life support.
Thanks to the dedicated staff, including doctors, nurses, and a nutritionist, my mother received daily injections of Clexane, Vitamin C, Endasetron, Zinc, and Mucosolvan syrup. They also monitored her sugar levels and ensured she took her high blood pressure medicine.
When a new medicine, Remdesivir, was recommended, we visited pharmacies and hospitals in Kakamega and Kisumu, but it was only available in limited pharmacies in Nairobi. We eventually bought it at Sh58,500 and had it transported by courier, which arrived on Good Friday, when all offices were closed.
As soon as the drip was connected, within 24 hours, my mother's severe stomach pains and headaches subsided, and with the last drop of the drip, Covid-19 had been defeated.
