There are many stories of bravery that have not made headlines. MUSBA HASHMI chats up a 35-year-old, who was the first person to collect the sample of a Corona patient in Delhi-NCR and a Kolkata-based phlebotomist who is working long hours to eke a living, to name a few. A report
Leading from the forefront
If one were to talk about warriors and superheroes, the first thing that will strike your mind is fancy costumes, swords, shields and some magic powers. But what if we tell you that the COVID-19 has changed the scenario by and large and that the modern day warriors no longer wear all that fancy stuff. Yes, you read that right. Hence, if you spot a person covered in a PPE kit, don’t hesitate in offering them a heartfelt thank you.
Meet Masoom Reza, a COVID-19 warrior and a phlebotomist by profession, who works with SRL Diagnostics. Reza was the first person in Delhi-NCR to collect a sample of a suspected corona patient back in March.
“I have been into this profession since 2008 and joined SRL Diagnostics in 2012. I was the first person to collect a sample from a suspected Corona patient in Delhi and he turned out to be positive. It was definitely a bold decision. I said yes to the work when most of the people turned down the task out of fear because I thought if I am getting a chance to work and do my bit in the time of crisis, it is a matter of pride for me and my family,” the 35-year-old tells you.
Not that it was easy for Reza to conduct the first test, it took him a lot of courage and cost him a sleepless night. “The night before the sample was to be collected, I couldn’t sleep at all. I was up thinking of all the possibilities, planning on how to take the best of precautions and fighting a lot of fears in mind. My worries grew when the patient tested positive. I didn’t tell my wife that I have collected a sample of a Corona positive patient. I was afraid. It took me a few days to get back to normal and break the news to my wife,” Reza, who is a father of two boys — an eight-month old and a five-year-old, tells you.
Just like any of us, Reza too started counting days and kept a close watch on his body to check for any symptoms. “Initially, the fear level was very high. Sometimes I felt that I was having a sore throat, which was probably out of continuous thinking and fear. But fortunately, nothing happened and I am perfectly fine. Now it has been around five months since I am collecting samples and the fear of catching infection has dropped manifold,” he asserts.
COVID-19, he says, has disrupted the whole process of sample collecting. “Earlier we had to just visit the patient and collect a sample, but now there is an added pressure of wearing the PPE kit first. It takes time. Sometimes we get late because of this, but patients nowadays are very understanding. We call them up and inform them about the delay and they understand our situation. We have to be very cautious when we are with the patient,” Reza, who works from 9 to 6, tells you.
In his 12 years of career, Reza has collected so many samples that he doesn’t even remember the numbers now. “I have been collecting samples for years but I have never seen such fear in people as it is in patients who get tested for Corona. I had collected samples from HIV patients too, but they too were not that afraid. People fear even the word Corona, hence when we go for collecting samples we make sure to comfort the patient first. I explain to them that there is nothing to panic. If they test positive, they have to isolate themselves for 21 days and follow the steps that the doctor advises. This helps the patients to a great extent,” he tells you. It takes about five minutes to collect a nasal and throat swab sample.
But not all is smooth in his life. In the 5-month long fight against Corona, despite being on the forefront, Reza has come across people who didn’t shy away from discriminating against him, because he wore a PPE kit.
“There have been many instances where I faced discrimination. Take for example when I went to take a sample of a patient, the guard of the society gave me weird stares seeing me covered in PPE kit. Maintaining six-feet distance is one thing, but doing that in a humiliating way feels bad. Even if I went to collect a normal blood sample, people stared at me. Sometimes, I even stopped by to tell people that this PPE kit is for everybody’s protection. It is not as if someone is wearing it then he is spreading infections. Corona can happen to anyone and everyone, discriminating and taking Corona as an excuse is not acceptable. Some were kind enough to understand my point, while others just laughed it off,” Reza, who collects around 12 samples every day, recalls.
However, the mentality is now changing and people have learnt to accept the fact that Corona can happen to anyone. “People are becoming more aware of the situation. They have learnt to handle the situation with patience and caution,” he tells you.
He tells you that there is no need to panic. One just has to follow the precautions and guidelines laid down by the Government and he can reduce the risk of catching the infection. “The basic step is to avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth. Even if your hands are clean, avoid touching your face. This reduces the risk of catching infection. All the doctors, nurses and the hospital staff are working long hours to ensure public safety, therefore as a responsible citizen it is everyone’s duty to take care of themselves so that we are able to reduce the pressure on the healthcare workers,” he says.
‘I am proud of my work’
Reza is not an exception. There are many people who are working just as hard as him, if not more. Meet Subhendu Roy, a Kolkata-based phlebotomist who has been into this profession for 17 years with SRL Diagnostics.
Roy, whose original working shifts were of eight and a half hours, tells you that during Corona it has been increased to up to ten hours a day, depending upon the patients that they are getting.
“The more we will work, the more the patients will be benefited. This is why I don’t mind working long hours as long as I am able to do something for my patients,” he says.
He agrees with Reza and tells you that the pandemic has changed the working of the industry. “Before visiting a patient for sample collection, I call them up and tell them that I am on my way. Once I reach the patient’s house, my focus is only on to reducing the contact with the patient as much as possible while collecting the sample. This is because my job demands me to consider every patient as Corona positive. Hence, I stay extra careful with everyone. I then put the sample in a frozen box to avoid contamination. Before stepping out of the house, I take off the PPE kit and return it to the lab. And until I reach home, I avoid touching any surfaces,” Roy, who collects about 20 samples a day, explains.
There are patients who tend to hold his hands out of fear, in such a case, PPE kit comes to their protection. “There are certain patients, especially kids who suddenly hold our hands out of fear and anxiety. I don’t want to ask them not to, so I keep quiet because I am safe in that PPE kit. Just to ensure more safety, I sanitise the area which the patient has touched before taking off the kit and sending it to the lab,” he tells you.
The most common question that every patient asks him is ‘zyada dard to nahin hoga’? “Both nasal and throat samples are painless. I tell patients that they might feel a little itching in their nose and throat and nothing else,” he says and tells you that the sample collection process takes about four minutes.
However there is a trick. The more you lose your body, the more painless the process will be. “Some patients keep their body very stiff during the collection. This may result in pain. Hence, I ask patients to let their body lose and relax and it will be done in a few minutes,” he tells you.
But not all sample collection processes went smooth for Roy. “Once, while I was collecting a sample of a man, the nasal swab went well. But when I was collecting his throat swab sample, he went to the washroom and puked blood immediately after the collection. That was one of a case and is extremely rare,” he recalls.
Leading the Corona battle from the forefront, is not as easy for Roy as it seems. “It’s been five months since I am living in a separate room. I have my wife, a five-year old boy and my mother at home. I want to keep them safe, hence I have isloated myself. We don’t eat from the same plate. Now even my five-year-old understands that it is important to take precautions but sometimes when I return home from work and he rushes towards me to play with him. When I refuse, he asks me ‘aap to PPE kit pehentey hain phir mere sath kyun nahin khelte?’ I tell him that safety shouldn’t be compromised at any cost,” Roy, who lost his father during the lockdown, tells you.
He says that it definitely feels bad to not be able to spend time with his family, par kuch paane ke liye kuch khona padta hai. “It feels bad, but my family knows that this is my job and we have to accept it. Moreover, technology is here to solve most of our woes. When I miss them a lot, I video call them. If we will not take precautions now then we might have to regret later. Therefore, it is better to take all the necessary precautions. I work to earn a living for my family and keep them happy and if I am getting to contribute my bit towards the society, I will never say no to it. I am proud of my work,” he says.
Unlike Reza, Roy fortunately never fell a victim to discrimination because of his job. “My neighbours don’t know what exactly my job is, so fortunately I have never experienced any indifferent behaviour from any one. My patients have all been supportive and so is my family. However, I make sure that I am taking all the precautions when at home or outside for work to keep myself and others safe,” he tells you.
When asked whether or not he feared going out for sample collection, he says, initially there was a little fear, but now there is none. “When I started the work five months ago, I was afraid to go and visit the patients. But then, I value my job a lot and know that I have to do my best. Not that I have any other option, but to work. This gave me courage and motivation. After that I have never suffered a setback. It’s been five months, and with God’s grace I am perfectly healthy and fine,” he says.
Roy, who has absolutely no complaints and is all praise for work, says that the only challenge that he had to face was to wear PPE kit for long hours. “Initially, it was hard to adapt to wearing the PPE kit. It feels very hot in the kit, but now that the monsoon has come that problem has been solved. Sometimes, I feel suffocated but now that it is for our safety, I am getting used to wearing it,” Roy tells you.
