Indian-origin COVID-19 survivor in UK says lucky to be alive

"I almost died," recalls Indian-origin Ria Lakhani, still struggling to breath normally, days after surviving a severe case of coronavirus that has killed over 6,000 people in the UK.

"It (breathing) used to be such a natural action but now I have to remember how to inhale and exhale," the BBC quoted her as saying from her home in north-west London.

In self-isolation, she still cannot hug her husband, or see her parents and siblings. She still wakes up at night struggling to breathe.

Lakhani, a sales executive, started to show symptoms of Covid-19 while in hospital, where she was admitted for an operation.

Seven years ago, she was diagnosed with a rare condition which makes swallowing difficult. The surgery was designed to help her manage this oesophageal disease, called achalasia, the report said.

Though her admission to hospital was supposed to be a routine one, the situation became serious very soon. She began to struggle with her breathing and then developed a temperature.

While everyone hoped it was just a side-effect of her surgery, a Covid swab test was taken as a precaution. But to the surprise of all, it turned positive for coronavirus.

Soon her room was cordoned off and the rest of the ward evacuated.

As her condition deteriorated, she required more oxygen. She was then shifted to one of London's major Covid-19 treatment centres.

"Things went from bad to worse - taking a breath became as hard as climbing a mountain," she wrote on Facebook.

"I almost died," she says, speaking from home to the BBC.

"I almost didn't come out of there. There was a point when I actually started to write difficult messages to my family. I almost died now I'm alive. How can life go back to normal after that?"
"It was the small wins and things like the nurses making sure Iris had a constant supply of hot tea and a sneaky extra slice of cake that made me smile."