Mom recounts what happened for the whole month of July
With COVID-19 still out there with different and more dangerous variants, and with findings that these latest variants can infect children as well, more and more individuals are coming out to share their personal experiences with the dreaded virus so that others may learn from them.
One such mom is Lyka Mohammad who posted her experience on her Facebook page last August 9 in the evening, "To see 'viral RNA detected' in five test results in within our household and learn that I have contracted my parents with the same virus was nerve-wracking and heart-wrenching, but to experience further effect of COVID-19 in my kids is a totally different feeling I would never wish anyone to experience firsthand."
She tried to recount everything and shared all the details which started on between July 4 to 13. "All of us in the household except my husband experienced at least one of the various symptoms: stomach ache, runny nose, slight cough, diarrhea and/or fever that only lasted for a day or two. Upon consultation, it was just diagnosed as viral flu or stomach flu."
On July 14, 2021, she asked a friend if she should proceed with her second dose of vaccine since they got sick. Her friend asked an Infectious Diseases doctor, advising the postponement of vaccination since their children at home are also considered as COVID-19 suspects.
"Since I really wanted to complete the dose ASAP, I opted to take an antigen test in which I tested negative and pushed through with the vaccination the next day." On July 15 to 16, the couple started to exhibit more COVID-19 symptoms. Her husband Al had postnasal drip and slight cough. As for Lyka, who had her second dose of vaccine, assumed her low-grade fever, body pains, and headaches were vaccine symptoms.
Lyka's parents are both health workers in Bulacan, and both of them started experiencing the same symptoms on July 12, so the older couple decided to take an RT-PCR test which revealed that they were positive for COVID-19. Lyka revealed that they visited her parents July 5, so Lyka and Al also followed suit and had their whole household take the RT-PCR test which also had positive results, except for their kasambahay (household help).
From July 19 to 30, the three children, Miguel, 11, Andie, 5, and Justine, 3, didn't show any symptoms at all. "My husband had body pains. I, on the other hand, experienced ringing of ears and some back pains. We were working from home while completing our quarantine and our kasambahay on semi-isolation."
On the 13th day of their home quarantine, July 31, their youngest daughter Justine woke up in the middle of the night due to dry cough and vomited once. "On August 1, Justine continuously presented dry cough. She became nasal and had runny nose. That’s the time I got in touch with our MD (medical doctor) friends and asked them on how to handle Justine whose oximeter reading was 94 percent oxygen saturation and 135 heart rate (bpm—beats per minute). As her temperature progresses from 36.2 to 38.7 that night, we had a teleconsultation with a pedia pulmonologist through referral. Antibiotics, cough medicine, and inhaler were given, and we were advised to monitor the oxygen level and heart rate. We have family history of asthma and allergic rhinitis but this is the first time Justine was put on inhalers."
Justine’s fever subsided by August 2, 3:00 a.m., but she started having difficulty breathing due to cough. "Upon checking, her oxygen saturation has dropped to 89, her heart rate fluctuated between 140 to 155," says Lyka who also took a video of her and sent it to the pedia pulmonologist for reference. By eight in the morning, they were advised to rush Justine to UST (University of Santo Tomas) Hospital where she had series of laboratory tests. "Initially diagnosed as COVID-moderate patient and admitted at COVID ward isolation room. As the companion, I had to undergo X-Ray test as well. I was advised to delay my RT-PCR re-swab as I will be then exposed to the COVID ward. Justine was on IV and oral antibiotics, inhalers, cough and colds meds, and her heart rate, oxygen level, wheezes and crackles were monitored by the doctors and nurses."
With so much that has happened, any parent wouldn't have been prepared for the next set of data findings that she would hear from their doctors. On August 3, "the pedia and infectious diseases doctor said that she was responding to medicines but they’re suspecting inflammation of heart muscles (myocarditis), a COVID complication; and they were also checking markers for Kawasaki disease of which turned out to be negative."
But this was far from over, "later that day, my second child, Andie, who was left at home started to have the same symptoms and was advised to take medication." This happened simultaneously while Justine started with oxygen support as her heart rate was still elevated. The next day, August 4 at seven in the morning, the couple decided that it was imperative to bring their second child Andie to the emergency room together with their eldest child Miguel who also started having symptoms. "The only difference is that their oxygen saturation were still at normal level (95-99), but their heart rates were also at 135-140. They have undergone several lab tests including ABG, for checking the levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide in the lungs and other blood tests to check for inflammation markers. Both children had inflammations and diagnosed to have mild pneumonia (and tachycardia)."
Thankfully, Andie and Miguel were sent home with their oral medication the next day. "We were advised that heart rates must be monitored, and that Andie must see a cardiologist through a teleconsultation the following day. At the same time, Justine’s oxygen support was removed to check if she can manage to breathe on her own and gladly, she did."
Justine was given the clearance to go home, "with the instructions to still monitor the heart rate and oxygen saturation, do Pro BNP test (B-type natriuretic peptide which monitors the hormone produced by the heart) in two weeks and avoid strenuous activities in the next six weeks."
The number of children getting infected with COVID-19 is getting higher, but the studies that support the research is still low. This means that there is still little knowledge when it comes to children and COVID-19. But despite limited information, she is still grateful for the support that she received all throughout this journey. "Most of all, to our God Almighty for saving our children. This is a lesson hard-learned—with or without the vaccine. Never ever let your guard down, not only for our own good but also for our elders, children, and those who are immunocompromised."