Published on April 20, 2020
AHMEDABAD: Aniket Sheth, a city-based businessman, who tested positive for Covid-19 on March 29, defies all symptoms of Covid-19. In fact, through the 22 days of hospitalization, he has not had common or rare symptoms of Covid including cough, fever, fatigue, breathlessness or even diarrhoea. He says he is asymptomatic and the only medicine he pops at SVP Hospital is a vitamin C chewable!
The reason Sheth is still admitted in the Covid-19 ward are his wildly fluctuating test results. Of six tests conducted so far, the results were negative, positive, indeterminate, indeterminate, negative and positive. A repeat test was again conducted on April 19, the result of which is awaited. “I went to Dubai on March 14 and returned on March 17. I got home quarantined on March 21. I had no symptoms but when I got news that a private laboratory is offering the tests, as a responsible citizen, I decided to take the test on March 25. The result arrived four days later which was positive,” he says.
Soon after, AMC officials approached him and admitted him to SVP Hospital. “It’s a fourday cycle for tests. The first negative result gave me hope but the second test, conducted within 24 hours, was positive. The cycle again got repeated as we requested the doctors to be sure. I was told that mine is one among the three cases at the hospital that have shown such fluctuating result patterns,” said Sheth. “About 85% of patients, who were admitted with or after me have been discharged.”
‘My only medication is vitamin C’
Aniket Sheth had taken to the social media to appeal to the AMC and state health department officials to find what was exactly happening with him. “The hospital is taking great care of me but I humbly request authorities to ascertain what is happening with me. I am not on any medication at the moment else than vitamin C tablets. I can be home quarantined too. I am scared of catching any new infection from here,’ mentioned his post.
“I am all praises for the administration and the doctors who are frontline warriors in fight against Covid-19. They are doing all in their powers for so many people in the city,” said Sheth. “But my only concern is, what if I now develop symptoms? I am in the ward with the Covid-19 patients. I had my bariatric surgery in November and my immunity is low. I have also offered to pay if my samples are tested at NIV, Pune for authentication. I have my fingers crossed for two negative tests.”
While ST Malhan, superintendent of SVP Hospital, could not be contacted, senior health department officials said that the guidelines by Indian Council of Medical Research (ICMR) need to be followed for discharge. “The tests are conducted two times within 24 hours. If both the results are negative, only then the patient is discharged. In this case, such results might not have been obtained due to unknown reasons. But it does not put the methodology under question,” said a health department official.
Jayanti Ravi, principal secretary (health & family welfare), on Sunday morning had mentioned that out of 140 positive cases, only 15 had apparent symptoms of Covid-19. All other cases had no symptoms, a trend which is seen in 80% of the cases. Thus, asymptomatic cases are not rare and need more caution, said experts.
Parth Shastri Archive 