We fought the virus as a united family and came out stronger: Family in Juhu

The Shaikhs at their residence. Pic/Shadab Khan

Last June, 32-year-old Imran Shaikh began experiencing a vague fatigue, accompanied by a runny nose in the afternoon and high fever at night. What he didn't realise then was that this was the beginning of his and his family's fight against COVID-19, one that would bring them closer, but also end in tragedy.

Shaikh, who is an automobile sales executive, thought it was the seasonal flu. The next day (June 20), he visited his doctor, whose medicines treated the fever, but Shaikh realised that he had lost his sense of smell and taste. Suspicious, on June 25, he got himself tested for COVID-19. On June 27, he was told he had tested positive.

"I didn't know what to do and had a million questions racing through my mind. COVID-19 was at its peak and we were only hearing stories of deaths - I felt very confused and numb," he said, speaking to mid-day from his home in Juhu's Janki Kutir society.

After he was taken to a BMC-run quarantine facility at Andheri's Laxmi Industrial Estate, the rest of Shaikh's joint family - 13 members, and the majority over the age of 50 - got themselves tested on June 29.

"To our shock 11 tested positive. Only my wife and cousin tested negative," Shaikh said. His grandmother, 94, and oldest uncle - both tested positive - were shifted to SevenHills Hospital, while the remaining positive members were moved to the quarantine facility at Laxmi Industrial Estate, with him.

"It was a traumatic situation for the entire family. But, we fought it together and came out stronger. We took care of each other throughout, made sure everyone was taking their medicines on time and no one was spiralling into depression," Shaikh said.

After spending nearly a fortnight in quarantine, Shaikh returned home to Janki Kutir. In that week, his other family members returned home. Only his oldest uncle and grandmother continued to be under treatment at SevenHills Hospital. While his uncle tested negative later and was discharged, his grandmother's health showed no signs of improvement.

"She tested positive twice more, and then finally negative. She was in the hospital all of July. When she tested negative, we immediately got her shifted to a private hospital. She started showing signs of improvement…but then tested positive once again. We shifted her to DNA Hospital in Malad. She died on July 31," said Shaikh.

Shaikh's father Abdul Kareem Shaikh, 68, said, "Even today when an ambulance passes by our house, I get goosebumps. We battled together as a family and looked after one another…but ended up losing our Amma. We are still grieving her loss."