H1N1 quarantine

A few days ago, EW sent me a concoction for preventing H1N1 flu. I was just back from a 4-day trip to Malaysia, was dog-tired and didn't get to try it out. I don't know whether it would have worked, as a couple of days later, my husband caught the flu.

Thursday, 25 June, 50 of my husband's colleagues were sent home for quarantine after one of the colleagues was confirmed a H1N1 case.

My husband was fine when he left for work in the morning, but towards the end of the day, he became unwell. After work, he went to our family doctor, who advised him to go home and call 993 for an ambulance. I was at a function and couldn't understand why he wasn't sent from the clinic as my 2 younger kids were home. I reached home about an hour after my husband and was surprised to find him still at home. I found out later that, as there were so many cases now, the wait for the ambulance would be long, that's why the clinic advised him to call and wait at home.

My husband was told the wait would be 45 mins. I called 993 when the ambulance did not turn up. In answer to my queries, they confirmed that my husband's call was logged, that the wait would be more than 2 hours and not 45 mins, that the one who said 45 mins was a new staff (probably temporary), that it would take 6 hours for test results to be out, and that preferably my husband should go alone.

The ambulance finally came after more than 2 hours. The attendants called for my husband to go down. My son accompanied him down and told me that my husband boarded the ambulance by himself. He was walking-fit and the virus is highly contagious, so the less contact the better.

My husband was initially told that he would be sent to CGH but later they called again and confirmed that he would be going to TTSH instead.

As he went in late at night, his blood samples were only taken at about 2 - 3 in the morning. Friday morning, my husband was told that the results would only be out at the end of the day. In the meantime, he would be sent home by ambulance to wait for the results. If it is positive, then they would send another ambulance to fetch him back to the hospital. In fact, he was sent back by a taxi specially arranged by the hospital.

Before he reached home, the hospital called looking for him. I gave them his mobile number. They called and the taxi sent him back to hospital because his results were positive.

His case was classified as mild, and they had initially wanted him to be quarantined at home, but he declined as the kids were home. They wanted to discharge him on Saturday, but he asked to stay until Sunday instead.

My son, who is working temporarily in a bank, was told by his company to stay home. No directives were given to us, so I called the hotline and was advised to preferably stay indoors, and that if there was a quarantine order, we would get it within 24 hours. None came.

I went to the ayurvedic master to collect medicine for the kids and myself. I developed a slight throat iritation and a mild cough. I missed a talk at the NCC on Saturday. Unfortunately, I would not be able to visit LY for some days. Thanks to HH and M of TRC for checking on us and offering help with the provisions and grocery, but we are managing ok.

Sunday afternoon, my husband came home, and was to serve out the rest of his medical leave, till Thursday, under home quarantine.

No doubt the virus was not as harmful as originally thought, but it is still highly contagious, and I find having an infected one on home quarantine very trying. Although my condition is stable now and 'in the pink of health', I am not as physically fit as before, but it would not have been so bad if only the skin on my hands are not so darn sensitive.

On top of that, I have 3 kids at home and I am especially worried for the second one who is having her exams now. My son, who is counting his dollars earned before he starts uni in August, is sorely missing out on his earnings, and itching to get back to work. I am still keeping the youngest at home as she is just recovering from cough and runny nose.

My husband has confined himself to the master bedroom which fortunately has an attached bathroom. And he had room service - food served to his door at meal times.

We gave him his phone charger and re-directed all his calls to his mobile phone. And he used his mobile to call the house phone for stuffs.

I did his laundry seperate from the rest and added a fair amount of vinegar to the wash, in the hope that the vinegar could take care of whatever little vermins on his clothes.

I have vinegar, antiseptic alcohol disinfectant (from my surgery days) and pine disinfectant (ayurvedic) and I used them alternately to clean the surfaces where my husband comes in contact with. As a result, the already sensitive skin on my hands itched like crazy now, even though I used disposable gloves, essential oil, medicated oil and hand cream and also soaking them in hot milk. I have also turned the hair dryer on them and grabbed a cupful of hot water to stop the itch.

I do wish to have my mum's maid over to help me, but my mum cannot be trusted to be left alone. She has high blood pressure, high cholesterol and just diagnosed diabetic not so long ago, and yet at every opportunity she would sneak out and gorged on food that she had been advised to avoid or cut down. Like, she could finished the whole box of durian all by herself, and the old aunties are always offering sinful stuff like pig's legs that she is always glad to receive.

It is tough to have healthy family members and highly contagious ones together. Every time we step out for necessities, we have to bear in mind to minimise contact and not get too close to others just in case we carry some germs ourselves.

I can't wait for the whole episode to be over. I think I need a break after that.