The hype of influenza A (H1N1) has created much anxiety among Malaysians over the past year, despite the availability of vaccination and preventive measures. Just like most parents, Abdullah Afandi did not expect his 8-year-old son to be diagnosed with H1N1, much less himself and his wife as well.
Just the Normal Flu?
“I promised my son, Daniel, a Sony Playstation Portable (PSP) and we went to Kuala Lumpur together. Despite having a slight fever the previous day, he was pretty much himself. However, after the purchase, he was not enthusiastic at all over his new toy. He just sat quietly on the way home and hardly played with his toy upon reaching home. I knew something was up with my son,” said Abdullah.
Abdullah and his wife, Nor Shafina, brought their son to the clinic where the doctor prescribed some medication for fever, flu and cough. At the same time, Abdullah was having a slight fever as well. After a day of rest and some over-the-counter medication, Abdullah recovered and went back to work. Daniel got better too and was healthy enough to go back to school after three days. However, Daniel’s health took a turn for the worse just after that.
“When he returned from school, he just slept the whole afternoon. His eyes were swollen and he complained of hunger. But after eating only 2-3 mouthfuls he felt full. Daniel also had a hard time keeping his eyes open during this time and kept wanting to go back to sleep,” Abdullah elaborated further.
It’s H1N1!
Abdullah and his wife immediately took their only child to the hospital the next day. The doctor carried out blood tests and throat swabs. Daniel was diagnosed with a bacterial infection and was sent home with medication. Later that night, further test results confirmed Daniel was positive with H1N1.
The Road to Recovery
“It was a shock when we heard the news. It was already hard on us seeing our only son look so sick and lethargic, not his usual self at all. With the diagnosis of H1N1, we were very worried about how the outcome may be even with treatment available.”
Abdullah and his wife warded Daniel at the same hospital the next day. The doctor set him up for a course of medication for H1N1 before testing the parents for the H1N1 virus. It was not a surprise that both of them had contracted the virus as well. Apart from the slight fever that Abdullah had, the both did not show any other symptoms at all. To be on the safe side, the parents checked into the ward as well to better monitor their medication and progress to recovery. All three of them showed a speedy recovery as their condition improved. By the third day, the family was discharged from the hospital. Daniel was showing signs of colour and was much more active.
Taking Cautionary Steps
Nor Shafina did not waste any time in disinfecting their house once they were home. All bed sheets were stripped off and cleaned, with new ones replacing them. Windows were kept open to allow air circulation in the house. Furniture was sterilised with antibacterial sanitisers and hands were kept clean with hand sanitisers. Abdullah and his family quarantined themselves for another one week before they were confirmed fully recovered.
Because all three of them had to be quarantined, only Abdullah left the house to buy daily necessities. He wore a mask and kept to places that were not crowded. Whenever he left the house and back, he cleaned his hands with an antibacterial sanitiser. Neighbours who knew about their predicament wanted to visit, but were advised not to until after the quarantine period and the family declared to have recovered completely.
“It’s easy to think that these things happen to others and not to ourselves. But in reality, getting ill can happen to anyone and it is important to take the proper measures in preventing the virus from spreading. I would like to think that we are lucky as our whole family recovered without any serious complications. Through it all we turned to God to give us the strength to face the illness and with His grace we got through.”
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