- The 67-year-old entrepreneur tested positive on August 17 and had mild symptoms throughout until she tested negative for the virus on Monday.
- She wrote in her blog that her experience has been mild and uneventful.
- She did not lose her sense of smell or taste and no drop in oxygen saturation, she added.
- The Biocon chief also shared her important learnings as she recovered from COVID-19.
Leveraging science to manage the COVID-19 virus is the only reliable way forward, said Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, the executive chairperson of Biocon, who recently tested positive and recovered.
Winning Over COVID-19
The 67-year-old entrepreneur tested positive on August 17 and had mild symptoms throughout until she tested negative for the virus on Monday.
“My experience has been mild and uneventful. No loss of smell or taste and no drop in oxygen saturation,” she wrote in her blog.
She wrote, “I asked for the CT (Cycle Threshold) value to assess my viral load and when I saw it was 23, I felt the load was safe enough to be home quarantined under tele-supervision…By Day 6, I started feeling better. My RT-PCR test on Day 10 was still positive but with a CT value of 33 suggesting a very low and non infectious viral load generally attributed to dead virus shedding.”
“I also tested my blood for antibodies and T-cells on Day 9. IgM was noticeably present but not IgG. My innate immune response based on Dendritic and NK cells was strong. A robust T cell activation was observed in my sample with a higher frequency of antigen specific T cells, effector T cells, Memory T cells and cytokine release on stimulation,” she added.
Mazumdar-Shaw had developed T Cell immunity which could potentially protect her for a long duration. “On Day 12 My RT-PCR test was positive with a CT value of 36 heralding the final leg of my COVID-19 saga!” she wrote.
Mazumdar-Shaw suggested not to panic if someone tests positive for COVID-19, but
it is important to monitor viral load and oxygen levels for cases with mild symptoms.
Important Learnings To Be Followed
The Biocon chief also shared her important learnings as she recovered from COVID-19.
- Don’t panic on testing positive.
- Make sure you assess your viral load based on CT value.
- Mild symptoms with moderate viral load qualifies for home isolation.
- Monitor your oxygen saturation several times a day to ensure it doesn’t drop below 95%
- Make sure you are supervised by a doctor through a Telehealth programme.
- Do yoga and walk as much as you can.
- Test and present yourself as soon as you feel mild symptoms. Do not be in denial and wait for more severe symptoms. You have reduced your chances of a mild disease by doing so.
Did you subscribe to our daily newsletter?
It’s Free! Click here to Subscribe!
Source: Kiranshaw blog
