Dengue Voices

This story represents one person's experience with dengue disease. It is important to talk with your doctor if you are experiencing any symptoms that could be dengue disease. Dengue symptoms vary and are often unnoticeable or mild.

I remember it was 2021, when I got dengue in India. Initially, I had a low fever and back pain, so I thought it was just a regular flu. But then, suddenly, the fever spiked to around 103-104 degrees Fahrenheit (39-40 degrees Celsius).

As soon as I told my symptoms to my sister, she told me to quickly get a dengue test done. The symptoms were very similar to dengue, like back pain and fever.

The day I got the fever, the next day I got to know it was dengue.

The struggle for me at that time was that I was on a work trip. Fortunately, I was at my colleague's place.

We managed to travel to my hometown and my sibling decided to get me admitted to hospital because it seemed severe. [Approximately 1 in 20 of those who experience symptoms can develop a more severe form of disease called severe dengue¹.] My platelet count dropped quickly [platelets are cell fragments in the blood that play a crucial role in clotting and stopping bleeding]. I completely lost my energy and could only hear folks talking close to me, but couldn’t speak to them due to lack of energy.

I was shifted to the ICU because my liver was tested for swollenness and possibility of water filling inside, and there was some suspected internal bleeding. I was told not to sneeze because there was a possibility that an artery might burst.

I stayed in the ICU for two days before it was under control. The entire recovery took around 1-1.5 months.

Getting dengue and those ICU days were definitely scary, but the aftereffects of dengue were scarier.

My voice became extremely low, and I couldn't speak properly. I was scared that my voice would remain like this forever. It might have been due to a lot of weakness in the body… I knew I was speaking but the other person was not able to hear me clearly. I needed help from my family, I couldn’t walk for a couple meters, my body would just collapse, so they used to take turns to help me.

Fortunately, my work colleagues were extremely supportive too and knew the severity of the disease. They told me to relax, recover completely, and then get back to work only when I was feeling better. This was one of the silver linings to me, I was in a very fortunate environment. I am sure there are a lot of people that get dengue and when it becomes disruptive might not have the same support as I had.

Now, whenever I hear about mosquitoes, I take precautions. At my village, there is a mosquito breeding season, and I am extremely cautious by always applying mosquito repellents and ensuring there is no stagnant water around.

Knowing the possible severity of dengue, I wouldn’t want others to suffer from it.

Not only that, but there may be a financial burden too. ICU beds are more expensive compared to normal beds, and you have to maintain a specific diet, so there is potentially a long-term burden too… For me it was much less, because fortunately I had private medical insurance, but there are a lot of people who cannot afford it.