Upon my return from Down Under, people who met me were saying that if I'm feeling unwell, don't bother to look them up as I might be a H1N1 carrier. But the thing is that, I was feeling fit as a fiddle then, minus the expected tiredness due to long haul travel.
I was in the office for 2 days, but felt a little tired by Tuesday afternoon. I dozed off in my car as I was waiting for a meeting to start. Then when I got back home, I managed a 5km run. On Wednesday morning, I was feeling a bit under the weather with my normal flu signs coming about :- body aches, a slight flu and a slight temperature.
I went to the office to look for a colleague who had undergone the H1N1 screening the day before at PPUM as I wanted to ask her direction on where to head and what to expect. She told me that she had spent almost 2 hours there waiting for the screening, only to be told that she wasn't in the risky categories : pregnant, below 12, above 60, obese, with underlying condition such as asthma, heart condition etc. She was brushed off and was given a prescription of PCM, antibiotics and mouth gargle. Similar stories have arisen in the media, and one reader wrote in to tell her experience.
Irregardless, I decided to go for the screening as I have 2 high risk categories at home, below 12 & above 60. Went in to the Trauma & Kecemasan Unit, told them I have the onset of a flu coming and I had been to Australia. I was registered and paid RM20 for consultation. I spent almost an hour waiting for them to call me in, and when they did they taken my temperature, bloop pressure, O2sat & heart beat. Then I was told to wait again until a doctor is available. Once a doctor is available she undertake the checklist and found out that I didn't fit into the chronic condition. She told me at the moment, that they didn't do the throat swab for confirming whether I have H1N1, but considering I was in the high risk category, she decided to give me the antiviral, a medical leave for 3 days and to come back in case I'm getting worse. I was like, wouldn't it be better to test now than later as then it might be too late, but was told that the antiviral should be able to prevent any worsening in case I have the strain. She also prescribed the PCM, antibiotic & throat gargle.
Went back to the office and packed. People were a bit wary of me when I showed up in a mask. Some of them even have the cheek to say to me they returning my souvenirs I got them as they're are afraid they'd be infected as well. On my way back, I got a call from my GM asking me whether what he heard, that I have been tested positive for H1N1 is true. I just told him that, I haven't been tested for anything, hence I wouldn't know what I got plus they've given me some antiviral and 3 days mc just to be safe. Some of them commented that they would want the official confirmation as they want to get the week's quarantine but sorry guys, not confirmed yet.
I asked a mate, as his other half was also confirmed H1N1 about the living arrangement at home, he told me what they did is as per normal flu/fever albeit his wife had to wear the mask as she was having a cough. Other than that, they continued their normal living arrangement, putting the myths that those with the flu stain have to be isolated and live in solitary confiment ... well that's what I felt la when I spoken to some well meaning friends who didn't know any better ..
On anther note, my dive buddy also contracted a viral fever with high temp but not H1N1, hence our plans to go down to Tioman this weekend for a dive have been scuppered. Bugger this flu & virus. Now it looks to me like I have to sign up for another trip to Perhentian next weekend, but the schedule is going to be tight for me but I will see how. I would really want to go as Ramadhan & monsoon would come in, and the next dive season would be next March. We'll see...
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