Love and hope are vaccine for COVID-19

Samisha Markande volunteered to help nurture the baby till her parents returned. Pic/Sameer Markande

At 38, Thane resident and mother of two, Samisha Markande, has become a new mother again; only this time - it is for a social cause. This is the story of two mothers - strangers in the same city, united by the euphoria of love for a newborn girl.

MNS Thane President Avinash Jadhav arranged for Vaishali Lahori, a pregnant woman from Kasheli in Thane, to deliver her baby at Dr Datta Panandikar's hospital in Uthalsar, Thane. She had been hunting for hospitals and her plight was highlighted when Samaritan Mangesh Joshi appealed for help on video.

A day later, the infant had to be kept away from her mother because the chances of Lahori contracting the virus during her rounds at both Civil and Shivaji hospitals in Thane and Nair Hospital in Mumbai were high. For a day, the child was kept at Mala Hospital on Ghodbunder Road.

Dr Datta Panandikar

Markande, Maharashtra Navnirman Sena's women's wing city president was quick to volunteer to be a foster mother for the day-old baby girl. She brought her home to a traditional Maharashtrian welcome with an aarti. "Since then, I've been scurrying to the market to get her new clothes, a basket and bibs. Her mother is recuperating, and the father is quarantined; someone needed to look after her. My daughter is 19 and my son is 15 years old. It's been a while since I was a mother to a newborn, but motherhood is instinctive. Besides, well-wishers have been calling with suggestions and advise. I am glad Vaishali has put her trust in us," says Markande.

Lahori hasn't still seen the baby, because she doesn't have a smartphone but does get on a call with Markande to check on her baby's health. Her husband, Sanju Lahori, is a rickshaw driver and is grateful that both Jadhav and Markande have got him out of this difficult time. "I'll forever be indebted," he says.

Markande's family has been pitching in. "We're all on our toes as this cause comes with an added responsibility of handling another life. We've consulted a paediatrician for medicines and vaccines and a masseuse has been hired to ensure the massage and bathing is done daily. We're extra cautious about sanitisation since infants have a weak immune system," says Markande.

In very little time, the girl has stolen everyone's hearts, but the family knows this is only a short-term arrangement.

Obstetrics and gynaecology specialist Dr Datta Panandikar says, "One can keep the baby with the mother, provided she is motivated and educated to maintain very good hand hygiene, wear a face mask and a shield regularly and follow social distancing. Yet, sometimes, as a precautionary measure, we do prefer to keep the child away from the infected mother for at least five or six days. In her family, there was no female member and hence, we shifted the child to NICU for a day before Markande volunteered to take care of the child." In addition, Dr Panandikar feels that since the virus is new and causes death in three to four per cent of cases, there's a fear among people. "Despite being four months into the pandemic, there is still very little awareness regarding the virus at the grassroot level. When a patient comes to us, we counsel them on taking proper care and explain that once they become negative, they would've developed antibodies in their blood that will protect them from the virus even if a second wave comes. It's a boon in disguise." Of the number of positive patients who have delivered in the city, a negligible number of babies have been born with the virus. Of the 150 deliveries done by Dr Panandikar since March, none of the babies tested positive at birth.

Precautions for mothers to take

When pregnant and testing positive: If there's a room with an attached toilet, go for home quarantine. If not, every municipal corporation has a medical officer who you must contact. They keep the pregnant woman in a quarantine centre till she enters labour. Once she has delivered, she can go back to the quarantine centre.

After delivery: Follow social distancing, wear a mask and wash your hands regularly. It is a simple cure but many fail to follow it.

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