‘My symptoms were pretty severe, had high fever’: Actress Tamannaah Bhatia

The virus caught up with actress Tamannaah Bhatia when she was in Hyderabad to shoot for a web series

When her parents contracted COVID-19, actress Tamannaah Bhatia feared she might get it, too. But her folks recovered and she showed no symptoms. Itwas only a month later last October, when she travelled to Hyderabad to shoot for a web series that she picked up the infection. Bhatia fought it well and recovered with yoga and a controlled lifestyle.

"My symptoms were pretty severe. I was in hospital for five days. It was very intense for whatever reason. The medication took a toll on my body and the recovery took about two months. My digestion, too, got affected and I'd feel bloated because of the medicines," said Bhatia.

The virus, says the actress, hit her suddenly. "I didn't have breathing issues till the day prior to being tested. I had a high fever, which wasn't going despite medication. The drop in oxygen saturation is what led me to get hospitalised. It took me about 15 days to test negative," she said. Diarrhoea is one symptom that one should never ignore, she says. "It is a strong symptom that most people don't even know about."

She started working out only with her doctor's permission. "A lot of people were against getting back to any kind of training or following a regimen, but my doctors advised that I slowly start working out. It took me three months to be completely normal."

The actress began with yoga to strengthen her lungs, and slowly added cardio to her routine. She said, "The breathing exercises helped me bring back my stamina. A mixture of high-intensity interval training with yoga was a good combination that worked for me."

She also adjusted her diet to speed up recovery. "I was a vegetarian for two years before COVID-19, but I started eating meat to up the protein intake and I feel better after it." Any advice for youngsters? Bhatia says, "When I was in the hospital, doctors told me that younger people had suffered much more, because they would only come after their symptoms worsened. Seniors were a lot more careful. The moment you notice symptoms, get tested. Everyone reacts to it [COVID-19] differently. For one person, it could be nothing, but for another, it could be very serious, so it is best not to take a risk."