11 September 2020•Update: 11 September 2020
By Zehra Melek Cat
KONYA, Turkey
Hakki Agah Ermumcu, a civil engineer in Konya, Turkey who contracted the novel coronavirus, managed to pull through the ordeal with immune plasma treatment.
Ermumcu said he developed a fever in mid-July but thought he might have become unwell due to the hot weather and air-conditioning.
"There was no problem with my sense of smell or taste and no sign of a sore throat. I just had a fever," he said, referring to some of the symptoms associated with COVID-19.
He noted that he went to the hospital and underwent a CT scan.
He said he had wanted to be tested for COVID-19 to be sure but was afraid of the crowds at hospitals.
After being hospitalized, he said he started to feel weak and had difficulty breathing.
"I was alone in the room. Your medicines are given at the door. Your meals are left at the door. No one enters your room. You are getting worse.
"You have no appetite and take medicines on an empty stomach. You feel rundown and get worse. Your heartbeat accelerates because you can’t get enough oxygen," he added.
Ermumcu noted that coronavirus patients struggle alone, so they have to be mentally strong.
"The night I received the first plasma injection, I felt a stirring in my body a few hours later. I became more hopeful that moment. The next day, the second plasma unit was injected, and then my recovery process started.
"I tried to see how long I could breathe by removing the oxygen mask. I realized that the time I spent without the oxygen mask increased within two days," he said.
Noting that although he is young, Ermumcu said his breathing after receiving treatment is much more difficult than before.
He urged people to strictly follow measures taken to curb the virus and wear a mask.
