His adventure with coronavirus tells the presenter Nikos Stravelakis, who has been hospitalized for the last few days at Sotiria Hospital, having tested positive for the virus after third dose of the vaccine.

In a text published from Ward 8 of the hospital, he analyses the five traps, as he describes them, «with the thought that can prevent serious diseases, hospitalisations and save lives».

As he says, he took the third dose of the vaccine in the six months provided by the second, and his symptoms appeared 48 hours after. As it was relatively mild and without fever, were originally attributed to the vaccine. And while he was undergoing rapid test, none of them showed positive, and his health was deteriorating. At this point, as he says, was saved by the urging of his doctor to do a molecular test, which eventually came back positive.

Then the doctor urged him to go to the hospital to have chest CT, just in case.

«The CT scan, despite saturation 98, showed pneumonia! The coronavirus had hit both lungs. The signal was immediate for my admission to the hospital and immediate start of treatment with remnants intravenously and then by cortisone», he notes, and adds a little further, «Coronavirus often has a progression that... throws «ash» in the eyes, resulting in the loss of valuable time.».

He concludes by describing the most important lessons about the virus that he has learned from this adventure.

The shocking confession of Nikos Stravelakis:

«From the SOTIRIA hospital, after an unexpected development of the mockingbird adventure, since I was vaccinated three times and without any underlying diseases, I feel the need to publish five traps as I experienced them, with the thought that serious diseases and hospitalizations can be prevented and human lives can be saved:

When I had the third dose of the vaccine, exactly six months after the second, the antibodies had already dropped - as it turned out - so I was much less covered; the third dose didn't have time to work. Therefore, given the additional threat of the «Omicron» mutation - I believe that the vaccination committee should soon consider an earlier third dose, say at five months. Let's say, first for those over 60.

2. The symptoms in me occurred 48 hours after the third dose. Relatively mild and without fever. This circumstance was misleading to doctors who attributed them to side effects of vaccination. Thus, valuable time was lost and theoretically people from my family and professional environment with whom I was in contact at that time could have been at risk. Of course, it is not the excellent doctors who are to blame, but coincidence and bad timing.

A reasonable question: since there was even a suspicion, did I do a screening test? Obviously! And here is the third trap. All negative. And the first day and the second day and the third day it was even found out 12 hours later that I was positive. That's where my doctor's advice was a lifesaver, when I informed him that he was RAPID TEST negative - on the third day of mild symptoms and the fifth from the booster dose - I'm going to run a molecular test. Test came back positive.
The coronavirus had an absolutely misleading course to me. In the first 24 hours - and after the positivity was established - relatively mild symptoms, such as fatigue - the only severe one - myalgia, sore throat, anosmia, ague. No fever and oxygen saturation close to 98. And here was the fourth and most dangerous trap!

Doctors persistently ask about satiety and say: worry only when it drops low enough, with 98 being considered near perfect. So, while I tested positive on the second night, as the days went by, the symptoms subsided and by Friday I was almost well, untired and with a 98 saturation! So, the first thought: we got away with it! Wrong!!!! On Saturday, very bad breath started, I took a few steps and was panting, but the oxygen saturation... there : 97- 98!! Seemingly no cause for concern. Ostensibly! Here again my doctor's intervention was a lifesaver, who urged me to go to the hospital to get a chest CT scan, just in case!

The CT scan, despite saturation 98, showed pneumonia! The coronavirus had hit both lungs. The signal was immediate for my admission to the hospital and immediate start of treatment with intravenous remdexibir and then cortisone. To my question, how could I have pneumonia, causing the severe shortness of breath, and at the same time seemingly normal saturation, it was explained to me that the lower part of the lungs were affected and the rest were overworking and giving this misleading reading. So the CT scan anticipated the worst; and here is the fifth and biggest trap. The coronavirus often has a progression that... throws «ash» in the eyes, resulting in the loss of valuable time. Relatively mild symptoms at first, improvement afterwards and usually after the seventh day a rapid deterioration. The doctors, they told me clearly : you started the treatment with remdesivir late, thank goodness you are triple vaccinated, this will save you now that the coronavirus has progressed. And indeed this is what saved me!!

I have taken the decision to make these personal data public because I believe that they are lessons for future patients, and thus - with the guidance of our excellent doctors - can prevent hospitalizations, more serious diseases and save lives.

The most basic lessons:

A test, when it is not molecular, is not always reliable.
Objective data on the course of the coronavirus are not always objective.
The coronavirus progresses insidiously, reassuringly, and when - after days - it starts to strike, it can be a matter of hours before rapid deterioration and intubation, especially for the unvaccinated with underlying diseases over 60 years of age.
Vaccinated people, like me, are also at risk when it has been a long time since the second dose. The longer the interval, the greater the risk!

And so I understand, having lived the adventure myself, how so many dozens of human lives are lost every day and unjustly!

So: Vaccine, third dose, open line with the doctor, no complacency in the good course - if someone gets sick - and, I would add, a chest X-ray or ideally a CT scan, in the first stage, even with mild symptoms, always in consultation with the doctor, is the combination that could prevent the most serious adventure and the loss of human lives.

And, the third instalment at five months rather than six months from the second. Immediately for those over 60! Along with the right measure of compulsory for this category, which is the most vulnerable and overwhelmingly counts the biggest losses.

Because, I fear, the worst is yet to come, with half a million unvaccinated people over 60 years of age and a total of 2,360,000 unvaccinated people over 12 years of age and with the new mutation just around the corner.

NIKOS STRAVELAKIS

FROM WARD 8 OF THE SALVATION HOSPITAL, WITH AN EXCELLENT TEAM OF DOCTORS, NURSES AND HEALTH WORKERS TO WHOM WE ALL OWE A HUGE DEBT OF GRATITUDE!»