Tamannaah Bhatia Picture Courtesy: Instagram
Onkar Kulkarni (BOMBAY TIMES; October 17, 2020)

Like many other actors in showbiz, Tamannaah Bhatia, too, contracted Coronavirus after she had resumed work. The actress got back into the groove with ad shoots within the confines of her home in Mumbai, post which, she flew to Hyderabad to shoot a web series. However, soon after, she started feeling unwell and tested positive for the virus. After being treated for Coronavirus at a hospital in Hyderabad for five days and being in home quarantine for 14 days there, she is now back in Mumbai.

“During the lockdown, I had spent so much time with my family that I was dying to go back to work. Everything was going good until I fell ill and tested positive,” says Tamannaah, who has been a part of many Hindi and South Indian films. She is now resting it out — along with her parents — at her Mumbai home.

Talking about her experience, the Baahubali actress recollects, “On one of the days of the shoot in Hyderabad, I was running a high fever. As a precautionary measure, I got myself tested and it ended up being positive. The symptoms were persistent, so I decided that getting hospitalised was the best way to deal with it. During the last few days of quarantine, I experienced all the symptoms that are associated with Coronavirus, which included oxygen levels dropping, headache, body ache, fever, chills and feeling disoriented.”

Tamannaah’s parents had also tested positive for COVID-19, but their experience wasn’t as tough as hers. She shares, “Unlike me, my parents were fairly alright when they were tested positive. So, I didn’t expect that it would be so bad. I realised that the virus affects different people differently. My battle with COVID-19 was really tough despite my good fitness level.”

However, now that she has recovered, she is eager to get back to work. “The thing with our profession is that we are exposed to a lot of people on the set. We can wear a mask and safety gear, but in front of the camera, we have to take it off, and that makes us vulnerable. I am feeling better now, and in a week I should be able to resume work in Hyderabad. While at home, I am trying to eat healthy and take rest. I am working on my fitness level by doing yoga, as the illness has taken a toll on my stamina. Our job requires us to be physically strong, and I am working on that. Also, this time around, I will be extra cautious on the sets,” she signs off.
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Tamannaah Bhatia, who tested Covid-19 positive while shooting in Hyderabad, has flown back to Mumbai after 20 days and is currently recuperating
Akash Bhatnagar (MUMBAI MIRROR; October 17, 2020)

Last month, Tamannaah Bhatia tested positive for Covid-19 while shooting for her Telugu show and was admitted to a hospital in Hyderabad. The five-day hospital stay was followed by 15 days of isolation at her Hyderabad home which ended on Tuesday. On Wednesday night, the actress returned to Mumbai.

“It has been a crazy time. I was fine when, one day after ‘pack up’, I developed a fever. The next morning, I got myself admitted as there were other Covid symptoms,” she relays, confirming that no one else on the set tested positive. She advises people not to ignore any symptoms, be it fatigue or body ache, no matter what their age.

Towards August-end, Tamannaah’s parents had also tested positive for Covid-19 and she admits she had thought the worst was over. “When I tested positive too, it hit me really hard,” she shares, pointing out that there is a lot of information on what to do to prevent falling prey to the virus, but not much on how to deal with it. “There is a phobia about going to the hospital, but I’ve realised that the faster you react, the better it is.”

Tamannaah admits that she’s relieved she wasn’t with her parents when she contracted the virus. “It would have been a hassle. Here my producer and the entire team were with me at each step,” she asserts. Her parents eventually did fly down to Hyderabad though she couldn’t meet them. “Their physical presence gave me mental security. There was a phase during my illness when I was all alone and had to tackle everything myself. Emotionally, seeing my parents suffer was draining, but physically, going through it myself, affected me more,” she says, applauding medical professionals who put her back on her feet.

For now, Tamannaah’s future course of action involves rehabilitating herself and building up immunity. “I am also figuring how and when I can get back to working out though I was doing yoga even in isolation. I want to get well completely before resuming work, but I don’t have the luxury of taking a long break. Also, given the kind of person I am, I don’t think I’ll be able to stay away from work for too long. I am giving myself another week to get back on set,” she concludes.