On Saturday, Sameera Reddy took to her social media handle to announce that she has tested positive for COVID-19. For the actress, the Coronavirus diagnosis comes at the end of one of the most challenging weeks of her life. Sameera reveals that it was her children — five-year-old son, Hans, and 20-monthold daughter, Nyra, who had first tested positive for the virus. “Since we moved to Goa in June 2020, we have been extremely careful. We took all the precautions and I haven’t visited my parents for a year. So when Hans started developing symptoms, I immediately got him tested. As a mother, no one can prepare you enough for your child testing positive. When the doctor called me and said that Hans was COVID positive, I just froze. I simply broke down,” she says.

Sameera recalls, “I then did some research and realised that it is not uncommon for children to get the virus. I spoke to our doctor and we put Hans on vitamins and paracetamol that was prescribed by the doctor. He had fever for four days and then he recovered.”

Soon after, Sameera noticed that her 20-month-old daughter, Nyra, too, began to develop symptoms. She says, “Nyra’s just a baby and she doesn’t even know what’s happening, so she can’t exactly share her discomfort with us. We got the test done for her too since she too had a fever. And our worst fears came true.”

Sameera understands that many parents don’t like to share that their children have got the virus, but she reckons it’s important to talk about it so that there’s more awareness about the fact that children can get it too. “This isn’t the time to hush things up; we should speak up so we can share the fears and support each other through it,” she says, adding, “I urge all young parents not to panic if their child tests positive. Just follow the medication prescribed by the doctor and try to make things as comfortable as possible for your child and create a positive environment. That’s what Akshai and I have tried to do.”

Acknowledging the challenge of keeping your COVID-positive kids in quarantine until they test negative, Sameera says, “Sadly, there’s a deep-rooted fear of COVID even among children. I didn’t want Hans to be affected by it, so I didn’t even tell him he has COVID; he thinks it’s just a fever. But as a responsible citizen, I cannot allow him to go outside and interact with others. I immediately called up the neighbours and informed them, and told them not to send their kids to play with him. I’ve made sure he doesn’t leave the house.”

The Musafir actress, adds, “Quarantine has been hard on my kids, but I’ve tried to make things as positive as I can for both of them. I dance with them, try to make them smile. Hans has unlimited access to TV unlike before, so he binge-watches his favourite shows. To get them hydrated, I played water drinking games with them. I’ve also played lots of music and have turned storyteller too — I’ve told tons of stories, anything to keep the mood happy and upbeat.”

Unlike in the case of adults who can self-isolate, children need the care, love and personal touch of their parents the most at this time. So, isolating the kids wasn’t even an option, says Sameera. “Children need to be comforted when they’re sick. That was our only priority, nothing else; not even our own health. By the time we tested positive for the virus, we were at least thankful that they are out of it and we can focus on ourselves,” she says.

The Race actress says she and her husband have mild symptoms, but are on the road to recovery. “One big relief for me is that my mother-in-law is living separately, so we didn’t have to worry about exposing her. My husband and I have taken medication prescribed by the doctor and hopefully, all of us will be out of it soon. We’re all collectively going through some tough times and I think it’s important that we dispel fear, break the stigma and support each other. It’s the only way we’re going to get through this,” says Sameera, signing off.