“A pandemic is a life-and-death war,” says our heroine of today Irina Maslova, executive director of the Astarta charity foundation in St. Petersburg. The doctor’s daughter, Irina, like no one else, is sure that the best way to fight coronavirus is vaccination. Why? Learn from today’s interview for virusoff.info.
Ira, in your case, what came first – a vaccine or COVID?
I tell you: in December 2020, I was planning to have a significant operation. For many years I have had a blood clot in the subclavian artery, and at some point, it began to disturb me seriously. I made an examination, agreed with the surgeon, and he appointed the day of the operation. And so I went for a PCR test for coronavirus, which is the last procedure. The operation was scheduled for December 15; on the 14th I made this PCR test, which turned out to be positive. I planned an operation, but received COVID.
Oh, dear!
Fortunately for me, I am friends with the former chief physician of the Botkin hospital, the best infectious disease specialist in my city, Alexei Avenirovich Yakovlev. And when I wrote on my Facebook post, “Oh dear, COVID, well, hello!”, He immediately reacted and reported that he was ready to guide me remotely. The first time I was treated at home, my sense of smell disappeared; I was very weak. On the fifth day, the doctor said that he wanted to see the condition of my lungs. I made the CT scanning; it turned out that one lung was affected by pneumonia by 20%, the second – by 32%. After the CT scanning, I remember how I went in a taxi and felt my temperature rise. As a result, when I sent the results, noting that my temperature had been increased to 39.6 C, the doctor recommended calling an ambulance and going to the hospital. The ambulance arrived in about 7 minutes, and after half an hour, I was already drip-fed. On this day, there were only 27 free beds in St. Petersburg for patients with COVID. The treatment went without complications, and on December 31, I was discharged with a negative test and decent lungs. Thank you very much to the entire team of doctors and nurses! It is an incredible level. It is a real modern infectious diseases hospital and super-professional doctors.
“The virus doesn’t care if you believe in it or not! It is a matter of life and death. I know what sorrow came to a family where a doctor with five children died. I saw this and other families, and I want our doctors to stop dying.”
Irina Maslova
Have you encountered post-covid syndrome?
Sure, but not right away. For instance, now, I can speak OK, but I cannot make my thoughts on paper. My working capacity today is 4 hours a day. Before, I could sit down at night and write a report. Now I can’t do that anymore. I get tired very quickly. My condition is complex, and I understand that I will be recovering for a long time. I cannot tell how much I went to doctors over the last year and how much money I spent on my health. I could go to the sea with my youngest grandson three times. Health is expensive.
How quickly did you decide to get the anti-COVID vaccine after that?
A month and a half after I recovered from the coronavirus. Anyway, I was going to have the planned operation. And I did it. I had considerable complications after the operation, and I felt post-covid syndrome during the postoperative period. It so happened that during the operation, they disturbed the lymph flow. Lymph is known to be responsible for immunity. Therefore, when 4.5 liters of lymph flowed out of me in three days, if not for the practitioners of the Second City Multidisciplinary Hospital of St. Petersburg, Maslova would no longer be in this world. They were dragging me out of the afterlife for almost two months. After I was discharged, I took an antibody test. It turned out that I did not have them, so with peace of mind, I made the first and then the second vaccination by Sputnik. After the first one, my temperature rose to 39, I took the pill and got up in the morning completely healthy. After the second vaccination, the injection site just hurt. By the way, both vaccinations occurred on Fridays. So I could stay in bed on Saturday and Sunday if I needed it.
I want to do the same thing!
Moreover, as the executive director of a charitable foundation, I issued an order and forced all of my employees to get vaccinated during the extended weekend, October 30 – November 8. Because I really want to live. I can be considered a dictator or anyone else, but I just know the real number of deaths from COVID.
The virus doesn’t care if you believe in it or not! This is a matter of life and death. I know what sorrow came to a family where a doctor with five children died. I saw this and other families, and I want our doctors to stop dying.”
Since the pandemic’s beginning, you are only talking about doctors and writing on your page on social networks. Why is this topic even relevant?
I grew up in the pathology department of pregnant women in a maternity hospital because my mother was a doctor. For me, the profession of a doctor is sacred. That is why it was vital for me to do everything in my power to save their lives. And in case of their death – to preserve the memory of them. Therefore, last year, at my heart’s desire, I began to build a memory wall for the dead doctors in our Malaya Sadovaya. And in March, we unveiled an actual monument to the fallen doctors near Pavlov First Saint Petersburg State Medical University. The memory wall was in front of the health committee and was like a lump in their throat because they saw new name boards every day. A doctor should not die because of the stupidity of decisions made; a doctor should not die because of stupid “anti-vaccinators”. Itis a war, and normal, adequate orders and weapons are needed during hostilities.
Have your daughters been vaccinated?
The youngest – yes, and the older – not yet. She’s pregnant now. And her attending physician, not a gynecologist, but a doctor, thanks to whom she became pregnant after many years of treatment, said to her the other day: “As a doctor, I believe that it is necessary to be vaccinated, but as a person who cured you for 3.5 years, I would not advise.” I felt bursting with anger because this is one of the best doctors in my city and, perhaps, in my country, it isn’t easy to make an appointment with her! She did everything to get my daughter pregnant, but on the issue of vaccination, in my opinion, she should either give a reasonable medical objection or recommend vaccination. As a doctor’s daughter, I know for sure: gynecologists have an unspoken rule – we save mom first. It’s just like during the war. Therefore, I really want my daughter to be vaccinated. Moreover, taking this opportunity, I want to appeal to pregnant women. Know that if COVID is detected in your childbirth, then the newborn baby is immediately transferred to the children’s infectious diseases hospital, and you will not be able to see him until you have a negative result PCR test. Are you ready to leave your baby in the wrong hands of nurses for at least ten days? I saw children who were taken away from their mother for various reasons; they forgot how to cry in a month. It is so scary! So if you have the opportunity to go and get vaccinated, go and get it.
Do you also carry out educational work among the clients who come to your organization?
Of course! Here the principle is the same as HIV: you can do whatever you want with your life. But if you have children, think about who they will stay with in a bad situation. Our clients are engaged in sex work precisely to ensure their children’s future. So for the sake of their future, it is necessary to get vaccinated against coronavirus.
Do they obey you?
You know, yes (laughs).
Do you somehow stimulate them?
I am totally against motivational packages! We give opportunity and information. But this is your life; you are responsible for it yourself. For instance, I can help a girl from Uzbekistan to get to the bus where people without documents are vaccinated, free of charge at all. Even considering that she lives here illegally. But she must go and get vaccinated herself, because this is her life and her responsibility.
What has the pandemic taught you?
Life is the most precious thing. And your time too. I do not argue with “anti-vaccinators”; I simly limit my communication with them. There is a general chat in my family, and all my relatives are there. And when I got the first vaccination and shared the news there, I saw how the family was divided. Now, however, there are many more vaccinated. But then I said this: it’s your business, but if you get sick, I will not help to find you doctors; I will not look for a hospital because I know how tired the doctors are during these one and a half years. Moreover, if someone writes or calls me now with a request to find a doctor or find out where the patient is, I first ask whether the person who needs help is vaccinated. And if I hear raving about chipping or about the fact that a person simply did not believe in a vaccine, I refuse to help.
It’s tough
Yes. But it’s true. It is the person who is responsible. Only you make the decision – live or die. No one else does.
Text: Elena Derzhanskaya
A series of materials created supported by UNAIDS
