Life as a Covid patient in Kazakhstan, captured on film

By Andrey Khludeyev

When Covid-19 and quarantining started all around the world, I saw some publications highlighting medics’ risky work in the hospitals, and they were all very impressive. While not been a pro journalist (and even if I were), I realised that I would never had a chance to get onto ‘the front line’ and photograph such a story. Turned out I was wrong, I didn’t have to get a permission – I went there as a patient.

At first, I thought I had overheated in the sun, and that my high temperature was just for one day. But no, the next day it was even higher. I didn’t lose my smell or sense of taste, just my hairs became as sensitive as the nerves in my teeth; it was painful to touch them. After a week of a flu-like stage, high temperature suddenly went and I felt just fine. All seemed to be normal. My tests didn’t show Covid, but I realised that it felt something like it.

X-ray tests of the lungs were made, and that showed a multi-segment double-sided pneumonia. So, that day I was immediately hospitalised. The doctors said that if I was at home I would not make it.

Needless to say, I was lucky. Not because I had a chance to take some photographs, but because I had a chance to survive. The fact I survived is thanks to the great people, real heroes, who risk their lives to heal us and let us live.

When I packed my belongings to take to the hospital I had no time to think much about what camera to take with me to the hospital and why, so I just grabbed the first camera I saw, a half-format Soviet camera Chaika II, with Ilford HP5 Plus, exposed at ISO 1600. And while the choice was a sort of random, I don’t regret it. It’s a small camera that doesn’t scare people, they don’t pay it much attention at all, plus it allows you to make 72 shots on just one roll. And it did it well.

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I must state here that I did not have any particular plans for photo-shooting. I did not know if I would allowed to shoot there, I didn’t even know how many days I would live. My friend recently died because of Covid-19, and it’s a pretty scary situation when you feel yourself just fine, but you know that it all could change in a next minute. But what I found it the hospital let me drop that inner panic and forget about how dangerous my situation was.

There were medics, doctors and nurses. They lived there and had two-month contracts and eight-hour shifts, all the while wearing their white overalls and masks. After 15 minutes the condensation came on the inner surface of the masks. These people took care of us 24 hours a day. They gave us all necessary medicine, fed us, took tests all the time. It was a job they were paid for, but I can’t imagine the amount of money worth the risk to their lives.

I soon realised I was faced with real heroes and real acts of bravery. I saw they saved lives in real time, I saw patients who came in a very bad state became get better day by day. And that all, medical treatment, food, were given without charge to patients, all for free, no matter what age and condition you are.

One of my neighbours was 82 with diabetes and heart problems; it didn’t matter, he had all necessary treatment and got better; he was also sent to private clinic after that to get heart healing treatment for free. That all truly amazed me. I soon realised that not documenting it would be a crime.

After about 10 days, tests and x-ray both myself and my neighbour had improved a lot and there was no need to stay in the hospital anymore. That was two weeks ago and I’m still fine. Recent tests and doctor visits say that I’m almost healed.

I can’t fit all the story and all the photos I made, both on film and smartphone, so I’m going to make a book where I will try to show more and tell more about these amazing people and those days I will never forget.

And I want to say thank you, to all the people who risked their lives so that I, and many others like me, didn’t die. They let us live.

Thank you. God bless you all.

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Andrey Khludeyev

I’m a photographer, colour corrector, publisher and designer from Almaty, Kazakhstan.

I used to be an electronic microscopist in nuclear physics, but switched to advertising 22 years ago for now, as a designer first, then as colour corrector, printing supervisor and as a photo producer. For now mostly I do photography and publish books worldwide.

Recently I switched to film photography and am enjoying going deeper into it.

I do love what Kosmo Foto does a lot, and I'm happy promoting film photography in any aspect.

My instagram: https://www.instagram.com/in_saner/

Latest posts by Andrey Khludeyev (see all)

• Life as a Covid patient in Kazakhstan, captured on film - 19/08/2020
• The Lubitel 166B: My grandfather’s camera - 09/07/2020
• Hacking a half-frame lens for wide-angle rangefinder photography - 17/05/2020