Thiruvanthapuram: After 25 days in a hospital isolation ward, the first patient of novel coronavirus in India recollects the days filled with fear, concern and a resolve to stay strong and fight. The medical student, who had returned from the epicentre of the outbreak in China’s Wuhan province, was discharged from a Kerala hospital on February 20 and has to remain in home quarantine till March 1.
The student, whose identity is not being revealed for reasons of privacy, is appreciative of the doctors, the health department and the health inspector for the treatment provided. “It was not just the physical health. The Kerala health department thought about the mental health also and arranged a counsellor for me. This has helped me very much. I was happy to reach Kerala, and that even before symptoms became severe I could receive treatment.”
The student added that the state was well-prepared, had isolation units in hospitals and was very swift in contact tracing.
The patient initially did not feel any concerns as there were no symptoms after having followed precautions like wearing a mask, and the screening in China and a temperature check at Kolkata airport did not produce anything.
“When I tested positive for the virus, I was not really scared. Being a medical student, I knew that we have to fight with our immunity. Only if we are mentally strong we can fight this out,” the student said. “So I decided to do it. Even in China, people were being cured.”
Though the student decided to fight it out resolutely, there were times of distress. “I cannot tell my parents this, I had to be strong in front of them. The first two weeks were fine, but after February 12, at times, I felt sad and depressed. Health inspector Sheeba and counsellor Neethu Prabha helped me a lot. Whenever I felt low, I spoke to them. They were very friendly and I could tell them how I really felt, my sadness,” said the student. “There were no time limitations. I would feel better after speaking to them.”
The student’s biggest fear and concern was passing on the infection to parents and fellow travellers. “I was really worried about my parents. Knowing that they tested negative was a great relief. My father even went to work for two days, so I was worried that the virus might spread.”
Ways also had to be found to spend time in the isolation ward. “Since I did not have any physical problems, I was just on an anti-viral drug. I spent time reading books online, watching movies, and speaking to relatives, friends and parents. The talks with the doctors also took up a lot of time. At the hospital, the mobile network was patchy, so they arranged a Wi-Fi connection for me. I could eat food I liked and they also gave me a dress for my prayers,” the student said.
“Many of the doctors did not even go to their homes; they stayed in the hospital and worked. Seeing their dedication, I felt really happy and proud. After completing my studies, I want to come back here and work.”
As the virus was spreading in China, the third-year medical student decided to return to India. Tickets were booked to Kolkata for January 23, but around 2am on the 23rd, a message came in from authorities that all transportation from Wuhan would be stopped at 10am. About 25 students took a train in the early morning itself. The student finally managed to fly to Kolkata on January 24 and from there went to Kochi. On reporting to the health centre on January 25, the health inspector explained all the details and asked to get in touch if there were any symptoms. On the morning of January 27, the student had a sore throat and informed the health inspector, and was then taken to the isolation ward in an ambulance.
While in hospital, health minister KK Shailaja offered reassurance as well as praise in a phone conversation for reporting the symptoms to the health centre swiftly. After the patient tested positive, the minister spoke to the mother before the shift to Thrissur medical college. The student added that all these reassurances from the health department and the health minister herself helped a lot.
A total of 13 samples were tested during the stay, and finally the 10th and the 11th samples came out negative.
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