‘Panic calls add to the agony of patients’

The 32-year-old techie who returned from the US on March 8 and tested positive for coronavirus is at the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Chest Diseases. His wife and daughter have been quarantined at home till
Sunday.

The wife narrated her ordeal over the phone. “My husband isolated himself at home as he had flu. Only I used to interact with him and give him medicines etc. The same evening we went to the hospital and they took a sample. The next day we came to know that his viral load is high. The ambulance came and took him to the hospital, and ever since we have been in home isolation,” the wife said.

She has a four member family to tend to including her daughter, son and mother-in-law. “My neighbours are not ready to even touch my gate. It is scary for them and from Day 1 they have been calling ad nauseam. Some have been helpful and offered us essentials like food. I understand the concern of neighbours. But panic calls add to the agony of Covid-19 patients and their families,” she said adding that she tries to remain positive most of the time.

Doctors who are treating the techie keep his wife informed at every step. “Even if the doctors are busy seeing patients, they call back and update about the treatment procedure.”

The health department helped the woman whose son and mother-in-law are asthma patients. “I’m grateful to the health department who helped all of us get tested and helped us with home isolation after all three family members tested negative,” she said.