Banish fear to win battle against COVID-19, say Kerala's recovered patients

Conquering fear is the most crucial step in the fight against COVID-19, said two Gulf returnees who were cured of the deadly disease after undergoing treatment at the government hospital in this town, Kerala's hotspot for the virus.

Abdul Gafoor (54) and N H Suhail (31), who tested positive for coronavirus soon after their arrival from Dubai, thanked profusely the doctors, paramedics and other staff at the hospital for their selfless and dedicated service. They also shared tips on how not to lose hope and be brave during the tense period in the hospital. "Initially I was a bit scared.

But when I looked at other patients and the hospital staff, who selflessly spent days and nights looking after us, I told myself that this is not the time to give up." "Banish fear, embrace vigilance, and half the battle is won, I told myself and you can see the results now," Gafoor, a native of Kasaragod said. He had come home on vacation last month to be with his wife and two sons. Soon after his arrival, he contracted the disease and got admitted to the general Hospital, where he underwent treatment for two weeks.

Four days after landing in Kerala, Suhail was also diagnosed with COVID-19 and admitted to the hospital. "The experience taught me many lessons: be strong, be resilient and take out fear from the equation.

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Equally important that it has boosted my trust in our public healthcare system," he said. Suhail left the hospital in eight days but is yet to see his family, including his two-month-old baby girl. The two, who were discharged on Saturday last, are aware that the battle is not over yet and they have to remain under home quarantine for the next couple of weeks. We still have to undergo home isolation for another two weeks and repeat the tests. But we have cleared the first major hurdle, they said.

Anonymous as they were covered from head to toe in their PPE (Personal Protection Equipment), the hospital staff gave Gafoor and Suhail a warm send off when they walked out of the hospital the other day. There are mothers, toddlers and even aged people in the hospital who are undergoing treatment for the scourge that is wreaking havoc on humanity.

Gafoor and Suhail are among the first patients in Kasaragod to be cured of the disease. They have been given instructions to be followed once they reach their homes. The medical team that took care of them included doctors M Kunjiraman, P Krishna Naik, C H Janardhana Naik, K Aparna, Sunil Chandran, Nursing Spdt Snishi, Head Nurses Mini Vincent and Sudha John, Staff Nurse Salim and Dietician Udaif.

It has been 100 days since the first COVID-19 case was reported in the state and since then, a total of 357 cases have been confirmed and currently, 258 patients are under treatment in different hospitals. The state has reported two fatalities so far.