Students return home amid coronavirus scare

BHUBANESWAR: Many students are returning from abroad after lockdown in their hostels and going for home isolation. Students staying in hostels in various institutes in country are also returning home apprehending worse days.
Several students have returned to Odisha from Covid-19 affected countries like the USA and the UK and are quarantined for 14 days.They hope everything will be alright soon.
A student, who is pursuing BTech in a reputed institute in the USA, returned to Odisha five days ago. Requesting anonymity, the young man said he has no problem with self isolation. His family members are talking to him through video conferencing.
"My son is an introvert, so he has no issue in staying alone with his books and gadgets. We are taking all precautions to deal with the situation. He is doing well," said the USA returned student's father, a senior government officer.
Achin Das Burma, son of the state planning board deputy chairman Sanjay Das Burma, is in self-quarantine. Achin, a business management student of a London-based university, returned to Odisha on March 15. He has registered with state government’s covid19.Odisha.gov.in portal.
"My son is spending his time by attending his online classes of his university. He is also reading several books during this time. He does not get bored by staying in home quarantine," said Sanjay Das Burma.
However, some of the students did not return home and stayed at their institutes in the foreign countries. "My son is pursuing his BTech in Toronto University in Canada. The Canada government has locked down institutions and even put restrictions on hostels. Some of the institution authorities tell the students to vacate the hostels, but where they will go. The flights are not operating to several countries. If a healthy person comes by air, he can come in contact with several people at the airport and inside the flights. It will lead to possible infection. Our government should take up such matter with the foreign governments to keep the students there safely," said Rama Krishna Purohit, a doctor from Bargarh.
Students staying in various hostels of the institutions of the country have started returning home apprehending any worse days ahead. One Bhumika Sahu, an IIT Bombay student, said her fellow students left the hostel after the government closed the institution. "Only a few students were left. Fearing any problem in future, I also left the campus immediately," she added.
Several students from IIT Bhubaneswar left their respective hostels after the institution was closed down in view of Covid-19 situation. "We did not close hostels because some of our students are still staying there. We have taken all precautionary measures in hostels and canteen to prevent the viral infection. We had also conducted thermal screening of students in the campus. I hope students staying in the hostels will not face any problems," said IIT Bhubaneswar director R V Rajakumar.