He had his first tryst with a lockdown in the Chinese city of Wuhan, ground zero of the COVID-19 outbreak.
After receiving a text message in the early hours of January 23, he, along with his friends, scrambled to reach the Wuhan Tianhe international airport to catch a flight back home. With the lockdown already in place, the airport was closed by the time they reached there.
But the group was lucky enough to get into the last train heading to Kunming, some 1,800 km away. From there, they all boarded a flight first to Kolkata and landed in Kochi on January 24.
After reaching his house in Alappuzha, the 23-year-old medical student went straight into strict self-quarantine. The rest are known facts. He was tested positive for COVID-19 on February 2, the second such case in the country. But, in two weeks, the medical student became the first person in India to be cured of the disease.
After roaming around like a free bird for a couple of weeks after the end of the stipulated quarantine period, he has gone into self-confinement again in his house now, this time due to the Statewide lockdown.
A responsibility
He says it is the responsibility of every citizen to adhere to the restrictions announced by the government. “In my case, after reaching home from Wuhan, I strictly observed self-quarantine. Before I was admitted to the hospital on January 30, I went outside only once, and that too to consult a doctor at the nearest health centre. I followed all protocols related to quarantine, isolation and treatment. Now, I am following the lockdown norms for the good my family, relatives, friends and society,” he says.
On his battle with COVID-19, the student says that his concern was only about becoming a carrier.
“After the student in Thrissur, a classmate of mine, tested positive on January 30 , I was immediately shifted to Government Medical College Hospital, Alappuzha, with the help of A. Safeer, a doctor. My results came a couple of days later. The medical staff was very helpful. I was served food of my choice. Above all, I was happy I didn’t pass the disease to anyone,” he says.
Act of malice
While undergoing treatment, a few people acted with malice and revealed his identity on social media and accused him of spreading the virus by walking around in the days after his return from China, which he termed as smut in otherwise an episode full of positive vibes.
With restrictions in place, he continues his studies online from the comfort of his home.
