The 25-year-old student made eyebrows rise when he became the first in Chittoor district to be declared COVID-19 positive. Tirupati, which was already tense in view of its huge pilgrim footfall with the likelihood of carriers being among the visitors to the town in the weeks before the lockdown, was outraged at the news and blamed the vigilant authorities and even the victim for alleged negligence. After going through the trauma and stigma and staying in the State isolation facility, the young man emerged unscathed.
When his fortnight-long stay ended, he was discharged on April 9 upon testing negative twice. Bubbling with confidence and energy, he reached home for another round of home quarantine for a fortnight to be doubly sure.
The person, whose family hails from Yerpedu mandal of Chittoor district, moved to the nearby Srikalahasti town some years back. Pursuing a master’s programme at London, he returned home just ahead of the lockdown period.
Shows responsibility
Upon finding the symptoms, he volunteered to undergo the required testing, only to be shown as COVID-19 positive. Without any qualms, the responsible guy got himself admitted to the isolation facility at Sri Venkateswara Ramnarain Ruia Government General Hospital. He also got his family members tested, since he stayed for a couple of days at home, but fortunately, they all tested negative at the very first stage.
After receiving his discharge certificate from Tirupati MLA Bhumana Karunakar Reddy, he left the hospital with a promise to stay home in quarantine for 14 more days.
In an informal chat with The Hindu after getting discharged, he sounded very optimistic about getting back to normal. Since his case emerged much before the Sri Padmavathi Medical College for Women (SPMCW) building in SVIMS University campus was converted into the COVID-19 hospital, he was placed in isolation at a makeshift building in Ruia hospital compound, which too has all the required infrastructure.
All praise for staff
He was all praise for the commitment exhibited by the medical and paramedical staff who put in tireless efforts to tame the virus and restore normalcy. “The regular diet is protein-rich and immunity-boosting, as it includes rice, pulses, rotis, eggs and non-vegetarian food. The doctors looked after us very well and gave the required medication at regular intervals. I felt really at home,” he told this correspondent.
For those having cough, fever and cold and are worried about such symptoms, his advice is to get themselves tested immediately and if required, get quarantined without further delay. “By hesitating or hiding the symptoms, one is only worsening the chance of survival and improving the scope for its spread. Quarantine is a simple, but effective step to stay healthy,” he remarked.
