When the State’s first COVID-19 victim, a 69-year-old man from Mattancherry, was laid to rest last Saturday, none of his children could make it to bid adieu to their father owing to the strict safety protocols in place.
Now, his second son, who is in Dubai, has written a heartrending Facebook post, revealing the trauma of not being able to see his father one last time, while exhorting people to take the pandemic seriously so that no one else will have to go through the ordeal.
“My father was genuinely active, smiling and going about his usual routine, but in a matter of six days, this deadly virus changed our lives forever. We kept reading about the conditions in other countries where it hit the most — China, Italy, Spain etc., and never in our wildest dreams thought it could affect us. Well, it did, and we don’t know how, when, where and from whom he contracted the virus and these are questions, we will never get answers to,” he wrote.
His mother has also tested positive for COVID-19, and is currently under isolation in the same hospital. “The worst part – neither me, my elder brother or younger brothers could attend our father’s burial (due to travel restrictions/safety protocols being followed), and we cannot even be there by our mother’s side. Such is the impact of this virus, and its implications on our normal lives,” he said.
He then goes on to warn people how their carelessness could affect older people around them. “The virus can be anywhere, and anyone could be carrying it, without actually showing the symptoms, so please be aware and also educate your friends, family and peers on following the safety measures... Don’t wait until it’s too late,” he wrote.
