When Haneef and his family members from Sajipa in Bantwal taluk started their Ramzan fast from Friday, a stigma being attached to them after Mr. Haneef's 10-month-old son recovered from COVID-19 is still hurting them.
The stigma is that the family had visited Kerala and the child got infected due to the same.
“It is not true. We did not visit Kerala and none from Kerala visited our home in Sajipa,” Mr. Haneef told The Hindu on Friday.
“Despite subsequent reports showing my child being negative for COVID-19 and all family members undergoing the mandatory home isolation period (that ends on April 26), the media still continues to report on us. We are getting calls about our well being. More than the trauma of my child being tested positive for COVID-19, it is the misinformation on our Kerala visit that is hurting us,” he said.
Mr. Haneef's sontested positive for COVID-19 on March 26 when he was to be discharged from a private hospital in Deralakatte, on the outskirts of the city, following recovery from a breathing problem. Then the child, his mother Rasheeda and grandmother Isamma were put in the isolation ward in the private hospital till April 12 and they were discharged after they tested negative.
Mr. Haneef, his brother, his elderly father and other family members in Sajipa and Mudipu were under home quarantine during the period. The family members are presently undergoing 14-day quarantine till April 26 following return of the child, mother and grandmother.
Though the child was doing well in the isolation ward in the hospital, there were reports stating that the child was serious and has been shifted to a different hospital. “My wife and mother received video calls from neighbours and well wishers and they had to show them that all were in the same hospital and fine,” he said.
He said that he worked in a departmental store in Benglauru. He came to Bantwal on March 24 night after his son was admitted to the private hospital due to the breathing problem.
“We still do not understand how our child got tested positive,” he added.
