It was during the first week of April when 55-year-old Salman*, a farmer from Mathur near Alagarkoil, tested positive for COVID-19. Mr. Salman, who had diabetes and hypertension, was admitted to the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) of Government Rajaji Hospital (GRH) for the next three weeks before his complete recovery.
Mr. Salman says, during his treatment in the ICU, he even needed ventilator support for four days. “During that time, people in my village assumed I was dead. I sent an audio message on WhatsApp to prove that I was alive,” he recalls.
“During those testing times, I remained positive. I kept telling myself that it was just another fever caused by a virus and believed that I would recover completely. The doctors, nurses and the sanitary workers took good care of me and motivated me to keep me in a positive state of mind,” he says.
The rising COVID-19 positive cases in Madurai has made the public anxious and scared. But, patients who have recovered from COVID-19 say a positive approach, strict practising of safety precautions and right knowledge about the virus are important to survive the pandemic.
Kumar*, 33, who was treated at Government Hospital for Thoracic Medicine at Thoppur, says, being the first positive case in Alwarpuram, he was filled with anxiety. “I feared that I might have spread the infection to my family or neighbours. I was relieved only when my close contacts tested negative,” he says.
The concern about the safety and future of their families was daunting for most of the patients at the hospital, recalls Mr. Kumar. “But we provided the pillar of strength for each other,” he says.
Lakshmi* from Mattuthavani says she made a conscious decision to focus only on positive thoughts during the treatment. “My family and friends were also very supportive,” she says.
Mr. Kumar adds: unverified messages on WhatsApp and other social media platforms lead to needless anxiety to people. “Many people focus on having immunity boosters, but fail to follow safety precautions such as wearing the face mask or avoiding physical contact,” he says.
Ms. Lakshmi says there is a stigma associated with the positive patients, which is unwarranted. “This adds additional burden to their families. COVID-19 is just another viral fever which can be contained if safety precautions are followed,” she adds.
(All names have been changed)
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