Elderly Naga couple with comorbidities beat COVID-19

Their recovery has given hope in a State where stigma against the infected is high

The recovery of an elderly Nagaland couple with comorbidities has given a fillip to the State government’s fight against the stigma surrounding the novel coronavirus infection.

Unlike some parts of Nagaland where the infected have been shunned even after recovery, the people of Lasumi village in Phek district bordering Myanmar stood by 93-year-old Tsulo Therie and his 79-year-old wife Zunyi-ii.

The couple’s 10 children, members of their extended family and neighbours welcomed them back home after their discharge from the District (COVID-19) Hospital in district headquarters Phek.

‘Noteworthy recovery’

The hospital’s Medical Superintendent, Dr. Tiala Longkumer said their recovery was noteworthy as Mr. Therie has arthritis and his wife is a diabetic.

“The couple along with one of their sons had tested positive on July 24 and their status was confirmed on July 28 via RT-PCR,” the doctor said.

Another of the couple’s sons had tested positive earlier.

Kute Therie, one of the couple’s sons and a Community Health Officer at a government-run health and wellness centre near Lasumi village, said he was the first in the family to get infected possibly because of his COVID-19 duty.

“It is because of God’s blessings that my parents survived. Besides, they are active and refuse to touch anything other than traditional Naga food grown organically,” he said.

Mmhonlumo Kikon, an MLA and State spokesperson for COVID-19, saw a ray of hope in the recovery of the elderly couple and the positive attitude of the people of Lasumi.

“The government has run many campaigns for creating awareness through various platforms on stigma associated with COVID-19. However, it is the collective responsibility of everybody to fight this stigma,” he told The Hindu .