Coronavirus in Chandigarh: Follow advisories, one cannot be too careful, says 23-year-old discharged patient

Says advisories for social distancing and hand washing should be followed religiously

The 23-year-old man, discharged from the isolation ward of Government Medical College and Hospital (GMCH), Sector 32, after two weeks of treatment, is elated to be home.

An MC worker sanitising the house of UT health secretary Arun Kumar Gupta whose daughter is under home quarantine in Sector 16, Chandigarh, on Sunday. (Anil Dayal/HT)

“I am feeling perfectly fine,” he said, as he arrived at his house in Sector 19 around 6pm. Son of a senior UT official, the youth had tested positive for Covid-19 on March 22 after he came in contact with the brother of Chandigarh’s first coronavirus patient, a 23-year-old woman from Sector 21.

“One cannot be too careful. Though I did not have severe symptoms, all of us, even the young, are not immune to it. Advisories for social distancing and hand washing should be followed religiously,” he said.

“During the course of my stay at the hospital, I learnt that there is nothing to be afraid of, but we need to be careful. My morale was high and I was confident of quick recovery,” he said, while adding that those affected by the disease should not lose hope as recovery was possible.

The youth reported to the hospital after his fever rose, alerting him that he could be infected. “In isolation, even though I was not allowed to move out, I spent my days reading and talking to my friends. The doctors, nurses and the supporting staff were immensely helpful,” he said.

On his recovery, the youth said following the instructions of the doctors was vital to get cured at the earliest. “Different bodies react to the virus differently. I did not have many symptoms, while other positive patients had cough and fever. So, precautions are a must to contain the spread of the virus,” he said.