A 49-year-old Covid-19 patient, who is in hospital since testing positive on April 1, said he and his nephew never had any symptoms of getting infected by coronavirus.
His elder brother, a 59-year-old who too was tested positive, died in a private hospital on April 5. His 21-year-old nephew was released a couple of days ago.
Sudip Chatterjee, a resident of Sheorafully in Hooghly district, is under treatment at the Infectious Diseases Hospital at Beleghata area in north Kolkata, the state’s nodal hospital for Covid-19.
“My brother had preexisting ailments. He suffered from bronchial problem and hypertension. But I and my nephew never showed any symptom, even though we two tested positive along with my brother,” said Chatterjee.
Chatterjee, who is a marketing executive, said he was under nominal medication at the hospital.
“I have no symptoms of illness – neither fever nor sneezing and cough. I am on nominal medication. I wonder why my swab samples tested positive yet again,” he said.
Overall, 17 people, including the family of their car’s driver and domestic help, have been quarantined for coming in contact with Chatterjee, his brother and nephew. According to him, the source of his brother’s infection remained untraced.
“My brother went to Durgapur in train. He might have contracted it during the train journey,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}“My brother went to Durgapur in train. He might have contracted it during the train journey,” he said.
{{/usCountry}}Chatterjee said that a good number of the patients at the infectious diseases hospital have shown mild symptoms and are at no risk.
Spending time in ‘virtual confinement’ was the only problem he suffered from. He spent his time using his phone, talking to friends and family members and browsing the internet.
He is also thankful to the doctors and nursing staff who, he said, “gave excellent support to sail through the difficult times.”
“My realisation is that only those with a weak immune system, especially the elderly ones and those with pre-existing diseases, are getting affected by this virus. There is no need to panic but we must maintain social distancing to prevent crowding in the hospitals,” Chatterjee said.
Sixteen patients from this hospital have been released so far after testing negative twice.
“There are several patients with nominal symptoms but there is no question of taking any case lightly, as their condition may suddenly deteriorate,” a senior doctor at the hospital said.
“Even on Monday night, one patient died at our hospital after his condition deteriorated. Moreover, anyone testing positive, irrespective of showing symptoms or not, is a carrier,” the doctor added.