Covid-19 recovered couple says didn’t tell kin about the infection

A month after recovering from Covid-19, the first couple in Mumbai to be diagnosed has kept their illness and recovery a secret from relatives, fearing stigma. The

A month after recovering from Covid-19, the first couple in Mumbai to be diagnosed has kept their illness and recovery a secret from relatives, fearing stigma. The Andheri-based couple spent 14 days in Kasturba Hospital and have recovered completely.

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The 70-year-old man and with his 69-year-old wife were diagnosed with Covid-19 on March 11. They were among those tested following contact tracing of the first patient from Pune. The couple told their son and daughter, both of whom live abroad, that they’d tested positive, but did not disclose this information to other family members.

When the couple was admitted, there were 20 beds in the ward, but more were added in the 14 days that the husband and wife spent in Kasturba Hospital.

The 70-year-old, who has a history of diabetes and hypertension, said he hadn’t felt afraid until the 11th day, when his condition deteriorated. “My wife had recovered earlier than me so she was shifted outside. I thought I would recover soon. But suddenly, I started vomiting. I thought I wouldn’t survive,” he said, adding that hospital staffers looked out for him when he was feeling low.

The couple was discharged on March 24, after testing negative for the virus. Back home in Andheri, they isolated themselves for another 14 days. “The domestic help didn’t come and we were too weak to cook. So our neighbours provided all the help,” he said.

More than a month after their recovery, the couple are yet to tell their extended family of their illness. “I come from a village where people don’t understand this disease is curable so I haven’t told them we were infected with Covid-19. Our family members will be stigmatised,” said the man, who is the first of his family to settle in Mumbai.