Delhi’s 1st Coronavirus Patient, Now Recovered, Speaks Of His Stay In The Isolation Ward

The COVID-19 pandemic should be taken very, very seriously but at the same time, panic and hoarding of essential supplies (face masks, hand sanitizers, etc) is not the answer. It is important to remember that washing hands with soap thoroughly is our first line of defense against the novel coronavirus. Furthermore, timely diagnosis and medical attention can facilitate recovery.

According to The Indian Express, on March 14, Delhi’s first COVID-19 patient Rohit Dutta, a 45-year-old exporter who had gone to Italy for a leather exhibition, was discharged from Safdarjung Hospital after successfully fighting the infection.

He will now home quarantine himself for 14 days as a precautionary measure. In a bid to spread awareness about the road to coronavirus recovery, he also gave everyone a first-hand account of his time during isolation. NDTV quoted him saying,

“I returned from Europe on February 25 and I had a fever the next day. I went to a doctor who told me it was a throat infection. He gave me medicine for three days. I recovered on 28th but I again had a fever on 29th so I went to the Ram Manohar Lohia hospital. On March 1st, I tested positive.”

“I am not a doctor but it was a little different than the usual cold and cough. I was at an isolation ward at Safdarjung that the government of India has created for this. The facilities were very good, it was among the best I have seen, even including private hospitals. I had a private room with a bathroom.”

Reporting that he had access to a phone and Netflix, Hindustan Times quoted him adding,

“It was unbelievable. The isolation ward at Safdarjung hospital was not what I imagined a government hospital ward to be. It was no less than a luxury hotel. The staff also maintained a high level of hygiene – cleaning all surfaces and changing linens twice a day.”

As far as the doctors, nurses, cleaning, and testing staff are concerned, he was all praise for their dedication and hard work. He said,

“The authorities are working very hard to contain the disease. Within 30 minutes of me testing positive, they were at my house to test my family members and the house of my friends. The next day they tested people at the school [where his son studies] too.”

“The health minister called me and wished me on Holi. He asked how I was feeling, whether I had any problems, whether I liked the food at the hospital. He said that he and the PM were personally monitoring the condition of all the Covid-19 patients. Imagine the health minister of the country calling! I am a common man.”

He is now urging everyone to get tested if they have symptoms of the disease and not be afraid of isolation wards as they are not two-by-two cells without sunlight. Because the infection can only be cured with a doctor’s help.

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