Thanjavur: ETV Bharat's Delhi based reporter M Manikandan, who got infected with COVID-19 during his flight travel, has successfully recovered and is in good health.
Recalling his ordeal, Manikandan said that fighting the virus seemed small as compared to facing the social stigma associated with the virus.
After being tested negative for the coronavirus, he was discharged after his 21 days of treatment in Thanjavur Medical College Hospital in Tamil Nadu.
Here is the first-person account by ETV Bharat Reporter M Manikandan-
I have been covering south Indian states' developments in the capital. As there was a temple festival in our village at Tamil Nadu, I had planned to visit my native on March 28. However, Prime Minister had announced Janata Curfew on March 21. Subsequently, on March 23, the union government announced that all domestic flights will be grounded by March 25 midnight. So, I sensed there would be a national lockdown.
As expected Delhi Government, on March 22 announced lockdown till March 31. Besides, our office has advised us to work from home. As I am a new comer to Delhi and it was just two months since I reached Delhi, I was scared about getting food and other essential stuffs.
Even though Mayur Vihar phase I is a south Indians packed region in the East Delhi, many hotels remain shut.
Therefore, I decided to go to my native and work from my house. I conveyed this to our office and I reached Delhi Airport in the wee hours of March 24.
I had Indigo's Chennai bound flight at 3:15 am on March 24. I had noticed many Tamil speaking people waiting at the boarding point. They said they were returning from a conference. I reached Chennai on the same day morning. I booked an Ola cab and reached my native Uranipuram in Thanjavur district, 300 kilometers away from the state capital.
As I had come from Delhi on flight, I decided to follow 28-day self isolation procedure as per the advise of government. Even as I was in self isolation , I managed to send stories to office. All was going well untill March 28 when I had a slight body pain.
I decided to report it to my nearby Primary Health Center. Our Block Medical Officer R Sundaravadhani recorded my details and gave some tablets.
I got rid of the body pain after a couple of days. However, the breaking news which I saw on my mobile disturbed me, as many people who returned from the Delhi conference had accidentally contracted with virus. As I had travelled with them in the aircraft, I decided to take the test.
As I have one and half-year-old boy and elderly parent, I was firm in testing. When I informed this to my BMO, she arranged ambulance and sent me to Thanjavur Medical College Hospital on April 2.
At this point, the social stigmatization had started in my village. Many speculated that I was infected with the coronavirus and I am in grave danger. Even many of the WhatsApp voice messages alerting locals had landed in my mobile too.
Even before I underwent the test, people were busy spreading rumours about me rather than following the lockdown.
My nasal and throat swabs were taken around 7 pm on April 2nd. As the swab had to go to a lab in neighbouring Thiruvarur, I was kept under observation. After few minutes, I was shocked to know that many more people who travelled in my flight were infected with COVID-19.
Even I had no symptoms of fever, cough, sneezing, and fatigue, I was afraid that many positive cases in Mumbai were asymptomatic.
After five days, a senior doctor of TMCH who called me had confirmed that I am positive for COVID-19. Although it was shocking, I managed to console myself since I had no symptoms.
A day after my family including my kid was taken to TMCH for testing. Doctors took their samples on April 8. As I hoped well for my family. Until their results came, I was experiencing mental stress. Their results were a sigh of relief for me. I believe it was due to my self distancing from family, all were negative for the infection.
They were kept in hospital quarantine for 14 days. My kid faced many discomforts as he had no freedom like home to play.
A few days later, I was shifted to a common ward where other patients joined with me. All had returned from Delhi. We eventually developed friendship and consoled each other.
I had Sheik Alaudeen, a retired professor next to my bed. He often passed positivity to all. He advised me to watch cop movies in Tamil and Malayalam to forget the stress.
He had followed the same and got discharged before me. Though hospital was providing food, many volunteers from Jamaads and businessman related to other patients were also giving healthy food to us. We had no restrictions and were free to eat anything. Idly, Dosa, Chapathi, Full Meals, Biryani were my food items in the past 21-days.
Hospital management was too good in providing milk, egg, dry fruits etc. We were also given psychiatric counselling twice daily.
Frontline warriors in the battle - Doctors, Nurses, and Sanitary workers had done a great job in the hospital. A young nurse, who is also a mother, used to take our blood samples regularly. They risked their lives and treated us to defeat the invisible enemy.
However, few incidents showed that public was not grateful to doctors outside the hospital. When Chennai's most familiar Neurologist Simon Hercules died of COVID-19, his body was not allowed into a cremation ground due to the locals' protest. They even attacked ambulance driver and pelted stones at the ambulance.
The same venom was spitted when an young doctor Jayamohan died of Dengue Fever. Jayamohan was in service at a PHC in Thengumarakuda, a tribal village in Western ghats.
A few elderly patients in my ward had broken down when they saw the news about the final journey of Simon and Jayamohan. "If something happened bad to us, these people will spoil our last trip right," a patient at his mid sixties said with tears in his eyes.
After days had passed, we become thick friends. As I am a journalist, many discussed Politics, Cinema, and Literature with me. Actor Vadivelu memes about the lock down and the pandemic were also a stress buster for us.
I spent my days by reading books on Amazon Kindle, writing my experience on social network sites. I also watched comedy films on Prime and Hotstar.
Though Virus did not haunt us much, it was only the social stigma. Though I acted quick and was not a carrier of COVID-19, I got to know that many were angry with me as the government declared my area as a containment zone. They were not ready to stay at home and were unhappy with the containment move. But Health, Police and Revenue department did a great job. As TN recently went for local body elections, the local body representatives also engaged in the fight.
After the 21 days of fight, I recovered. I am sure eating healthy food helped in my recovery. Thanks to Jamaad people. With the efforts of doctors and nurses, I returned home safely.
Many senior journalists and my colleagues across the nation spoke to me and encouraged me with their positive words. My News Editor Bilal Bhat, National Bureau Chief Rakesh Tripathi, ETV Bharat's Tamil head Prince Jebakumar were in constant touch with me. Chennai Press Club and it's joint secretary Bharathi Tamizhan also backed me.
Certainly, DMK President MK Stalin, Youth wing secretary and actor Udhayanidhi Stalin and Women's wing secretary Kanimozhi Karunanidhi also telephoned me and enquired me about my health. While I was worried due to the local stigma, the DMK leaders assured that they will be with me in this fight.
Yes, it was on April 23, when a nurse came to my ward and said to me, "You will be discharged today." When I heard the words, I felt like flying in the sky. All my friends in the ward congratulated me and I wished them speedy recovery as well.
Yes, I have passed the odd days and I appeal to all COVID-19 patients not to worry. Our Frontline workers, friends, well-wishers are here for us.
Also the public should understand that fear and selfishness pushed insecurity is unnecessary. Generating stigma will not save us but social distancing, proper handwashing and a healthy diet will.
Let's fight this pandemic together and save our nation.
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