To his utter shock, his wife and elder daughter also tested positive a few days later.

“I then realised that I need to be mentally strong to defeat the virus, and it worked well,” Emdad, 37, told UNB sharing his inspiring story of beating the deadly virus.

Emdad, a senior reporter of vernacular daily Bangladesher Khabor, was diagnosed with corona infection on April 10, and discharged from an Uttara hospital along with his two family members on April 23.

He thinks that positive thinking, strong will power, discipline, support from the family and friends, proper advice and social distancing can help one to effectively fight against the coronavirus. 

“No corona patient should get demoralised and afraid of the consequences. If you lose courage and determination, your struggle against the virus will get harder,” the young journalist said.

Emdad also narrated many other things about how he caught the virus, his sufferings to get tested, negative attitude of neighbours and his experiences and treatment at the hospital.

The journalist thinks he either got infected with the virus from a slum or from a newspaper office. “I visited two slums to make a story on the sufferings of its residents on March 26. I might have contracted the virus there.

I also visited a newspaper office at Moghbazar on March 27 where I shook hands with two men who later tested positive for the virus. It can be the potential reason.”

Struggle to undergo test

Emdad said he started suffering from fever and coughing on March 28. “I first thought it’s seasonal fever and cold. But the condition continued to deteriorate with high fever and severe coughing and throat pain. As I phoned a doctor on April 1, he prescribed me some medicines asking me to undergo Covid-19 test. After taking the medicines the fever subsided a bit, but there was no respite from the coughing and throat pain.”

The journalist said he repeatedly tried to reach the IEDCR through its hotline numbers, but failed.

UNB File Photo

“I then went to the emergency ward of Dhaka Medical College Hospital with the help of our correspondent on April 5, but the doctor gave me some blood and X-ray tests. Seeing the reports, the physician said it was a seasonal problem, not corona, and prescribed some medicines, but my condition was not improving,” he said.

Finding no alternative, Emdad said he gave a status on Facebook narrating the ordeal to get tested and reach the IEDCR.

“Later, I came to know a senior journalist’s daughter works at the IEDCR and I contacted her through her father. She advised me to go to the corona testing centre of Bangabandhu Sheikh Mujib Medical University (BSMMU),” he said.

Finally, Emdad could provide his sample to the BSMMU centre on April 9 after waiting for a long time.

“I received a phone call from Dhaka civil surgeon's office the following day only to know the horrifying news that I was tested positive for the coronavirus. I felt the sky crashed on me. I was worrying what would happen to my wife and my two daughters if I die?” he said.

Knowing the neighbours

A team of police came to his Malibagh residence the same day and put his rented flat and the entire house under lockdown, making his neighbours angry.

“As the police left the building, the neighbours started shouting from outside saying as to why I didn’t go to hospital and hid the information from them, and so many things,” Emdad recalled.

By the time, one of his well-wishers from Directors’ Guild phoned him asking him to go to Uttara Regent Hospital for the treatment. “I then hired an ambulance and left the residence together with my family members. I saw people were watching us from their corridors, but no one was talking to us. It seemed they were happy seeing the danger was going away from their neighbourhood.”

“Sitting on the ambulance, I was thinking whether I would be able to return to my flat again or I would die leaving my family into deep uncertainty. I was also getting hurt seeing the unkind behaviour and self-centeredness of neighbours,” Emdad said.

At the hospital, the doctors tested the journalist’s wife and two daughters and found all but his 10-yer-old younger daughter positive for the coronavirus.

Emdad said he sent his daughter to his Malibagh home with his brother-in-law as per the doctors’ suggestion. “But the neighbours prevented them from entering the building. Later, I called the landlord and managed him to allow my daughter to stay there since she was not infected with the virus.

Treatment & Recovery

"I was very scared at first as my wife and elder daughter also got infected by the virus. Being encouraged by doctors and my wife, I got back the mood, and prepared myself for tackling the situation with courage. Though they tested positive, my wife and daughter didn’t have any typical symptoms,” said Emdad.

He said they were given some antibiotic, antihistamine and vitamin-C tablets.

“We also regularly took milk, eggs, orange, malta and lemon. We used to gargle with hot water, and drink hot water mixed with ginger, lemon, clove, black pepper and cinnamon as per the advice of the doctors. We also used to inhale the steam from boiling water, sometimes with various infused ingredients,” Emdad said.

He said they also got good care from doctors and nurses and got well within 4-5 days. “We the three family members were at the same cabin but we maintained social distancing. We didn’t come close to each other and used separate plates, glasses and water bottles.”

The journalist said his wife first tested negative on April 22 and his 14-year-old daughter and he also got negative test results the following day.

“I always tried to remain cheerful and keep my daughter and wife in good mood. We also strictly followed the advice of the doctors and defeated the virus,” said Emdad.

“I’m very lucky that I’m alive as hundreds of people infected with the virus are dying every day around the world. I urge all not to be panicked if anyone gets infected with the virus. Be positive, confident, use will power and follow doctors’ advice to defeat the virus,” he concluded.