SHIVAMOGGA: It was as if the coronavirus had got its tentacles into this farming family of Shikaripura taluk. Except one person, 11 members of the joint family fought Covid and emerged successful in a span of 20 days. Those infected, including the nonagenarian grandmother (92) won the battle against the deadly virus. This heartwarming tale was reported from the tiny village of Malagondanakoppa in Shikaripura taluk. The joint family comprises Indira Bai (92), her son Susheelendra Rao (70) and his wife, grandsons Naveen Kulkarni, Vijay Kulkarni and their families, another son and daughter-in-law.
On April 10, Naveen Kulkarni and his brother’s wife complained of fever and approached the local doctor. After giving them medicine, the doctor advised them to undergo a Covid test. “On the advice of the doctor, we both took a Covid test, but the results came back after seven days. Meanwhile, we were taking the medicine prescribed by the doctor. However, we got admitted to Shikaripura taluk hospital,” said Naveen.
He told TNIE: “The doctor advised Covid tests for all others in the family, and they took it on April 17, and nine other members, including my grandmother, parents, brother, uncle and aunt, and my three daughters turned Covid +ve. All of them were admitted to the taluk hospital in Shikaripura. They got discharged from hospital, between April 21 and 24, after testing negative,” he said.
The family suspects they may have contracted Covid from three sources -- some family members had attended a thread ceremony in Bengaluru, a few others attended a family function in Davanagere, and children were going for tuition classes in Shiralakoppa. “We don’t know the source of our infection. However, by God’s grace and timely intervention of doctors helped us turn Covid -ve,” said Naveen.
Shravani (9), the youngest member of the family, said: “I was not afraid of Covid during my stay in hospital. Doctors, nurses and staff were very supportive. As my own family members were with me in hospital, I was not scared,” she said. On the advice of doctors, the entire family will be in home isolation for the next 8-10 days.